him one by his right hand and another by his left hand and a third by the precious stones in the brest plate And when the president heareth the sound of the High priests feet comming out hee lifteth up the veile for him and then himselfe goeth in and worshippeth and after him his brethren the Priests go in and worship [c] Maym. in Kele Mikdash per. 7. There were 13 veiles in all about the Temple namely 7 for the seven gates of the Court one at the gate of the porch one at the gate of the Temple and two betwixt the holy and the most holy place and two just over them in the roome above [d] Shekalim Per. 5. And there was an overseer of the veiles that tooke care for the supply and the right ordering of them and if they were defiled by any common uncleanness they were taken downe and washt and hung up in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel to dry And when new veiles were made they were hung up on the gallery in the Court of the women that they might be viewed by all the people to see that they were right SECT 3. The holy place it selfe [a] 1 King 6.2 17. THis place was fourty cubits long and twenty broad and in Solomons Temple it was thirty cubits high having no floore at all on this side the roofe [b] Joseph ubi supr but in Herods Temple it was sixty For the children of the captivity building their Temple sixty cubits high they floored it not over but left it open to the roofe in the holy place as Solomons Temple had been and according to the same height was the floore laid when it was floored over in the time of Herod And here two things are to be remembred 1. that whereas the lower leads of the building which were over the side chambers were but 50 cubits high as hath beene described and there was a passage off those leads into the upper chamber over the holy place and it was by steps of ten cubits high partly without the wall and partly within the thicknesse of the wall it selfe a That there was an inequality of the height of the floores in the three parts of the house the porch the holy place and the most holy The first floore of the porch was 90 cubits high the holy place 60 and the most holy but 20. And therefore whereas there was a floore over the most holy place even with the floore over the holy place viz. at 60 cubits height that was not the first floore over it but there was another floore 40 cubits beneath that The beauty and richnesse of this place was exceeding great The floor of it upon which they trod was planked with firre boards and they gilt with gold and the walls were also fieled or wainscoted with cedar and that gilt likewise This gilding was from the ground floore even to the floore over head all the 60 cubits high up the wals and this is meant when the Text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He built the walls of the House within with boards of Cedar from the floore of the house to the walls of the covering that is up to the very wals of the floore over head as it is well expounded by the Rabbins upon that place For fifty cubits height of the walls was the imbroidery of branches and open flowers c. and for the ten cubits above it was the place of the windowes for the side chambers without the house in three stories did take up the height of fifty cubits high so that for so high no windowes could be made into the house but the space of ten cubits above was the place for the windowes which were made narrow without and broad within The deckage or carving of the wainscot of the walls is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The carving of knops and open flowers as our English renders it but the Hebrew Doctors are somewhat nice about the construction of these words The Chaldee expounds it the ingraving of the likenesse of egges ovalls and wreathes of Lillyes as if he meant that he wrought the walls with the worke of Lillie garlands and an ovall in the middest of a garland [c] Levi Gers 〈◊〉 King 6. Levi Gershem understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ovalls as the Chaldee doth but he takes them to be such ovalls as are the buds of flowers and that out of them came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flowers spreading and opening as in their maturity [d] Kimch iâ— David Kimchi takes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for wild gourds and so our English hath it also in the Margin and this I take to be the proper construction of the words and this the imbroidery of the wals That there was the carving of Cherubims and palme trees and the carving of gourds and open flowers interchanged thus first a border of gourds or pompions or such like apple-fashioned sculpture intermixed with marigolds gilliflowers and such opening flowers and this border or wreath went round about the house upon this wreath as upon a base were set the feet of Cherubims and the rooting of palme trees both which stood up from this wreath [e] 1 King 6.29 Ezek. 41.18 19. a Cherub and a Palme tree a Cherub and a Palme tree round about above the heads of the Cherubims and Palme trees was such another wreath and Cherubims and Palme trees set upon that againe and so interchangeably to the top By all which was signified the atendance of Angels Heb. 1.14 and flourishing condition Psal 92.12 13. of those that serve the Lord and wait upon him Every one of the Cherubims was pictured with two faces one of a man that looked toward the Palme tree on one hand and the other of a Lion that looked towards the Palme tree on the other Whereas it is said that twenty cubits were built on the sides of the house with boards of Cedar from the floore to the walls 1 Kings 7.16 the Jewes do expound these twenty cubits by way of breadth and not of height as thinking that they meane that besides the sides of the house on either hand which were 40 cubits long he also made the like worke upon either end of the roome which was twenty cubits broad But the Text doth speake it more peculiarly of the most holy place and sheweth what was the height of that which was different from the outer roome or holy place as we shall see hereafter Sect. 4. The Candlestick THere were three remarkable and renowned things in this roome of the holy place which next come to our observing and those were the Candlestick the Table of Shew-bread and the Altar of Incense the first of gold and the other two gilded so that here in this roome could nothing be seen but gold [a] Joseph ubi â—upr Josephus sets out these three things with this Encomium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they were three most wondrous workmanships
roaring from the wofull cries of those poore children frying in the fire This was probably that which is called the valley of the carkasses or the dead bodies Jer. 31.40 of which name the Chaldee Paraphrast in that place hath given this reason Because the dead bodies of the Camp of thâ— Assyrians fell there and to which Josephus also giveth testimony when he relateth that a place was called [l] Jos de Bell. lib. 6. c. 26. 31. The Assyrian Camp And here may we give a check a little to the peremptorinesse of Rabbi Solomon upon the Text of Jeremy lest he grow too proud who glosseth the fortieth verse thus [m] R. Sol. in Ier. 31.40 The valley of dead bodies is the valley where the carkasses of the Camp of Senacherib fell and the valley of the Ashes is the place whither they carried the ashes forth which was without Jerusalem These places they shall bring within the City even within the walls And this Prophesie is to be accomplished in the last redemption in despight of the Hereticks for it was not accomplished under the second Temple By Hereticks hee virulently meaneth Christians who deny any other Messias yet to come and that there shall be any more an earthly Jerusalem For he would construe those words of the Prophet strictly according to the letter as if there should be a time when these valleys should be walled within Hierusalem really and indeed whereas the Prophet in mentioning of those most defiled and polluted places to be taken into the City meaneth only the bringing in of the Heathens who had been polluted with all manner defilement of Idolatry and other abominations into the spirituall Ierusalem which is above or the Church And yet if we would follow him even in his literall construction we might shew out of his owne Authors the Talmudists how Bethphage the Towne that stood even in these places mentioned by the Prophet though it stood out of the walls of Jerusalem yet by their owne confession is it reckoned as a member or part of Jerusalem and so was that prophecy literally fulfilled by their owne chorography at the coming of our Messias But here is not a place for such disputes This was the prospect that you had before you on the right hand as you stood in the East gate of the Mountaine of the Temple namely a part of Mount Olivet divided from the City Jerusalem by the valley of Tophet by the valley of Ashes on the side of the valley neere Ierusalem stood the Towne Bethphage and on the hil on the further side of the valley over against it stood Bethany renowned for the raising of Lazarus from the dead there and for our Saviours frequent resort thither and ascension thence Directly before you was the place upon Mount Olivet where they used to burne the red Cow into purifying ashes when they had occasion to do such a work and [u] Maym. in Parah per. 3. in Shekalim 〈◊〉 4. thither went a double arched Causey of the same manner of arching that we have mentioned under the Temple Courts and for the same caution namely for security against graves by which the Priest that went about that imployment might have been defiled and so the work â—ard Upon your left hand as you stood ran Mount Olivet stil and the valley betwixt you and it and all along on the East point and on the North side of Sion was called the valley of Kidren of famous memory and mention in Scripture 2 Sam 15.23 2 Kings 23.6 Iohn 18.1 c. At the foot of the hill beyond this valley you might see Gethsemany or the place of the oile Presses whither they brought the Olives they had gathered upon Mount Olivet to be pressed and the oil got out And there it was whither our Saviour went after his last Supper and where he was apprehended having supped that night as it is most likely in Sion or the City of David CHAP. IV. Of the two South Gates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gates of Huldah AS the East quarter of the enclosing wall did face Mount Olivet so did the South quarter face Ierusalem the City it selfe For take we the whole City either built upon seven Hils [a] Ielammed fâ—l 52. as Tanâ—huma asserts it or upon three Acra Moriah and Sion as it is commonly described or adde Bezetha and Ophila if you will the situation of it will be found thus that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [b] Tosaph ad Kelim That the Mountaine of the Temple will be found lying Northward of Ierusalem and Sion Northward of the Mountaine of the Temple And thus do the Jewes in their antiquities generally seat it and that not without sufficient warrant of the Scripture For how can those words of the Psalmist Beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Sion on the sides of the North Psal 48.2 be more properly and plainly interpreted then as Aben Ezra doth interpret them [c] Aben. Ezr. in Psal 46. Sion on the North side of Ierusalem And those words of Ezekiel He set me upon a Mountaine by which was the frame of a City towards the South Ezek 40.2 who can give them a sense more genuine and proper then Kimchi hath done when he saith [d] Kimch in Ezek 4.2 The Mountaine is the Mountaine of the Temple and this City is Ierusalem on the South On this side therefore that faced Ierusalem or that looked South there were two Gates that were called [e] Talm. in Mid. per. 1. The Gates of Huldah and they were so placed as that they were in an equall distance from the two Angles of the Wall East and West and of the same distance one from another And so is Iosephus to be understood when he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [f] Ioseph Antiq lib. 15. c. 14. The fourth part of the Wall was towards the South and it had gates in the middle that is the gates were so set as that there was an equall space betwixt gate and gate and betwixt either gate and the corners of the wall From whence these gates did take their name to be called The gates of Huldah is hard to determine whether from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Huldah which signifieth a Weesell of which creature [g] Vid. Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrewes write many Stories or [h] Const Lemper in Mid. pag. 12. from the Syrian word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which translateth the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To creep into 2 Tim. 3.6 or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This or hither is common ground or [i] Vid. R. Sol. in 2 Kings 22. from the Prophetesse Huldah who was of so great esteeme in her time among the Jewes as that they say [k] Avoth R. Na. han per. 34. there was never any buried within Jerusalem either man or woman unlesse of the house of David but onely shee or from
