The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

CHAP. VIII. Cloisters along this outmost Wall within. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (Book 8)

THUS hath the outmost virge and bounds of the Mountain of the House been laid before us; Now there is a thing that deserves our pains and observation again in another survey, and that is, the Walks or Cloisters that were along the Wall within between gate and gate round about.

a 1.1 The Talmud in one place expresseth it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Porticus duplicata, and so b 1.2 Josephus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; which both the Talmud c 1.3 in another place and also Maymony do utter more largely 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It was all stoored or roofed over, and one p••rch was before another.

The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is so plainly the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that I make no scruple to render it by that word in Greek and by Porticus in Latine, but how to translate any of them into

our English Tongue, is of some doubtfulness, 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 1.4 Kimchi saith concerning the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that it meaneth the same thing that by the Language of the Talmud is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 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 compass along the Wall, it was double Cloistered round about (for give me leave to use that word, till I find a better) having a roof or floor over head, which lay almost as high as the top of the Wall, save what was left for the Walls battle∣ments: and it was supported with a treble row of Marble Pillars (the inmost row joyning to the Wall) and it was distinguished by the middle row of Pillars into a double walk. We need not go far for a copy, the stately new building (Piazza, walk, cloister, call it what you will) at the West end of Pauls, may very well be our pattern. For it was much about that height, twelve yards and an half; it joyned on one side to the Wall, as that to the Church, and was born up with gallant white Marble Pillars: It was thirty cu∣bits, or fifteen yards broad; either walk, half that breadth Pillars and all, and had bat∣tlements 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 Mountain 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 thirty cubits out, or the one half or more of the Cloister cut off if the building were narrower, and the rest of the Cloister carried on before it.

Only upon the South side of the Square there was some difference of the Walks or Cloister from what was in the other parts.

For here was the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Cloister Royal as e 1.5 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 born up by four rows of Pillars that stood even one a∣gainst another, the inmost row joyning to the wall as it was on the other sides.

3. The inmost and the outmost Walk 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 equal in height and breadth with the Walks or Cloisters on any of the other sides, namely fifteen cubits high and fifteen cubits broad apiece: but the middlemost walk was two and forty cubits and an half broad and fifty cubits high, and so the two rows of Pillars that stood on either side of this middle walk were fifty cubits high, so that the roof of this walk was as high again as the roof of the walks 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 bat∣tlement round about: Finally the whole Fabrick was so gallant and sumptuous, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 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 down, there was so steep a trench or vally under 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that to look down it would make one giddy, and he could hardly see to the bottome; and Jose∣phus proclaimeth this fabrick to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, one of the goodliest works under the Sun.

Now through this gallant Southside Cloister, did, and that very deservedly, bear the name of The Cloister Royal 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, yet is not this the same with that, which in the Scripture is called Solomons Porch, of which there is mention, John X. 23. Act. III. 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 1.6 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: The people perswaded the King Agrippa (the second) to repair 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 apiece, the work of King Solomon who first built the Temple.

His meaning about the foundation of this East wall and cloister he tells elsewhere to this purpose, g 1.7 that Solomon to find room enough this way, was put to fill and bring up a part of the deep trench with such great stones, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and upon this strong foundation, so brought up from the bottom 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 wonderful foundation that Solomon had brought up so high as to equal the floor of the Mount, was not ruined or pulled down, but continued still; and in aftertimes, the Porch or Cloister of that Eastern quarter, was built upon the same foundation of Solomons: and from that it took 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 place, 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 1.8 The Gate-house or threshold was twelve cubits over, six without the doors and six within; being got within you saw the great square within, most stately double cloistered round about on every side, but only on the South, where the cloister was treble: on the West side were four 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 less buildings. i 1.9 In five of these gates (namely in the East gate Sushan, 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 Walks thus round about the whole compass, were for the people to stand, walk or sit under, in heat or rain, or according as they had a mind or occasion: And so it is said that our Saviour walked here, Joh. X. 23. the Apostles James and John stood here and the people about them, Acts. III. 11. And there were benches set by the walls round about for people to sit down when they thought good: And therefore D. Kimchi k 1.10 Interprets 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a bench on which men sit: And R. Nathan l 1.11 makes it to be the same with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which he saith, is benches on which men set down their wares, and on which they sit themselves.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Sh••••••ath s. 6.
• b 1.2

  Ios. de Bell. lib. 5. c. 14.
• c 1.3

  Soa••. s. 13. A••••ym. in Beth ha••vi••••i. ye••. 5.
• d 1.4

  Kimch. in 1 Kings VI. 4.
• e 1.5

  Ant. lib. 15. cap. 4.
• f 1.6

  Id. ib. lib. 20. cap. 8.
• g 1.7

  De Bell. lib. 5. cap. 14.
• h 1.8

  Ezek. XL. 6.
• i 1.9

  Mid. per. 1. 1.
• k 1.10

  Kimch. in 2 King. XI. 14.
• l 1.11

  Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