A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the confines thereof with the history of the Old and New Testament acted thereon / by Thomas Fuller ...

CHAP. V. That Solomon made no moe then two Courts on the east of the Temple.

§ 1. ALthough many learned authours make four,* 1.1 and some moe Courts about Solomons Temple, yet the following reasons per∣swade me, that these two Courts formerly described by us, were all which were of Solomons originall foundation. Because,

• 1 Mention is made of no moe in Scripture, either in the book of Kings, or Chronicles, where his buildings are particularly described.
• 2 Manasseh is said to have built Altars for the host of Heaven in the twoa 1.2 Courts of the house of the Lord. Probably, had there been any moe, his profaneness would have found them out, no place being priviledged from his Idolatry.
• 3 The narrowness of the place, as it was in Solomons time, admit∣ted of no moe Courts, such was the precipice thereof on all sides.

This last is confessed byb 1.3 Iosephus, whose words deserve our heeding to clear the matter in hand; The Temple was built upon anc 1.4 hard mountain, and at the first, the plain on the top thereof was scarce sufficient to contain the Temple, and the Altar, thed 1.5 circumference thereof being steep and shelving. But, when King Solomon who built the Temple, had compassed the east part thereof with a wall, he

also placed a Porch upon the rampire, and so, many ages after it laye 1.6 unfenced on the other parts, untill the people every day bringing earth thither, at last made it plain and large enough. Insomuch that the Temple extant in the days of Iosephus▪ had a threefold wall about it, and other courts built on that forced ground, which industry had added thereunto. See here the small compass of the Temples floor at the first founding thereof. So that those who in Solo∣mons time make moe Courts about it, must build them in the aire, see∣ing the earth (such then the scantness and steepness thereof) afforded no bottome for the building of such imaginary fabricks.

§ 2. But shrewd objections* 1.7 are brought to the contrary,* 1.8 by such who, in Solomons time, make moe then two Courts by us described. No doubt (say they) he observed Davids instructions, who by the Spirit gave him the pattern off 1.9 all the Courts of the house of the Lord, which he meant to make. These therefore at the least must needs be three, seeing All (asg 1.10 Aristotle observes) can not in proper language, be predicated of a lower number.

§ 3. Answ. I confess the words so read in the vulgar Latine, & omnium quae cogitaverat atriorum, though no such thing appears in our translation founded on the originall, where David is said to deliver to Solomon the h 1.11 pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the house of the Lord, of all the chambers round about &c. This third Court therefore in Solomons time, was but a groundless fancy.

§ 4. Object. Another Court must of necessity be allowed on the west of the Temple,* 1.12 or else (which is altogether improbable) the Holy of Holies lay open, unfenced, and common to the City.

§ 5. Answ. The same was sufficiently fenced, and severed from the City with the precipice of the place, barring all access, and the Temple on that side surrounded with ambient aire in the concavity of the vally. If besides this, any artificiall wall encompassed the Temple on the west, the distance between it and the Temple may be counted a passage, but a∣mounted not to the spaciousness of a Court.

§ 6. Object. Good authours,* 1.13 Bede, Cassidore, Comestor, and Tostatus confidently adde, Atrium Foeminarum, or, the Womens Court, where their sex severally by themselves attended their devotions. Nor is it probable they were mingled with men, seeing the Prophet speaking of a solemn humiliation, They shall waile (saith he) the family of the house of David apart, and theiri 1.14 wives apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart.

§ 7. Answ. This place cited out of Zachary was spoken after Solomons Temple was demolished,* 1.15 and Zerubbabels erected. Such separation of sexes in severall Courts in the first Temple hath no foundation in Scrip∣ture, but rather thence the contrary may be collected, that all sexes and ages promiscuously met together; for, Iehosaphat is said, to have stood in thek 1.16 house of the Lord with their little ones, their ^l wives, and their children.

However it may be that there was anciently a partition of the outward Court per clathros & cancellos, with bar or lattise-work, into two parts, and so the women (though in the same Court) might be severally by them∣selves.