whence else they were denominated it will not countervaile the labour to search nor is it very hopefull to finde We shall not need to spend time in describing the forme fabrick and dimensions of these gates since these and the rest of the Gates were all sutable to that in the East quarter which we have described before saving that their Gate house was higher and that they were not charactered with the picture of Shushan as that Gate was Let us therefore onely take the prospect as we stand in either of these Gates before us towards the South upon which they opened as we did in the other toward the East What Streets Houses Turrets Gardens and beauteous buildings were to be seen in Jerusalem as it lay before you may better be supposed in so goodly a City then described only if you will observe the situation of it or how it lay you may view it situate thus It lay upon the Hill Acra which rising in the middle descended with an easie declining towards the East and West and with a descent also toward the North or toward the Temple Upon the very highest pitch of the Hill and from whence it had a fall either way there sprang the sweet and gentle fountaine Siloam without the City and ran to either end of the City both East and West in a contrary channell as it made toward the East it left the Fullers field upon the right hand and saluted the Sheep gate on the left and so turned Eastward and fell into the Poole called Solomons Poole which may well be supposed to be Bethesda As it ranne Westward it coasted along the broad wall the Tower of the Furnaces the valley gate and dung gate and after a while fell into the Poole of Siloam CHAP. V. Of the West gates Shallecheth or Coponius Parbar Asuppim IN the Talmuds Survey of the Temple there is but one Gate mentioned or spoken of upon the West quarter but Josephus doth mention foure and that agreeably to the Scripture Not but that the Talmudists did very well know there were so many Gates upon this quarter but they reckon only those by name [a] Mid. per. 1. Tamid per. 1. that had Guards kept at them whereas Josephus reckons all that were in being His words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [b] Ioseph Antiq lib. 15. c. 14. On the West quarter of this outmost bound there were foure gates The first leading to the Kings Palace the valley betweene being filled up for the passage Two others went into the Suburbs and the other into the other City having many steps downe into the valley and many up againe to the pitch or coming up We will survey these Gates particularly and take them in the order that he had laid down beginning first with that Gate that led to the Kings Palace SECT 1. The Gate of Shallecheth or Coponius THe Gate that led towards the Kings Palace was that that stood most North in this West quarter of all the foure being set directly and diametrically opposite to the Gate Shushan in the East In the time of the first Temple this Gate was called Shallecheth 1 Chron. 26.16 but in the time of Herods Temple it was called [a] Midd. per. 1. Maym. in Beth habbechir per. 5. The Gate of Coponius The Jewes write it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kiponus about the derivation of which word there are various conjectures Some deduce it from [b] Aruch in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A hole or entrance Some from [c] L. Lemper in Mid. pag. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A back doore some from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A thorough-passage but I should rather derive it from Coponius the Roman Commander Josephus recordeth that when Cyrenius was sent by Augustus to be Governour of Syria Coponius also Generall of the Horse was sent with him for ruler in Judea [d] Ioseph An. lib. 18. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this was so neere about the time of Herods finishing the building of the Temple that it giveth faire occasion to thinke that he named this gate in honour of that great Commander Coponius as he did a building hard by it Antonia in memory and honour of his great friend Antony The word Shallecheth by which name this Gate was first called in the time of Solomon doth signfie a casting up and so saith [e] Michol in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi it is rendred by the Chaldee Paraphrast in the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this gate is said in 1 Chron. 26.16 to have been by the Causey going up which going up is that renowned ascent that Solomon made for his owne passage up to the Temple 1 King 10.5 2 Chron. 9.4 And the Causey is that that Iosephus meaneth when hee saith A gate led to the Kings House from the Temple the valley between being filled up for the passage which was a very great work for the valley was large and deep Therefore it may very well be concluded that it was called Shallecheth or the casting up from the Causey that was cast up to lead to it from the Kings Palace this being his ordinary way to the Temple This Causey is held by some [f] Vid. R. Soâ— in Esay 6. to have been set on either side with Okes and Teyle trees which grew up there and served for a double benefit the one to keep up the Causey on either side that it should not fall downe and the other was to make the King a pleasant walke and shade with trees on either side as hee came and went And so they render that verse in Esay 6.13 where the word is onely used besides in all the Bible In it shall be a tenth and it shall returne and be â—aten as a Teile tree or as an Oake by Shallecheth that is as the rowes of trees on the sides of this Causey SECT 2. Parbar Gate 1 Chron 26.18 FRom the Gate Shallecheth or Coponius that lay most North on this Westerne quarter let us walke toward the South and the next Gate wee come to was called Parbar of this there is mention in the booke of Chronicles in the place alledged where the Holy Ghost relating the disposall of the Porters at the severall gates of the Mountaine of the House faith At Parbar Westward two at the Causey and two at Parbar By which it is apparent sufficiently that this Gate was in the West quarter and reasonably well apparent that it was the next gate to the Causey or Shallecheth because it is so named with it but by that time we have fully surveyed the situation of it it will appeare to have beene so plaine enough The word Parbar admitted of a double construction for it either signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An outer place [a] Gloss in Tamid per. 1. Kimch in Chron. 26. Aruch in voce c. as many of the Jewes do construe it or it concurres with the
signification of the word Parbar which differs but one letter from it and that very neere and of an easie change which betokeneth Suburbs both in the Hebrew Text 2 Kings 23.11 and in the Chaldee tongue as [b] Kimch iâ— 2 Kings 23. David Kimchi averreth there And here Josephus his words which we produced a little before may be taken up againe and out of all together we may observe the situation of the Gate in mention He saith that of the foure Gates upon this Western quarter one led towards the Kings Palace that is Shallecheth that we have viewed already and the two next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Suburbs These Suburbs that he meaneth were indeed that part of the City which in Scripture is called Millo which was the valley at the West end of Mount Moriah in which Jerusalem and Sion met and saluted each other replenished with buildings by David and Solomon in their times 2 Sam. 5.9 1 Kings 11.27 and taken in as part and Suburbs of Sion and so owned alwayes in after times And to this purpose is the expression of Josephus in his words that we have in hand observable when he saith that two of these Westerne gates were into the Suburbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other into the other City that is into Ierusalem which he maketh as another City from the Suburbs of which he spake Take the word Parbar therefore in either of the significations that have been mentioned either for an outer place or for the Suburbs this Gate that we have in survey might very properly be called by that name because it was a passage from the Temple into Millo which was an outer place and the Suburbs of Sion distinguished and parted from Sion by a wall yet a member of it and belonging to it Now whereas the other gate that stood next to this that we are about toward the South did lead also into the Suburbs as well as this as is apparent from Iosephus yet is it not called by the same name Parbar the reason of this may be given because it bare a name pecullar and proper sutable to that singular use to which it was designed or to that place where it was set rather then sutable to that place whither it gave passage And here because we are in mention of the Suburbs it may not be amisse to looke a little upon that text that speaketh of the Suburbs and out of which we have taken that signification of the word Parbar namely 2 Kings 23.11 It is said there that Josiah tooke away the Horses that the Kings of Judah had given to the Sunne at the entring in of the House of the Lord by the Chamber of Nathan melâ—â—h the Chamberlaine which was in the Suburbs Whether these Horses were given to the Sunne to be sacrificed to it or to ride on to meet and salute the Sun-rising as the Jewes suppose we shall not trouble our selves to enquire into it is the place that we have to looke after at this time rather then the thing These Stables of such Horses and it is like the Kings common Stables were in the same place are said to be in the Suburbs and at the entring in of the House of the Lord and we cannot better allot the place then that whereupon wee are namely that they stood here in Millo before this gate Parbar or thereabout and from thence there was a way to bring the Horses up to the Kings house when the Kings would use either those horses that they had dedicated to the Sun for their irreligious use or their other Horses for their common use As they went out of Millo to rise up into Sion they passed through a gate which was in the wall that parted betweene Millo and Sion which wall and gate was but a little below the Causey that went up to the gate Shallecheth and this helpeth to understand that passage about Athaliahs death 2 Kings 11.11 They layd bands on her and she went by the way by which the Horses came into the Kings house and there she was slaine That is they got her out of the Mountaine of the Temple brought her downe by the gate Shallecheth and the Causey and when she came neare the horse gate through which the horses went up out of the Stables in Millo to the Kings house there they slew her There was a Horse gate indeed in the maine wall of the City on the Fast part of it Neb. 3.28 Jer. 31.39 but that was distinct from this which was peculiar for the Kings horses and therefore a distinctive character is set upon this namely that it was the Horse gate towards the Kings house 2 Chron. 13.15 It should be rendred towards the Kings house rather then by the Kings house for neither of these gates either that on the East which was a gate of the City nor this on the West which was a gate into Millo were neare the Kings house but a good distance off See the LXX there SECT 3. The two Gates and House of Asuppim IN the story of the designing of the Porters to their severall places and charges in 1 Chron. 26.15 17. it is said thus To Obed Edem Southward and to his sonnes the House of Asuppim Eastward were sixe Levites Northward foure a day Southward foure a day and toward Asuppim two and two Now there are two things that have justly moved divers learned men to conceive that Asuppim doth betoken the treasuries of the Temple or the places where the offered and dedicate things were referved and laid up The one is the signification of the word it selfe for it betokeneth gatherings or collections and the other is because Obed Edom whose sonnes are said here to be at Asuppim as at their charge is said in 2 Chron 25.24 to have had the keeping of the treasury For there it is recorded that Joash the King of Israel tooke all the gold and silver and Vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed Edom. Now if this be granted that Asuppim did betoken and mean the treasuries yet are we still to seeke where Asuppim was and indeed there is not a more difficult matter in all the survey of the Temple and of the buildings and affaires belonging to it then to determine aright and clearely concerning the Porters treasuries and treasures and all their charges there is so much variety of expressions about these in Scripture and so little explanation and resolution of this matter in other writers we shall do the best we can for their discovery as we come to the view of the severall places that refer to any such thing The word Asuppim is used againe in speech concerning the Porters Neh 12.25 where fix men there named are said to be Porters keeping the ward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Asuppim of the Gates Aben Ezra and Kimchi say it is but the same with Sippim the thresholds and so it is rendred
