PINNACLE. In the account of our Lord's temptation (Matt. iv. 5), it is stated that the devil took him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pin nacle of the temple' (erl TO Tel 1E1)00). The part of the temple denoted by this term has been much questioned by different commentators, and the only certain conclusion seems to be that it cannot be understood in the sense usually at tached to the word (i e., the point of a spiral orna ment), as in that case the article would not have been prefixed. Grotius, Hammond, Doddridge, and others, take it in the sense of balustrade or pinnacled battlement. But it is now more gene rally supposed to denote what was called the king's portico, which is mentioned by Josephus (Antiq. xv. II. 5), and is the same which is called in Scripture Solomon's porch.' Of this opinion are Wetstein, Kuinoel, Parkhurst, Rosenmiiller, and others [TEMPLE]. Krebs, Schleusner, and some others, however, fancy that the word signi fies the ridge of the roof of the temple ; and Jose phus (Antiq. xv. 5) is cited in proof of this notion. But we know that iron spikes were fixed all over the roof of the temple to prevent the holy edifice from being defiled by birds ; and the pre sence of these spikes creates an objection, although the difficulty is perhaps not insuperable, as we are told that the priests sometimes went to the top of the temple (lIfiddoth., ch. 4; T Bab. tit. Taa nith, fol. 29). Dr. BlOomfielcl asks : May it not have been a lofty spiral turret, placed some where about the centre of the building, like the spire in some cathedrals, to the topmost look-out of which the devil might take Jesus ?' (Recens. Synopt. in Matt. iv. 5). We answer, No: steeples do not belong to ancient or to Oriental architec ture, and it is somewhat hazardous to provide one for the sole purpose of meeting the supposed occa sion of this text.
Lightfoot, whose opinion on this point is entitled to much respect, declares his inability to judge whether the part denoted should be considered as belonging to the holy fabric itself, or to some building within the holy circuit. If the former, he can find no place so fitting as the top of the 1:91,4, or porch of the temple ; but if the latter, the royal porch or gallery (area, pacrIXixil) is the part he would prefer. He adds, that above all other parts of the temple, the porch thereof, and indeed the whole pronaos, might not unfitly be called re, ptlyeav Tel Lepel, the wing (for that is the literal meaning) of the temple, because, like wings, it extended itself in breadth on each side far beyond the breadth of the temple. If, therefore, the devil had placed Christ on the very precipice of this part of the temple, he may well be said to have placed him upon the wing of the temple ;' both be cause this part was like a wing to the temple itself, and because that precipice was the wing of this part' (Her. Hebr. ad Matt. iv. 5). With regard to the other alternative, it is only necessary to cite the description of Josephus to show that the situation was at least not inappropriate to Satan's object : On the south part (of the court of the Gentiles) was the onla ` the royal gal lery,' that may be mentioned among the most magnificent things under the sun ; for above the profoundest depth of the valley, Herod constructed a gallery of a vast height, from the top of which if any one looked down, crKorobunfv obg iZucovAgyns ?ijs tfipeces els atarpnrop rav 131,06v, he would be come dizzy, his eyes being unable to reach so vast a depth."—J. K.