§ 8. Object. There were moe Courts,* 1.17 three at least, in Ezekiels Tem∣ple; which as Villalpandus will have it, in all particulars was the same with Solomons.

§ 9. Answ.* 1.18 Confessing some generall conformities, we deny, not onely the identity, but exact similitude betwixt them. It is against the nature of a Prophecy to have a retrograde motion, to bring things back∣ward, and raise the ghosts of buildings departed, which rather looks forward, presenting things to come. Ezekiels Temple had not the same body with Solomons, but greater, and moe were the parts, and members thereof; as in due time, God willing, we shall make it to appear.

§ 10. Object.m 1.19 Iosephus a learned Iew living in Ierusalem seems to adde another,* 1.20 Atrium Gentium, the Court of Gentiles, or unclean persons.

§ 11. Answ. The place quoted out of him to this purpose, will scarce bear the collection of a new Court from it. However Iosephus was none of thosen 1.21 aged men, who remembring the magnificence of Solomons, wept when the foundation of the second Temple was laid before their eyes. I mean he was no eye-witness of the first and old Temple (being born five hundred years and more, after the dissolution thereof) and onely spake of it, either by tradition, or conjecture, and therefore his authority of no such strength, as to command our beliefe. Besides, he seems to have for∣gotten what formerly we cited out of him, for the narrowness of the place, not admitting moe Courts in Solomons time. However, his eyes were so dazeled with long looking on the second Temple extant in his age, that he conformeth thereto, and confoundeth therewith Solomons Temple, if making any moe Courts then two therein.

§ 12. However, I dare not deny,* 1.22 but even this first Temple, after the death of Solomon, might by succeeding Kings, have another Court added thereunto; namely, when by art, industry, and great expense they had raised up the valley, and gained more ground to the mountain of the house, which was so small at the first. Hereof we finde a double insinuation in Scripture:

• 1 One, when Iehosaphat is said to stand in the house of the Lord before the newo 1.23 Court, which probably about his reign, was added to the ancient fabrick.
• 2 Another, when at the coronation of Ioash Iehoiada gave order that the Priestsp 1.24 alone should come into the house of the Lord (meaning the inner-court thereby) whilest the people should be in the Courtsq 1.25 of the house of the Lord, the plural number there impor∣ting two Courts at the least, at that time belonging to the Temple, into which the common people had free access. But herein no∣thing can be positively concluded.

Wherefore, as the sons of Barzillai, though Priests, yet because they found not their genealogy reckoned in ther 1.26 Register, were therefore removed from the priesthood, till one with Urim and Thummim, should arise to decide the controversie: so we suspend this third and new Court, as doubtfull, in our descriptions, untill some infallible Judge, on better evi∣dence then we can produce, shall clear the title thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  No moe then two outward Courts made by Solomon.
• a 1.2

  2 King. 21. 5.
• b 1.3

  Ioseph. de Bel. Iud. lib. 6. ca. 6. Edit. lat. sed graec. cap. 13.
• c 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• d 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• e 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.7

  Object.
• * 1.8

  David at least prescribed three Courts.
• f 1.9

  1 Chr. 28. 12.
• g 1.10

  Lib. 1. de Caelo. cap. 1.
• h 1.11

  1 Chr. 28. 12.
• * 1.12

  Court on the west.
• * 1.13

  Some make a womans Court.
• i 1.14

  Zec••. 12. 13.
• * 1.15

  The womans Court not grounded on Scripture.
• k 1.16

  2 Chr. 20. 5. Ibid. ver. 13.
• * 1.17

  Ezekiels Tem∣ple had moe Courts.
• * 1.18

  But was not the same with So∣lomons.
• m 1.19

  Ant. Iud. l. 8. cap. 2.
• * 1.20

  Some collect another Court out of Iosephus.
• n 1.21

  Ezra 3. 12.
• * 1.22

  A third Court might after∣wards be added
• o 1.23

  2 Chr. 20. 5.
• p 1.24

  2 Chr. 23. 6.
• q 1.25

  Ibid. ver. 5.
• r 1.26

  Ezra 2. 62.