cloisters of the Mountain of the House of which we shall speak next and by that the Roman Garrison Souldiers went downe at every festivall of the Jewes to take care against tumults and seditions in those great concourses of the people And the Governour of this Tower is called the Captaine of the Temple Acts 4.1 Luke 22.52 [b] Id. Ant. lib. 18. c. 6. Hyrcanus the High-priest the first of that name tooke up this place for his Mansion and for the laying up of his holy garments and so did his successors after him And Herod when he repaired it and called it Antonia he suffered the High-priests to lay up and to have the keeping of the robes here still and so did Archelaus his sonne after him But when the Romans put Archelaus from his Kingdome they tooke the custody of these garments into their owne power but yet they let them lye in the same place till Vitellius the Pro-consul of Syria in the time of Tiberius coming to Jerusalem and well pleased with his entertainment there upon the Jewes Petition restored the keeping of those robes to them againe Howbeit they injoyed not that priviledge very long but in the time of succeeding Emperours and Governours the custody of them was taken from them againe And now that we have seen Antonia on the outside of the North wall let us come in againe at the North gate Tedi and look a little more upon that as we come through it We observed before the name of this gate to signifie Hiding or obscurity and as for the nature of it we saw that it was in a manner altogether unfrequented Now two things may be conjectured toward the reason and cause of both these as 1. The insolency of the Roman Garrison might make the people have but little minde to come that way and it might bee to them Porta Taedii a gate of grievance for let us cast out a Latine Etymology so neare a Latine Garrison And 2. a reason why it carrieth hiddennesse in its name Josephus seemeth to give in this passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [c] Id. de Bell. lib. 5. cap. 15. because the hill Bezetha did shadow the Temple on that North side and spoile its prospect whereas no other side of the square had any such cloudings CHAP. VIII Cloisters along this outmost wall within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THUS hath the outmost virge and bounds of the Mountaine of the House beene laid before us Now there is a thing that deserves our paines and observation againe in another survey and that is the walkes or cloisters that were along the wall within betweene gate and gate round about [a] Shabbath fol 16. The Talmud in one place expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porticus duplicata and so [b] Jos de Bell lib. 5. c. 14. Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which both the Talmud [c] Shab fol 13. Maym. in Beth habbechir per. 5. in another place and also Maymony do utter more largely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was all floored or roofed over and one porch was before another The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so plainly the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I make no scruple to render it by that word in Greeke and by Porticus in Latine but how to translate any of them into our English tongue is of some doubtfulnesse because our word Porch by which they are constantly rendred doth not reach to their sense in our English use but is commonly taken in another For what [d] Kimch in 1 Kings 6.4 Kimchi saith concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it meaneth the same thing that by the language of the Talmud is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The house of the gate is also most true concerning the proper signification of the English word Porch for that most ordinarily and commonly is taken among us for the building over or before the house door But these words that we are about do signifie Cloister-walks or rows where men used to walk or sit free from rains and weather the one side open supported with pillars and all floored or covered over head So was this large compasse along the wall it was double Cloistered round about for give me leave to use that word till I find a better having a roofe or floore over head which lay almost as high as the top of the Wall save what was left for the walls battlements and it was supported with a treble row of Marble pillars the inmost row joining to the wall and it was distinguished by the middle row of Pillars into a double walke Wee need not goe farre for a copy the stately new building Piazza walke cloister call it what you will at the West end of Pauls may very well bee our patterne For it was much about that height twelve yards and an halfe it joined on one side to the wall as that to the Church and was borne up with gallant white Marble Pillars It was 30 cubits or 15 yards broad either walk half that breadth pillars and all and had battlements above the leads both at the wall and on the other side as that at Pauls is crested on the outside Where buildings stood out into the Mountaine of the House as we have observed they did there these Cloisters were carried accordingly being either cut off at the building if it stood 30 cubits out or the one halfe or more of the Cloister cut off if the building were narrower and the rest of the Cloister carried on before it Onely upon the South side of the Square there was some difference of the Walkes or Cloister from what was in the other parts For here was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cloister royall as [e] Ant. lib. 15. c. 4. Josephus calls it and of which he makes a very large and eminent description to this purpose 1. That it was treble walked or rowed all along from East to West whereas the Cloisters of any of the other sides were but double 2. That this whole frame was borne up by foure rowes of Pillars that stood even one against another the inmost row joining to the wall as it was on the other sides 3. The inmost and the outmost walke of these three that is that that was next to the wall and that that was outmost towards the open space of the Mountain of the House were equall in height and breadth with the walks or Cloisters on any of the other sides namely 15 cubits high and 15 cubits broad apeece but the middlemost walke was 42 cubits and an halfe broad and 50 cubits high and so the two rowes of Pillars that stood on either side of this middle walke were 50 cubits high so that the roofe of this walke was as high againe as the roofe of the Walkes on either side and these altogether were as the upper and lower leads of a Church and every one of them had a crest or
battlement round about Finally the whole fabrick was so gallant and sumptuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is incredible saith my Author to those that never saw it and an amazement to those that did 4. Had one stood at the top of the highest Leads at either end and looked downe there was so steep a trench or valley under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that to looke downe it would make one giddy and he could hardly see to the bottome and Josephus proclaimeth this fabricke to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the godliest workes under the Sunne Now though this gallant Southside Cloister did and that very deservedly beare the name of The Cloister Royall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet is not this the same with that which in the Scripture is called Solomons Porch of which there is mention John 10.23 Acts 3.11 for that as the same Josephus giveth us intimation was upon the East side of this square that we have in hand and not upon the South his words are these [f] Id. ib. lib. 20. cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The People perswaded the King Agrippa the second to repaire the East Porch or Cloister Now this Cloister was in the outmost space of the Temple standing over an exceeding deep valley raised upon a Wall of 400 cubits which was made of square white stones of 20 cubits long and 6 cubits high apeece the worke of King Solomon who first built the Temple His meaning about the foundation of this East wall and cloister he tels elsewhere to this purpose [g] De Bell. lib. 5. c. 14. that Solomon to finde roome enough this way was put to fill and bring up a part of the deep trench with such great stones and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and upon this strong foundation so brought up from the bottome of the valley he built this porch or Cloister that we have in mention Now when the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonian and all the buildings ruined yet this great and wonderfull foundation that Solomon had brought up so high as to equall the floore of the Mount was not ruined or pulled downe but continued still and in after-times the Porch or Cloister of that Easterne quarter was built upon the same foundation of Solomons and from that it tooke and bare the name still of Solomons Porch and the East gate here upon the same occasion was called the Kings gate as was said before And now to take a Prospect of this space and wall and buildings and Cloisters that we have spoken of at one view By many steps or at the least by a great rising you were to come up to any of the gates that have been mentioned let the East gate or the gate of Shushan be conceived for our entrance [h] Ezek. 40.6 The Gate-house or threshold was 12 cubits over 6 without the doores and 6 within being got within you saw the great square within most stately double cloistered round about on every side but onely on the South where the cloister was trebble on the West side were 4 gates on the South two on the North one and one on the East where you came in and at all these gates more or lesse buildings [i] Mid. per. 1.1 In five of these gates namely in the East gate Shushan the two South gates Huldah the North gate Tedi and the West Shallecheth was a guard kept of the Levites by night for the safety and honour of the Temple and so there was in every corner of this great square within These gallant and sumptuous walkes thus round about the whole compasse were for the people to stand walke or sit under in heat or raine or according as they had a mind or occasion And so it is said that our Saviour walked here John 10.23 the Apostles James and John stood here and the people about them Acts 3.11 And there were benches set by the walls round about for people to sit downe when they thought good And therefore D. Kimchi [k] Kimch in 2 Kings 11.14 interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bench on which men sit And R. Nathan [l] Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 makes it to be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he saith is benches on which men set downe their wares and on which they sit themselves CHAP. IX Tabernae Shops The great Sanhedrin sitting thereabout THere is very frequent mention in the Talmuds and Talmudicall writers of a place in the Mountaine of the House which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hhanoth or Hhanijoth which the learned in these Antiquities doe commonly render by the Latine word Tabernae which though in that language it be a proper expression of the Hebrew word yet cannot we so properly in English render it Tavernes because that in our usuall acceptation that word is taken for houses where wine only is sold whereas these were shops where wine oile salt meal and such like things were sold which were in constant use for Sacrifices and offerings in the Temple And Rabbi Nathan relateth that [a] Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were Clerks of that Market appointed to looke to the weights and measures of these Shops and to see the Shop-keepers did not sell too deare But the most famous thing concerning these Tabernae that the Jewes speak of is that the great Sanhedrin sate here having removed hither from the roome Gazith the place of their common sitting The story hereof is dispersedly mentioned in the Talmud in severall places particularly it is thus at large in the Gemara of the Treatise Rosh hashanah per. 4. [b] Tal. in Rosh hashan fol 31. Rabbi Iohanan saith The divine glory had ten flittings 1 From the Mercy seat to one of the Cherubs 2 From that Cherub to the other 3 From the Cherub to the threshold 4 From the threshold to the Court. 