CHAP. IX. The manner and managing of the dayly Service. (Book 9)
ON the North-side of the Court of the Temple, well towards the North-west corner of it, as we have observed in its due place, there was a great piece of building which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a 1.1 Beth Mokadh, the fire room, or the House of burning: and the reason of the name was, because in that room there was con∣stantly a fire kept in all cold weather, both by day and by night. By day for the Priests to warm themselves by, when they came from the service, and by night for them to keep their guard by, for this was the chiefest Court of guard of the Priests, of all the three. Here the Elders of the House of their Fathers warded, and had the keys of the Court gates hanging by them, being committed to them by Amarcalin: If they had a mind to sleep at any time, there were benches round about the room, on which they laid them down and slept: And the younger Priests that were with them (for such also were there) when they would sleep, they laid themselves down on the ground, and the holy garments in which they were to serve, they wrapped up and laid under their heads, as it were a pillow, and slept in their ordinary wearing garments.
Now betimes in the morning, against the President of the service should come, they had bathed themselves in water, and put on the garments of the service, and made them∣selves ready against he came: They had this Maxim concerning their bathing in water for the service, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 b 1.2 That a man, yea though he were clean, yet might he not go into the Court to serve, till he had bathed himself in water. And for this purpose they had their bathing places in several rooms, some for the High-priest, and some for the other Priests, which places we have particulary observed in our survey. Having bathed themselves in the morning, they needed not to do that again of all the day, unless upon doing their easments of nature by seige, but they washed their hands and their feet, upon their making of water; and as oft as ever they came within the Court about the service, did they go out and in never so oft. And to this custom our Saviour seemeth to allude, Joh. 13. 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. At last the President cometh, and knocketh at the door, and they open to him: what President it was, whether of the Lots, or the Sagan, we will not dispute [c 1.3 Maymony saith, it was the president of lots] but the Talmudick dispute about the time of his coming, may be worth our marking: d 1.4 At what hour (saith the Treatise Tamid) did the President come? And it answers thus, Not at all times alike: sometimes he comes at Cocks crowing, sometimes near unto it, sometimes before it, and sometimes after: which nominated uncertainty of the time, and yet their readiness for him whensoever he came, is so parallel to those words of our Saviour, Mark 13. 35. that if those were not spoken in some allusion to this custom, yet may they be well illustratedby it.