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. XXI. Of the Gates and Buildings in the Court-wall on the East and South sides. (Book 21)

AND now are we come within the Court, where having very many things to sur∣vey and take notice of, let us first begin with viewing the Gates and Buildings that were in the Wall which did inclose it; and first of all let us observe the East quarter of the Wall, in which the Gate of Nieanor was, which we have newly surveyed and at which we entred: There was never a Gate but this in all this East Quar∣ter, nor were there any Buildings in the Wall in this Quarter, but only two, which stood on either side of the Gate one, and near to the Gate, on your right hand and on your left as you entred in.

a 1.1 That on your right hand was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Chamber of Phineas the Wardrobe man: of whom there is mention in the Treatise Shekalim, among the chief Officers in the Temple, These are the chief Officers in the Sanctuary, (b 1.2 saith the Talmud there) Jochanan the Son of Phinehas over the Seals: Ahijah over the Drink-Offerings: Mathia the Son of Samuel over the Lots: Pethahiah over the Birds (for Sacrifice) this Pethahiah was Mordecai, &c. Phinehas over the Wardrobe, &c. Now the Gloss upon that place saith that these men named, were the eminentest and worthiest men that ever were in these several Offices, and that they were not all in one, but in several generations: Bar∣tenora conceiveth that the Office of this Phinehas was, c 1.3 to array the Priests, when they were to go into serve, and to disarray them again when they had done, and to keep their cloathes. Which we are not to understand of his helping them on and off with their Vestments every day, when they went to and came from the service, for they put them on and off them∣selves, but he provided Vestments for them at their first entring into the service, and when they were old he took them into his custody again and provided new. d 1.4 Now this provision was at the publick charge, he only took care for it, and the garments being overworn, they were returned again, for the publick use, for we have observed elsewhere, that they were ravell'd into wick-yarn for the Lamps and for the great Lights at the Feast of Ta∣bernacles, at the Rejoycing for the pouring out of water.

On the left hand of the Gate was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The chamber of the Pastry man, for so let us call him, a man that took care for the providing and preparing of the High-Priests dayly Meat-offering which in the Talmud Language is commonly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 e 1.5 The two cakes of the High-Priest, of which we have spoken in due place, and this his dayly Offering was one thing, f 1.6 whereby he was differenced from an dinary 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 1.7 seven, which indeed was the right number, but in some other places there is mention of h 1.8 thirteen: Nay (i 1.9 saith the Gloss upon one place) some there are that reckon seven, some five, some three, some thirteen, but the generalty 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 we shall speak ere it be long: others reckon only the Gates which were guarded, which were only five: some it seems count what Doors went out of the Court, into buildings by it, as well as Gates to pass through, and so they raise the number thirteen: But the number that we fix upon is seven, as most generally and most properly intertained, both by the Talmmdicks and by Josephus, in the second Temple: And how many were in the first Temple, we shall say something to before we have done with the Court. k 1.10 On the South sides were these three Gates. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Water-Gate, which was most East of all the three, 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate of the Firstlings, called also sometimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate of Of∣fering, this was in the middle. And 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 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. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Room-Gazith. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Room of the Draw well. And 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Room of the Wood. And so we have the materials 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 several places.

And first o 1.11 Josephus as he giveth testimony to this number that we fix upon, when he saith that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, this inward bound had three Gates, North, and South, so doth he also give us good light for the situation of them when he saith, they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, equidistant one from ano∣ther. 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 were p 1.12 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, so set, as that there was an equal 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 equal distance one from ano∣ther, and that the two outmost 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 cu∣bits, the situation of the Gates according to the Symmetry will fall into these proporti∣ons: From the East corner of the Wall, forty six cubits and three quarters upwards to∣wards the West, was the very middle of the Water-Gate: As much forward still, 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 Wall: And so may we best and most uniformly conceive of the situation of the Gates. And therefore whereas the Hebrew Writers do most ordinarily when they speak of these Gates, say that they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 q 1.13 Near the West, it is not to be 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 several 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 Room do 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-Gate, besides its standing so near the Draw-Well, yet shall we observe hereafter that this might be also one reason of the name of it, and that those two did indeed stand joyning together. 2. The Talmud saith the roofs 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 and the Wood-room stood joyning together. 4. The Talmud, Maymony, and other of the Jewish Writers speaking of, and naming these three rooms, do ever set Gazith first or last, and thereby they shew that it stood on the out-side one way or other, East or West, and stood not in the mid∣dle. 5. If we set it further West, it will then stand in the Lot of Benjamin, whereas the great Sanhedrin which sate in it, r 1.14 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. XLIX. 10. Therefore in most propriety (these things considered) must it be 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 progress: we will first begin at the East corner where was the room or building Gazith.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Mid. per. 1.
• b 1.2

  Talm. in She∣kali. per. 5.
• c 1.3

  Bart••••in. Mid.
• d 1.4

  Maym. in Ke∣le Mikd. per. 7.
• e 1.5

  Minacoth. fol. 96.
• f 1.6

  Maym. in Bi∣ath Mikd. per. 4.
• g 1.7

  Mid. per. 1. & Ioma fol. 19.
• h 1.8

  Mid. per. 2. & Shekalim per. 6.
• i 1.9

  Gloss. in Ta∣mid. per. 1.
• k 1.10

  Mid. per. 5. & Maym. in beth. habbech. per. 5.
• o 1.11

  Antiq lib. 15. cap. 15.
• p 1.12

  Id. ibid.
• q 1.13

  Vid. Maym. ubi supr. & ibid. Mid.
• r 1.14

  Talm. in Ze∣vachin. fol. 54.