5 From the Court to the Altar side 6 From theâ—â— to the Altâ—r top 7 From thence to the outmost wall 8 From that wall to the City 9 From the City to Mount Olivet 10 From Mount Olivet to the wildernesse and from the Wildernesse it went up So also the great Sanhedrin had ten flittings From the Chamber Gazith to Hhanoth the Tabernae or place of the Shops From Hhanoth to Jerusalem From Jerusalem to Jabueh From Jabueh to Osha 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Osha to Shepharaam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Shepharaam to Beth Shaaraim From Beth Shaaraim to Tsipperis in Galilee From Tsipperis to Tiberias Now whereas there are but eight removes here mentioned yet they speake of ten it is to be understood as the Glosse gives us notice that from two of these places they removed forward and backward and forward againe as from Jabueh to Oshah from Osha back to Jabueh and from Jabueh to Osha a second time [c] Gloss ibid. Rab. Simeon Their first comming to Jabueh was in the dayes of Rabban Johanan ben
within to disperse and dilate it Though there [h] Vid. R. Sol. Kimch in loc be some Jewes that construe it the cleane contrary way viz. broad without and narrow within different from all other windowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God say they had no need of such light The people that returned out of captivity were [i] Joh. 2.20 forty and six years in building their Temple before they could compleat it and bring it to perfection and yet when all was done it proved so far inferiour in beauty and statelinesse to that of Solomons as that to those that had seen both [k] Hag. 2.3 it was as nothing the dimensions made not the difference for it was two wayes as large again as his even as his was every way as large again as Moses Tabernacle but this wanted that sumptuousnesse and bravery of building that his had And it wanted those five things which were the glory and excellency of the former namely [l] R Sol in Hag. 1.18 The Arke Vrim and Thummim Fire from Heaven The Cloud of glory upon the Mercy seat and The spirit of Prophesie The [m] Ezr. 3.10 weeping therefore of those persons that had seen the former house at the laying of the foundation of this was not as if they saw any lessening of the house in comparison of the former in compasse and measure for the foundations promised a larger but it was upon remembring the glory of the former both in its magnificence and in these five excellencies and to thinke of the burning of that and it was also in comparing their present servile and poore condition with the liberty state and gallantry of the Nation when the other stood Their measures were prescribed by Cyrus not because he would curb the building but inlarge it for whereas Solomons Temple was but 30 cubits broad chambers and all hee gave liberty of 60 cubits bredth and whereas Solomons was but 30 cubits high all the body of the house he doubled the measure to 60. And therefore those words of Josephus are cautelously to be understood when he saith that [n] Ioseph Antiq lib. 8. c. 2. they brought up the roof of Solomons fabrick of white stone the height 60 cubits the length as much and the breadth twenty In which account of the height of it he differs both from Scripture and from all other of his owne Nation and by what measure or counters he reckons it is hard to understand And so is it also to construe that which followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I english thus And by this there was another peece raised of equall measures so that the whole height of the Temple was an hundred and twenty cubits By which peece I conceive he meanes the Porch and his owne words cleare it but how to apprehend that it was of equall measure with what he had spoken of before I acknowledge I do not understand And whereas he saith that the whole height of the Temple was 120 cubits his owne context shews that he cannot mean that it was so high throughout but it is to be construed of the porch of which he is speaking namely that the Temple in some part of it rose to an hundred and twenty cubits high And so are those words of Herod to be understood in the Oration that he made to the people when he tels them of his resolution to build the Temple [o] Id. ib. lib. 15. cap. 14. Our fathers saith he built this Temple to the great God after their coming up again from Babylon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it wanted as to the greatnesse of it sixty cubits in height for so much did the former Temple which Solomon had built exceed it Which is not to be understood of the whole house but of the Porch only for the children of the captivity either built no porch at all and then their Temple was a perfect Cube length and height and breadth exactly equall or if they did yet did not the height of it exceed the rest of the house as Solomons did but onely equall it the whole being sixty cubits high all alike according to the dimensions that Cyrus had prescribed Now in his patent for the building of the Temple there are these words which are of no small difficulty to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezr. 6.4 Josephus renders this passage thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [p] Ioseph Antiq lib. 11. c. 1. 4. Three houses of hewen stone and one house of wood within By the three houses seeming to meane the three parts of the Temple Porch holy and most holy Place and by the one woodden house the seiling of the house within And in this sense Rabbi Solomon seemeth also to understand it who renders the words to this sense [q] R Sol in Ezr. 6. The walls were of Marble and there was a wall of wood within like the building of the house which Solomon built The Septuagint have translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houses and Josephus followed them in so rendering it But the Chaldee Paraphrast doth use the word to signisie Rankes or Rowes of stone or timber as Hag. 2.15 Before a stone was laid upon a stone he utters it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so he renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. 46.23 c. And in this sense doth Aben Ezra understand the word and so hath our English translated it Three rowes of great stones and a row of new timber But we are yet to seek for the meaning of the clause though wee be satisfied with this sense of the word Three rowes of stone and one of timber Is this to be understood of three rowes of stone pillars and one of wood all standing up or of three rows of stones laid in the walls and one row of timber lying upon them And is this meant in the body of the Temple it selfe or in some other wals that were about it If we looke into 1 Kings 6.36 I suppose some resolution of these doubts may arise thence for there it is said parallel to what is spoken Ezr. 6.4 That Solomon built the inner Court with tree rowes of hewen stone and one row of Cedar beames And it is almost past peradventure that Cyrus gave his Commission after that pattern having learned it from some Iewes that were about him Having therefore prescribed the dimensions of the Temple it selfe in ver 3. hee giveth also warrant and platform for walling in the Court even after the fashion that Solomon had used namely three rowes of great stones to bring up the wall and a row of Cedar beames either to crest it or to lie between as the wall rose And so do Levi Gershom and D. Kimchi expound these words in 1 King 6. The walls were three rowes of hewen stones and one of timber of Cedar upon them The Iews upon their return out of Captivity did first build
Western wall of the house but more downeward towards the dore and that the staves raught down to the dore and on the day of Expiation when the high priest went into the Holy place he went up to the Arke between these staves and could not go off to one hand or other But that that hath strained them from this conception is 1. Because they have strictly taken the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text in the book of Kings for the Holy place without the vail whereas the booke of Chronicles doth expresly render it by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Arke for whereas the one place saith that the beads of the staves were seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth not the whole roome either of the Holy or most Holy place but that singularly Holy place that was under the wings of the Cherubims for of that place had the text spoken immediately before when it said The Priests brought the Arke into the most holy place under the wings of the Cherubims For the Cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the Ark c. and then he comes on and saith And they drew out the staves so that the ends of the staves appeared out of that holy place meaning under the wings of the Cherubims And 2. The authors alledged have strictly taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mean so as one standing at the dore betwixt the Holy and most Holy place had the most Holy place before him whereas it signifieth in the same sense that it doth in that clause in Gen. 1.20 Let the fowl flie upon the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English hath wel rendred in the open firmament of beaven And so is it to be taken here and the verse in hand may be properly understood thus And they drew out the staves at length so that the ends of the staves were seen from that holy place in the open face of the Oracle but they were not seen without The staves were the same that were made by Moses and their length not great but only so much as to fit a mans shoulder on either side of the Arke and now when they had set the Ark between the two standing Cherubims on the floore the Cherubims inner wings covered the Ark and the staves that were above at the ends of the Ark but the rest of the staves drawn out downward toward the Oracle dore shot out from under the Cherubims wings and appeared in the open face of the most Holy place and the high Priest when he came to offer incense at the Arke on the day of Expiation he stood before the Arke between the staves [d] Maym. ubi sup It is fancied by the Jews that Solomon when hee built the Temple foreseeing that the Temple should be destroyed he caused very obscure and intricate vaults under ground to bee made wherein to hide the Ark when any such danger came that howsoever it went with the Temple yet the Arke which was as the very life of the Temple might be safe And they understand that passage in 2 Chron. 35.3 Iosiah said unto the Levites Put the Holy Arke in the house which Solomon the son of David did build c. [e] Kimch in 2 Chron. 35. as if Ioab having heard by the reading of Moses his Manuscript and by Huldabs prophecy of the danger that hung over Ierusalem he commanded to convey the Arke into this vault that it might be secured and with it say they they laid up Aarons rod the pot of Manna and the annointing oile For while the Arke stood in its place upon the stone mentioned they hold that Aarons rod and the pot of Manna stood before it but now were all conveyed into obscurity and the stone upon which the Arke stood lay over the mouth of the vault But Rabbi Solomon which useth not ordinarily to forsake such traditions hath given a more serious glosse upon the place namely whereas that Manasseb and Amon had removed the Arke out of its habitation and set up images and abominations there of their own Josiah speaketh to the Priests to restore it to its place againe what became of the Arke at the burning of the Temple by Nebucadnezzar we read not it is most like it went to the fire also How ever it sped it was not in the second Temple and is one of the five choice things that the Jews reckon wanting there Yet had they an Ark there also of their own making as they had a breast-plate of Judgement which though they both wanted the glory of the former which was giving of Oracles yet did they stand current as to the other matters of their worship as the former breast-plate and Arke had done And so having thus gone through the many parts and particulars of the Temple it selfe let us but take account of the severall parcell measures that made up the length of it an hundred cubits and so wee will turne our eye and survey upon the Courts [f] Mid. per. 4. 1. The wall of the porch was five cubits thick 2. The Porch it self eleven cubits broad 3. The wall of the Temple six cubits thick 4. The Holy place forty cubits long 5. The space between Holy and most Holy place one cubit 6. The length of the most Holy place twenty cubits 7. The Temple wall six cubits thick 8. The breadth of the chambers at the end six cubits 9. The wall of the chambers five cubits thick CHAP. XVI The Courts of the Temple THe dimensions and platform of the Temple it selfe being thus laid out we may now the better observe the forme and situation of the Courts that were before it or about it Where in the first place it will bee needfull to remember that againe which was spoken before which was that the Temple and the Courts about it were not pitched so just in the middle of the Mount of the house as that they lay in an equall distance from the four sides of the incompassing wall [a] Mid. per. 2. but they were situate more towards the North side and West in such manner as that they left lesse space betwixt them and the West then betwixt them and the North and lesse betwixt them and the North then between them and the East and lesse betwixt them and the East then betwixt them and the South There were three which we may call Courts belonging to the Temple besides that space in the mountaine of the house without them which was very large and which is ordinarily called by Christian writers Atrium Gentium or the Court of the Gemiles And these three were The Court of Israel and the Priests the Court of the women and The Chel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but properly and ordinarily the two former are only called Courts That word in Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the text
2 Chro. 4.9 and in the Chaldee Paraphrast Esay 1.12 1 Sam. 3.3 Ezek. 43.8 and by the Rabbins most constantly when they speak of these places David Kimchi gives the Etymology of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that [b] Kimch in 2 Chron. 4. in Michol it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies helpe because that every one that came to pray there with a good heart was helped by the Lord his God And much to the same purpose Rabbi Nathan when he saith [c] Ar. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they prayed there to the Lord to help them c. there being their last recourse for helpe in all exigents as 1 King 8.31 c. the word is used in Ezek. 43.14 in another sense namely for a border or halfe pace at the foot of the Altar on which the Priests that sacrificed stood [d] Kimch in Ezek. 43. as Kimchi expounds it upon that place and which wee shall meet with afterward These two Courts are sometimes so spoken of in scripture as if they were three for there is mention of the Court of the Priests and the great Court 2 Chr. 4.9 and the Court of the women as we shall observe by and by and yet they were indeed but two for though the Court of the Priests and the Court of Israel were distinguished yet were they not divided but the Court of the women was divided from them both The measure of the Court of Israel and the Priests which is sometime called Emphatically The Court and sometime The Court of Israel [e] Mid. per. 5. Sect. 1. was 187 cubits long that is from East to West and 135 broad from North to South The Temple stood just in the middle of the breadth of it so that the front of the Temple or the porch being 100 cubits broad this Court breadth lay 17 cubits and an halfe on either side of it and the body of the temple it self being but 70 cubits broad this Court lay 33 cubits and an halfe broad on either side it Now behind the West end of the Temple it extended but 11 cubits so measure from the utmost West side of it there and you have 11 cubits behind the Temple 100 cubits the length of the Temple and then it extended Eastward before the Temple 76 cubits [f] Ibid. per. 2. Sect. 5. The Court of the women lay just before this Court joining to it being of equall breadth with it namely 135 cubits from North to South but not so long as it from East to West for it was only 135 cubits that way also and so it was a perfect square CHAP. XVII The Inclosure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chel ABout both these Courts thus laid there was another inclosed space incompassing them in and this by the Jews is called The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chel The word is used by Jeremy Lam. 2.8 in that sense as [a] Maym. in beth habbech per. 5. some Jews do interpret that wee are to understand and describe here Both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel and the wall mourn by the wall being meant the wall of the Court and by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel the space that incompassed it round about and so translated by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the incompassing or inclosure The Scripture frequently useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a wall trench or rampart as 2 Sam. 10.15 1 King 21.23 Obad. ver 20. Nab. 3.8 and it is rendred variously by the Hebrew Expositors there but of the sense of the word nature of that place at the Temple that we are looking after they give us this unanimous account [b] Mid. per. 2. Sect. 3. Maym. ubi sup that it was a place or space of 10 cubits broad incompassed with a wall between the mountain of the house and the Courts I cannot find a better name for it then the inclosure or outer virge of the Courts The words of Rabbi Nathan in Aruch in two severall plamay move two severall doubts about this place for in one ces place bee saith that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [c] Ar. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A place incompassed with a wall between the mountain of the House and the Court of the women And in another place he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [d] Id. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel was a wall higher then the wall called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sorâ—g Out of which words he seemeth to hold out these two opinions the one that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel did not incompasse all the Courts but only the Court of the women and the other that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel was not a space of ground but a wall but these two doubts we shall cleer as we goe along And first to evidence that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a space of ground and not a wall we have not only the testimony of the Talmud and divers other Jews that measure out the breadth of it to be 10 cubits but we have mention abundantly in them of peoples coming into it and standing and sitting in it as R. Nathan himselfe giveth one instance [e] Id. ubi ante when he speaketh of a great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinity schoole in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel And [f] Iuchas so 21. Abraham Zaccuth speaketh of Rabban Johanan ben Zaccai having a Sanbedrin there [g] Pesa per. 2. And Rambam relates at large how those that brought their Passoever lambs into the Court when they were dispatched went and stood in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel and diverse of the like examples might be added which prove evidently enough what kind of thing this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chel was namely not a wall but a space of ground And so R. Nathan meaneth even when he saith it was a wall higher then the wall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at large when it is taken for other places then this in the Temple and is joined with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is defined by the Jews to mean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [h] R. Sol. in Lam. 2.8 A wall and a Son of a wall or an inner and outer wall that is a lower wall before a higher as Rabbi Solomon construes it not close joined together but some space of ground between and so our Authour understands it though he speak so short The wal that inclosed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soreg in the Talmud and Rabbins language which Nathan rendreth plainly a wal but [i] R. Semajab in Mid. some other expound it for a wal curiously lattized made of wood but Josephus comes and speaks further somewhat like to both their senses and tells us that it was of stone but
both so that the Temple service may have its due attendance as well as the Kings coronation And therefore ver 5. of 2 King 11. is necessarily to be rendred thus A third part of you shall be those that come in on the Sabbath that is a third part of you shall be as those that come in on the Sabbath to attend the service as at other times And so is 2 Chron. 23.4 to be translated A third part of you shall be those that come in on the Sabbath for Priests and Levites and Porters that is to attend the Altar song and gates as in the constant service 2. Another third part for keepers of the watch at the Kings house 3. And another third part at the gate Sur which is also called the gate of the foundation Thus the tents in the two bookes laid together doe plainly distribute the course that was to come in on the Sabbath as he will see that will carefully compare them together in the originall The course that was going out on the Sabbath was disposed 1. One third part of them to the gate behinde the guard 2. Two third parts to keepe the watch of the house of the Lord for the safety of the Kings Now the very disposall of these guards will help us to judge concerning the gates that we have in mention and will resolve us that they were not any gates of the Temple at all but that they stood in some place else For the gates of the Temple were guarded by the Porters of the course that came in as in the ordinary manner and there was an extraordinary guard added besides throughout all the mountaine of the house and in the Court of that course that was going out 2 King 11.7 8.11 Therefore the gate Sur or the gate of the foundation which was guarded by a third part of those that come in on the Sabbath cannot be supposed for any gate of the Temple since the Temple was guarded by two parts of those that went out So that were I to describe the city as I am now about describing the Temple I should place the gate Sur somewhere in Sion and there also should I place the gate behinde the guard and it would not be very hard to gather up faire probability of their situation there Now though so strong guards were set both in the Temple and in Zion yet Athaliah for whom all this adoe is made comes up into the Temple so far as to see the young King at his pillar in the Court before the East gate and no man interrupts her partly because she was Queene partly because she came alone and chiefly because they knew not Jehoiadas minde concerning her But when he bids have her out of the ranges they laid hold upon her and spared her till she was downe the causey Shalletheth and then they slew her If by the ranges the rankes of men that stood round about the mountaine of the house be not to be understood I should then thinke they meane either the ranks of trees that grew on either side that causey or the railes that were set on either side it for the stay and safety of those that passed upon it And to this sense Levi Gershom doth not unproperly expound those words in 1 King 10.12 Of the Alâ—â—g trees the King made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the house of the Lord and for the Kings house The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie a Prop or Support yet is expressed in 2 Chron. 9.11 The King made of the Algum trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 high waies to the house of the Lord And [q] Ralbag in 1 King 10. I think saith the Rabbin that in the ascent that he made to gee up to the house of the Lord from the Kings house he made as it were battlements that is railes on either side of the Almug trees that a man might stay himselfe by them as he went along the highway of that ascent And so in other ascents of the house of the Lord or of the Kings house where there were not steps at the rise of the Altar c. SECT I. Aeredible wonder of the brazen gate VVE will leave the belief of that wonder that hath been mentioned about the brazen doore of Niconer in its shipwrack to those that record it but wee may not passe over another wondrous occurence related by Josephus of the brazen gate whether this of Nicanor or the other which hee calleth the brazen gate as by its proper name wee will not be curious to examine which is a great deale more worthy of belief and very well deserving consideration Hee treating of the prodiges and wonders that presaged the destruction of Jerusalem amongst others hee relateth this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Eastgate of the inner Temple being of brasse and extream heavy [a] los de bell lib. 6. cap 31. and which could hardly bee shut by twenty men being barred and bolted exceeding strong and sure yet was it seene by night to open of its owne accord which the simpler and more foolish people did interpret as a very good Omen as if it denoted to them that God would open to them the gate of all good things But those of a deeper reach and sounder judgement did suspect that it presaged the decay and ruine of the strength of the Temple And with this relation of his doe other writers of his owne nation concurre who report [b] Iuchasm sol 21. That forty years before the destruction of the City the doores of the Temple opened of their owne accord Whereupon Rabban Jochanan ben Zaceai afterward chiese of the Sanhedrin cryed out Open thy doores O Lebanon that the fire may devoure And from that time the great Sanhedrin fitted from the room Gazith and so removed from place to place The like saith Rabbi Solomon on Zeob 11.1 Open thy doores O Lebanon [e] R. Sol. in Zech. 11. Hee prophecieth saith hee of the destruction of the second Temple and forty yeares before the destruction the Temple doores opened of their own accord Rabban Iochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them and said O Temple Temple how long wilt thou trouble thy self I know thy best is to hee destroyed for Zechariah the sonne of Iddo prophecied thus of thee Open thy doores O Lebanon that the fire may devoure thy Cedars c. There are three remarkable things which the Jews doe date from forty years before the destruction of the Temple namely this of the Temple doores opening of themselves and the Sanhedrins flitting from the roome Gazith and the Scarlet list on the Scapegoates head not turning white that are as Testimoneyes against themselves about the death of Christ which occurred exactly forty years before the Temple was destroyed Then the Lord shewed them by the Temple doores opening the shaking of their Ecclesiasticall glory and by the flitting of the Sanhedrin the shaking of their Civill and by the
one thing [f] Maym. in Biath Mikd. per. 4. whereby he was differenced from an ordinary Priest There is much diversity of opinion among the Jews yea even in the Talmud it self about the number of the gates into this Court In some places it reckons [g] Mid. per. 1. Ioma fol. 19. seven which indeed was the right number but in some other places there is mention of [h] Mid. per. 2. Shekalim per. 6. thirteen Nay [i] Gloss in Tamid per. 1. saith the glosse upon one place some there are that reckon seven some five some three some thirteen but the generality hold for seven Now the reason of this difference is in regard that some of them reckon only the gates of most constant and frequent passage which were especially three namely the Gate of Nicanor on the East and one on the North and one on the South of which wee shall speak ere it be long others reckon onely the gates which were guarded which were only five some it seems count what doores went out of the Court into buildings by it as well as gates to passe through and so they raise the number thirteen But the number that wee fix upon is seven as most generally and most properly intertained both by the Talmudicks and by Josephus in the second Temple And how many were in the first Temple wee shall say something to before wee have done with the Court. [k] Mid. per. 5. Maym. in beth habbech per. 5. On the South sides were these three gates 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The water-gate which was most East of all the three 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gate of the Firstlings called also sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gate of offering this was in the middle And 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gate of kindling which was most West Now besides these three gates on the Southside there were also three other buildings in the wall which bare these names 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The room-Gaâ—ith 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The room of the draw-well And 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The room of the wood And so we have the materialls or subject of our Survey on this South side before us let us now fall to work and observe the situation and use of these severall places And first [o] Antiq. lib. 15. cap. 14. Josephus as he giveth testimony to this number that we fix upon when hee saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this inward bound had three gates North and South so doth hee also give us good light for the situation of them when he saith they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equidistant one from another He had said much the like concerning the gates that were in the outmost wall or bound namely that that inclosed the mountain of the house that the gates in it on the South side [p] Idibid were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so set as that there was an equall space betwixt gate and gate and betwixt either gate and the corners of the wall And so doth Symmetrie and the rules of the best proportion ingage us to understand his expression about these gates in the like sense namely that they both stood at an equall distaâ—â—e one from another and that the two onâ—most stood at the same distance from those corners towards which they stood Now the length of the Court and so of this wall being an hundred eighty seven cubits the situation of the gates according to the Symmetrie will fall into these proportions 〈◊〉 from the East corner of the wall 46 courts and three quarters upwards towards the west was the very middle of the water gate As much forward stil was the middle of the gate of the firstlings the same measure still forward was the middle of the gate of kindling and as much yet forward taught to the West Angle of the wal And so may we best and most uniformly conceive of the situation of the gates And therefore whereas the Hebrew writers doe most ordinarily when they speak of these gates say that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [q] Vid. Maym. ubâ— supr ibid. Mid. Neer the West it is not to bee so taken as if they were all crowded toward the West corner but it is spoken in comprehension of both Courts together the womens and this As for the three severall buildings that were also on this side intermixed with the gates these things may be observed towards their posture and situation 1. That the water gate and the draw-well-roome doe seem by their very names to refer one to another as that it is not proper to part them and howsoever there was something else in the reason of the name of the water-gates besides its standing so neer the draw-well yet shall wee observe hereafter that this might bee also one reason of the name of it and that those two did indeed stand joyning together 2. The Talmud saith the roofes of these three peeces of building were even Mid. per. 5. by which it seemeth that they stood not at distance one from another but conjoyning but only that a gate interposed between them 3. We shall see anon out of the Jerusalem Talmud that the water-gate of the wood-room stood joyning together 4. The Talmud Maymony and other of the Jewish writers speaking of and naming these three roomes doe ever set Gazith first or last and thereby they shew that it stood on the outside one way or other East or West and stood not in the middle 5. If wee set it further West it will then stand in the Lot of Benjamin whereas the great Sanhedrin which sate in it [r] Talm. in Zeâ—achin fol. 54. are held by the Jews and that upon good ground to have sitten in that part of the Court that was in the Tribe of Judah Gen. 49.10 Therefore in most propriety these things considered must it bee concluded that Gazith did stand below the draw-well the draw-well below the water-gate or more toward the East corner of the Court the water-gate below the room of the wood and all these joyning together as their situation will be confirmed in our further progresse wee will first begin at the East corner where was the roome or building Gazith CHAP. XXII The chamber or room Gazith the seat of the great Sanhedrin THE building Gazith [a] Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called because it was made of stone neatly wrought as the word is used 1 King 5.16 appeareth [b] Iucha f. 16. by the Author of Juchasin to have been built by Simeon ben Shetah [c] Avoth peâ— 1. Sect. 8. who was the Vice-president of the Sanhedrin when Iudah ben Tabbai was Nasi in the sixth Generation from Ezra [d] Iucha ubi supra even in the time of Hyrcanus Januaeus the Asmonaean It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [e] Ioma per. 2. in Gemara fol. 25. half
occasion and that occasion was threefold namely either to lay his hand upon the beast that he offered or to kill him or to wave some part of him and then his coming into the Court either of Israel or of the Priests or both was ordinarily at the North or South side of the Court according as his offering was to be slaine on the North or South side of the Altar as we have observed before [e] Maim in Beth habbechirah per. 6. The Court of the people was levell with the floore of the East gate or the gate Nicanor but the floore of the Court of the Priests was two cubits and an halfe higher and the rifing thus Imagine you came up from the gate of Nicanor or rather imagine the Levites coming up from it with their musicall instruments in their hands which we observed before they laid up in roomes just under the Court of Israel but the doores of those roomes opening into the Court of the women when they were risen the many steps into the gate of Nicanor and were come thorough it they had on either hand a faire passage into the cloister or Court of the people such another as he hath that cometh upon the Royall Exchange either out of Cornhill or Bartlemew-lane he may step into the cloister walk on whether hand he will they walked upon even ground till they came over the breadth of the Court of the people or to the pillars which were on the further side of that Court which bare up the cloister and distinguished the Court of the people and the Court of the Priests one from another Then was there a rising of two cubits and an halfe but stepped up thus [f] Id. ibid. Mid. per. 2. Sect. 6. First there was a step of a cubit high and then three steps of halfe a cubit high a piece thus it was as you went directly up from the gate of Nicanor forwards But if you would turne on either hand there were the desks or standings of the Levites where they stood to sing and to make their musick made with steps as even as that middle rising just now mentioned first a rising of a oubit height and that ran along at that height all along before the railes and pillars that parted twixt the Court of the Priests and Court of people and then were there three steps up of halfe a cubit high a piece and on the highest step stood the Levites with their instruments and their song their feet even with the floore of the Court of the Priests and a desk before them Elias Levita it seemes observed not this rising both into the Court in the Levites station when he saith [g] Elias in Tishbi in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukan which was the name of their desks and which the learned render Suggestus or Pulpitum was nothing else but a bench or fourme whereon they stood for their feet stood even with the floore of the Court and were not raised above it at all His words are these I wonder at this Targum on Psalme 134. Lift up your hands O ye Priests upon the holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bench on which the Levites stood when they sung and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ducan in the Arabick but in the Dutch and vulgar Banea In this construction of it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bench and owning it for an Arabick word he followeth [b] Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aruch verbatim but I confesse I doe not very well understand the cause of his wonder especially considering what he saith before the words cited namely this We call the place where the Priests lifted up their hands when they blessed the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukan and so is the Targum Lift up your hands O ye Priests on the holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and at this I wonder Now if he wonder that the Targum hath brought in the Priest blessing the people from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desk or Pulpit in that Psalme he might have found the like in other places For the Chaldee of Jonathan upon the law doth thus render the 23 verse of the sixth of Numbers [i] Targ. Jonath in legem in Num. 6. Speak to Aaron and his sonnes saying Thus shall ye blesse the children of Israel spreading their hands upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukana and they shall speake to them in this manner where the Hebrew glosse in the margin interprets it [k] Glossa marg ibid. by spreading their hands in the place called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukana and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The benched place called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukan And so the large Chaldee Paraphrase upon the Canticles glosseth the seventh verse of the third chapter Behold his bed which is Solomons threescore valiant men are about it thus [l] Targ. in Cant. 3. when Solomon the King of Israel built the house of the Sanctuary of the Lord in Jerusalem the Lord said by his word How beautifull is this house of the Sanctuary which is built to me by King Solomon the sonne of David and how beautifull are the Priests when they spread forth their hands and stand upon their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukan and blesse the People the House of Israel by the threescore wonders that were delivered to Moses their master But it seemes his wonder is at this that the Jewes so generally and the Chaldee Paraphrase particularly should hold that the Priests when they blessed the people stood upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dukan whereas the Dukan or these Deskes were for the Levites and not for the Priests And if I did conceive that they meant these very deskes of the Levites when they say the Priests stood in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ducan and blessed the people I should wonder with him also but I suppose they meant some other deskes appropriate to the Priests for this purpose or the place of the priests standing when they blessed the people and as by a name best knowne they call it Dukan The words of the Talmud in description of these deskes where the Levites stood to sing and to make their musicke are these [m] Mid. per. 2. Fahbi Eliezer the sonne of Jacob saith there was a rising viz. out of the Court of the people into the Court of the Priests and it was a cubit high and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ducan was set above it and in that there were three steps of halfe a cubit high a piece So that the Court of the Priests is found to be higher then the Court of Israel by two cubits and an halfe So that it appeares indeed that the Levites stood upon raised steps in their deskes but it is plain withall that the highest step was no higher then the
floore of the Court before them and that that step whereon they stood was not called the Dukan but the whole place of the three steps rising And thus were the eleven cubits of the Court of the Priests at this East quarter of the Court taken up and divided Namely two cubits and an halfe taken up by the deskes of the singers for as was the height of the steps so was their breadth and eight cubits and an halfe for the Priests standing The Court of Israel parted from the Levites desks by pillars and railes The Levites standing parted from the Priests by a wainscot deske or some such thing The Court of the Priests open to the Altar but onely that the pillars that supported the cloister stood in a row before it And so we have the dimensions and platforme of the Court of the buildings and the cloisters that stood about it But before we proceed to observe the particulars that were within it I cannot but thinke of a piece of structure that in its story looks something like to some of the cloisters that we have described either in the mountaine of the house or in one of the Courts though I beleeve it was none of them and that is The Covert of the Sabbath of which there is speech and mention 2 King 16.18 where it is said of Abaz The Covert of the Sabbath that they had built in the House and the Kings entry without c. How to frame the verbe to this sentence is somewhat doubtfull whether to say he turned it from the house of the Lord and so doth our English or he turned is to the house of the Lord and so doth the Chaldee Paraphrast some others with him for the word in the originall doth not determine it were that the question before us I should adhere to the sense of our English for the Kings entry without was turned to the house of the Lord from its first making but our question is what this Covert of the Sabbath was The Lxx. have rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The foundation of the chaire or seat upon what mistake in their unprickt bible a mean Hebrician will easily discover namely that they read Musadh for Musach Daleph and Caph finall being like and for Shabbath they read Shebeth [u] Vid. Kime Leu Gersom in loc Nehil in Lxx. Ibid. The most received opinion about this matter is that this was some speciall piece of building that was purposely made for the course of Priests that went out every Sabbath to repose themselves in till the Sabbath was out or till they might goe home And the reason of this conception is because of the word Sabbath which they suppose to referre rather to the change of the Priests courses who came in and went out on the Sabbath then to the service or the peoples attending whose concourse was greater at the festivalls then on the Sabbath I should rather take it to meane some Court of guard that was made on the Top of the causey Shallecheth up towards the gate Coponius where the Kings guard stood on the Sabbaths having attended the King into the Temple till he came out againe there to receive him againe and to guard him home and I should understand and construe the word The Kings in conjunction with both particulars named namely that it meaneth the Kings covert of the Sabbath as well as the Kings entry without and my reason for this opinion I should fetch partly from the mention of these gates that we had in speech before namely The gate of the foundation and the gate behinde the guard 2. King 11.6 And partly from the passage in Jerem. 38.14 where it is said that King Zedekiab sent and tooke Jeremy the Prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the Lord where Solomon Jarchi doth ingenuously confesse that he knowes not what this third entry in the house of the Lord was but perhaps saith he it meaneth the Court of Israel the Court of the women and the Chel being the two other Kimchi doth well conceive that this entry was as they came from the Kings house into the Temple but more of it he hath not determined I should say it meaneth the gate Coponius and conceive the King coming to the Temple through these entrances or passages First at the bottome of the staires or descent of Sion much about his turning to come upon the causey there was the gate of the foundation then being come up the causey towards the Temple he passed through the gate behinde the guard and walked through the Court of Guard which I suppose was called the Kings covert for the Sabbath and so through the gate Coponius which was his third entrance or gate he passed through These gates we said before were gates of Sion meaning that they were in the way from the Temple thither and not gates of the Temple it selfe According therefore to this supposall I apprehend that Ahaz becoming a Renegado to religion did deface and defile the Temple within and did cleane cut off the way of the Kings accesse thither without as if he and his should never have more to doe there And according to this supposall also I apprehend that Zedekiah having garisoned himselfe in the Temple while the Chaldeans were now lying in siege about the city he sends for Jeremy from his prison in Zion and he comes up to the gate Coponius or Shallecheth and there the King and He conferre together And now let us turne our eyes and observation upon what is to be found in the Court from which we have thus farre digressed and first we will begin with the Altar which is not onely the most remarkable thing to be observed there but which must also serve us as a standing marke from whence to measure the place and sight of other things CHAP. XXXIIII Of the Altar of Burnt-offering THe Altar that Moses made in the wildernesse because it was to be carried up and downe was of light materialls and of small dimensions for [a] Exod. 27.1 it was of Shittim-wood and but five cubits square and three cubits high with a grate of brasse hanging within it for the fire and Sacrifice to lye upon And therefore when it is called the brazen Altar 2 Chron. 1.5 it is because it was plated over with brasse Exod. 38.1 But when Solomon came to build the Temple and there was to be no more removing of the Tabernacle of the Congregation as there had been before [b] 2 Chron. 4.1 he made the Altar farre larger and weightier then that of Moses namely of brasse and of twenty cubite square and ten cubits high I shall not be curious to inquire whether Solomons Altar were of brasse indeed or no or whether it is said to be of brasse though it were of stone because it succeeded in stead of Moses his brazen one as [c] Vid. Kimc in 1 King 8.64 some Jewes
or Waggon wheeles do but as the base was square so there was a wheele on every side the square And this appeareth at vers 32. where it is related that the wheeles were under the borders and we shall observe by and by that the borders were on every side The wheeles that Ezekiel saw in his vision chap. 1. were placed in the like posture namely standing square and not one edging before another Thus lay the base upon his wheeles And now for the working of it up unto its compleatnesse we are first to observe two rowes of brazen staves or bars but not very long molten of the same piece with the base standing up tone rowe upon the very edge of it round about and the other standing a little more inward and that but a very little upon it These are those that the Text calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which word almost all the learned in the language both Jewes and Christians do say doth signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 staves or bars set in rowes like the staves of a Ladder and which if I may make so homely a comparison I may resemble to the staves of a Cart standing on either side it save that this had staves all about and these too in a double rowe whereas a Cart hath but single Between this double rowe of stayes there was a border or board of brass if I may so term it put between and stood up between them all about upon every side of the square upon which border were ingraven the representation of Oxen Lions and Palme trees This border in the Originall is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that in the plurall number not because the row of the bordering was doubled as the row of staves but because the one border went about upon every side of the square and under the border on every side stood a wheele At the foot of the staves and border namely upon the very edge of the base outward there were large shelves of brasse laid round about not level as our shelves that we set any thing upon stand against a wall but sloping and descending much after the manner as weather-boards are laid over windowes to put off the raines The Hebrew Text calleth these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appendices made in a descending manner rendred by the Italian our English and some of the Rabbins additions made of thin worke The use of these shelves or additions was that upon them the Priests might wash what they had to wash and the filth by reason of the slopenesse of the shelves or benches might still run off For the washing of the parts of the Sacrifice was not in the Laver it selfe but in water running out of the Laver in cocks and spouts which ran upon these benches or shelves and they cast the water both from off the edges of the base and from off the wheeles which stood under them as under a covert At the head of the rowes of the staves there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Base above v. 29. that is some rest or settle edging inward upon which the sides of the Laver did rest as it sate downe into its base David Kimchi conceiveth that it may meane a bench or rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereon to set a tankard or some lesser vessell by which they tooke water out of the Laver but if it be considered how high it was to the top of the Laver this will be found a very improbable way for getting of water out of it and necessity it selfe will inforce us to conclude that the water they had out of it they had at cockes This upper rest or base was gathered into a circle or coronet which is called a chapiter in our English and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall of a cubit and a halfe over and about this circular edge as neare as it would beare a square a square bordering was set ingraven as those below and so the Laver bottome being set in this coronet it stood raised two degrees or ascents of borderings above the base This bordering above the Coronet was a cubit high and the Laver bottome for that height was but of the breadth of a cubit and an halfe over but then it flowred over and dilated it selfe so as that it lay over the upper bordering and that it sate upon and over the lower bordering and the staves and came out even with the edges of the base and this spreading of it out is called its mouth ver 31. and so we may observe that the Laver was round in the bottome and square in the top we shall observe the just contrary in the molten Sea and at the foure corners of the base with which the four corners of the Laver pointed and flowred even there were square brazen pillars molten with the base it selfe and of one piece with it the feet of which stood upon the ground and their heads stood under the points of the Laver to beare it up and to keep it steady These pillars are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shoulders in the Text and they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the side of every one of the sloping shelves because at their joyning to the base these shelves joyned to it also and at every corner of it these shelves were jointed to these pillars and their ends rested upon them Now the feet of these Pillars stood not upon the very ground but there was a square of brazen planks cast also with the rest which lay on the ground upon which these pillars and the wheeles stood and these the Hebrew calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Chaldee and the Rabbins do explaine by another word of the very same letters but transposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boards or Planks And now let us take up the Text that containeth this story about the Lavers in a Paraphrase verse by verse along with it as neere the words of it as we can for the better understanding of the description which is as copious as the description of any so little a piece in all the Bible and as abstruse as the description of any piece whatsoever great or little 1 Kings chap. 7. vers 27. And he made ten bases of brass four cubits was the length of every base and four cubits the breadth and three cubits the height of the surface of it from the ground Verse 28. And this in the worke of every base they had borders and the borders were within rowes of staves Verse 29. And upon the borders that were within the rows of staves there were Lions and Oxen and Cherubins and upon the head of the rowes of staves there was another base or settle and at the foot of the staves or below the Lions and Oxen there were additionall boards set in a slope and descending fashion Verse 30. And every base had foure wheeles of brasse and planks of brasse and the foure corners of it had shouldring pillars
it received not some remarkable alteration of estate or other In the time of Solomon that built it it received that vile affront of an Idol Temple built by him in the face of it and what became of the service of the Temple in these times may be shrewdly suspected In his sonne Rehoboams time it was first forsaken by the ten tribes and afterward by Judah it selfe who fell to Idolatry and then it was plundred by Shishak How oft the Treasuries of it were plundred sometimes by forainers sometimes by their owne Kings how oft it selfe prophaned as by Athaliah Abaz Manasseh how the service of it either totally slighted or slightly performed how Idols set up in it Altars to strange gods how the blood of the High-priest shed and the manners of the Priests corrupt and the house of prayer made a den of theeves as also how sometimes againe it was repaired the service restored the Priests reformed and matters amended with it is so plainly and copiously described in the bookes of Scripture that it were but transcription of the text to recite them in particular At last it had run out its date and it selfe fired and all its precious vessells were captived by the Babylonian what became of the Arke the Scripture doth not mention the Jewes conceive that it was hid in some vault that they say Solomon had purposely made against such a time where it escaped the conquerors fury but this we leave to their owne credit The time of the standing of this first Temple from its finishing in the eleventh yeare of Solomon to its firing by Nebuzaradan was 420 years SECT II. The state of the second Temple under the Persian Monarchy ALthough between the returne out of the Babylonian captivity and the finall desolation of Ierusalem there might seeme to be strictly and literally two Temples that of Zorobabel and that of Herod for Herod began his Temple from the very foundation yet do the Scriptures and all Jewish writers so unanimously and generally own them but for one Temple calling it the second Temple all the time there was a Temple after its first building under Cyrus that it would be but needless labour and unwarrantable curiosity to take up any other notion or distinction of it For though the Temple built by Zorobabel were pulled down to the very ground by Herod when he built that fabrick that stood to the last fate of Ierusalem yet since that demolition was not by destruction and ruine but for reparation and for its bettering there is no reason to reckon these as two severall Temples but as one Temple first built and then repaired to a more excellent and glorious condition From the first yeare of Cyrus in which he proclaimed redemption to the Captives and gave commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the death of Christ were 490 years as they be summed by an Angel Dan. 9. and from the death of Christ to the fatall and finall destruction of Jerusalem were 40 yeares more 530 yeares in all In all which time it were endlesse to shew every particular occurrence and change of condition that befell the Temple and it would require a large story and volume I shall therefore onely touch upon the chiefest distributing the times into those severall and remarkable periods that they fell into and applying the stories to the times accordingly The first parcell of this time was taken up by the Persian Monarchy which how long it continued and for how many Kings Succession is a thing of as disputable and controverted a nature as any one thing in Chronology I will keep to the number and names of the Kings of that Throne that we find in Scripture In Dan. 11.2 there are these words Behold there shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia and the fourth shall be far richer then they all and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the Re In of Grecia And a mighty King shall stand up c. And when he shall stand up his Kingdome shall be broken and shall be divided toward the four winds of Heaven and not to his posterity c. It is observable concerning this prophesie and account about the Persian Monarchy 1 That this was told Daniel in the third yeare of Cyrus chap. 10.1 and so when he saith There shall stand up yet three Kings and the fourth c. he meaneth foure besides Cyrus the first beginner of the Kingdome and therefore some of the Jewes do make but a crosse reckoning upon this place who will have Cyrus which was the first to be meant by this that is called the fourth 2 The Prophesie speaketh of the length of the Persian Monarchy till it brings it up to Alexander the great the destroyer of that Monarchy of whom it speaketh plainly ver 3 4. and of his Successors afterward ver 5 c. 3 There were therefore by the account of the Angell here but five Kings of Persia namely Cyrus and four more 4 These four are thus named in the Scripture 1 Ahashuerosh Ezra 4.6 2 Darius Ezra 4.24 6.1 c. 3 Artaxerxes Ezra 6.14 4 Darius Neh. 12.22 To which may be added for the confirmation of this account 5 That Nehemiah lived quite through the whole length of the Persian Monarchy being at mans estate the first yeare of it Ezr. 2.2 and seeing Darius its last King and probably his last times Nehem. 12.12 Nay Ezra who was borne either before or in the first yeare of the Babylonion Monarchy yet liveth neere the expiration of the Persian by which it is easie to conclude how far the Heathen histories are out who reckon 14 Kings successively in the Persian Throne and 200 years of their ule before its fall In the first yeare of Cyrus the returned Captires out of Babel onely built an Altar and sacrificed thereon for seven months together having yet no Temple but in this seeond year the second moneth of that yeare they lay the foundation of the house Ezra 3.8 c. the progresse of which work is soon opposed and indeavoured to be made frustrate by the Samaritanes all the time of Cyrus Ezra 4.5 but in his time they prevailed not In his third year Artaxerxes commeth to the kingdom who is also called Ahashuerosh Ezra 4.6 7. he is perswaded by evill Counsellors to interdict and prohibit the Temple building and so it lay intermitted all his time Dan. 10.1 2 3. Ezra 4.23.24 Darius succeeded him called also Artaxerxes Ezr. 6.1 7.1 c. In his second yeare the building goes on againe and is finished in his sixth Hag. 1. Ezra 6.14 And thus had the Temple lien waste and desolate just seventy years from the nineteenth of Nebuchadnezzar in which year it was fired to the second of Darius when it began to be wrought upon so as that it came to perfection Zech. 1.12 4.3 5. In the seventh yeare of this Darius which was the year after the Temple was