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. XXIV. The Water-Gate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the Room of Abbtines. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (Book 24)

AT the West end of the Draw-Well Room, was a Gate that opened directly upon the Altar, which was called a 1.1 the Water-Gate. The Reader will readily conceive the reason of the name to have been, because it joyned so close to the Water-House, and this Etymology might be very current and allowable, but the Talmudists give other reasons of the name besides. The M••shneh in the Treatise Shekalim, hath this speech upon it. b 1.2 Why is the name of it called the Water-Gate? Because through it the brought the Tankard of water, which was for the pouring out of water at the Feast of Tabernacles. Rabbi Eli∣ezer the Son of Jacob saith, because the waters ran out thereby, which came from under the threshold, Ezek. XLVII. Of these two reasons the former is more generally intertained for current, and it is indeed the more reasonable in it self. I have shewed in the Treatise of the Tem∣ple Service, Chap. XVI. Sect. 4. how high and how strange a solemnity the Jews had at the Feast of Tabernacles, of pouring out of water upon the Altar, and rejoycing after it: For whereas all the year besides their libation 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or pouring out the Drink-offering was of Wine alone, they now added and mingled water with it, and took such joy and rejoycing upon that action, as the like was not used at any other occasion: the manner and reason of which is fully discoursed in that place: c 1.3 Now how was this libation of wa∣ter? (saith the Talmud in Succah) There was a golden Tankard that contained three logs: One ••illed it at Siloam, and brought it in at the Water-Gate: and the Trumpets sounded, &c. Siloam Fountain lay South of Jerusalem (although the Pool of Siloam lay on the West) and from thence the next way possibly to the Altar was through this Gate, it facing the Altar and the rise to it, and it was no marvel, if, seeing the pouring out of water in libation was reputed so high a matter, the Gate through which it was brought did take its name from the bringing of that water through it. And it is not to be passed without observation, that they fetched their water for this solemn libation from Siloam a great way off, when the Draw-Well was so near at hand to have supplied it.

There is mention of a Water-Gate in Nehem. VIII. 3. where it is said that Ezra read in the Book of the Law before the street that was before the Water-Grte: but this was a Gate of the City, and not of the Temple, as is apparent in the same Book of Nehem. Chap. III.

vers. 26. and whether it took that name from the waters issuing out of Solomon's Pool and running that way, or from the waters running that way from the Temple, as Ezek. XLVII. 2. it is not a place here to discuss.

Over d 1.4 this Gate of the Temple that we are about, which was called the Water-Gate; there was a Room or Chamber which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Chamber of the Family of Abhtines. This Abhtines was one of the chief Men that gave denomination to the Office of which they were, to succeeding generations (as we observed e're while also about Phineas the Man of the Wardrobe, or Vestry) and he is mentioned in the Treatise Shekalim, where all those chief Officers are reckoned up, which Record let us here take out at large, e 1.5 These were chief Officers which were in the Temple: Jochanan the Son of Phinehas over the Seals: (what these Seals were, I have shewed in the Temple Service, pag. 16.) Ahijah over the Drink-offerings. Mathia the Son of Samuel over the Lots: (see there pag. 102, 103.) Pethahiah over the Birds: (ibid. 87, 88.) This Pethahiah is Mordecai: And why is his name called Pethahiah? because he opened and expounded matters, and he understood the Seventy Languages. Ben Ahijah over the Diseased in their bowels. Nechonia the digger of Cisterns: (ibid. pag. 17.) Gevini Keroz the Son of Geb∣ber over the shutting of the Gates. Ben Bechi over the Correction (to cudgel the Priests or Levites that were found asleep upon the Guards, ibid. pag. 50, 51.) Ben Arza over the Cymbal: (ibid. pag. 58.) Hagros ben Levi over the Song: Beth Garmu over the ma∣king of the Shew-bread: Beth Abhtines over the making of the Incense: Eliezer over the Vails: And Phinehas over the Wardrobe.

So that this Abhtines was one that had the oversight of the making of the Incense: and all that succeeded in this Office were called Beth Abhtines or the Family of Abhtines, and this Room or Chamber over the Water-Gate, was the place where they did their work in this imployment.

Their traditionary Receipt for the compounding and making of the Incense was this: f 1.6 They had eleven Aromatick simples of which they took these quantities: Of Stacte Onycha, Galbanum and Frankincense, of every one seventy pound weight: of Myrrhe, Cassia, Calamus, Crocus, Ana sixteen pounds. Of Costus twelve pound, of Cinnamon nine pound, of Cloves three, in all three hundred sixty eight pound. All these they pounded very small in a Mortar (wich was called g 1.7 the Mortar of the Sanctuary, and which Mortar was carried h 1.8 to Rome at the sacking of Jerusalem) and they added to it some Sodo••t Salt, Amber of Jordan (rarities not rarely spoken of in Jewish Writers) and an Herb of an odoriferous smoke, which very few were acquainted with: Every year they made this quantity of Incense, and every day in the year there was a pound of it offered, and so of the three hundred sixty eight pound there was three hundred sixty five pound gone: Of the three pounds that remain, the High-Priest took his handful on the day of Expi∣ation: and the rest was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The residue of the Incense: Not that the yearly stock was spent at the day of Expiation, for it was not spent till the beginning of the month Nisan, but that this was the account of the expence of it: On the first day of the month Nisan, or on their New-years-day, they began upon a new stock: i 1.9 And the two pounds and odd that remained of the old, was given to work-men that repaired the Temple towards their pay: and then was bought of them again, and used as of a new stock. Every single spicery was pounded by it self, and all the while that he that pound∣ed it, was about it, he still said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To be pounded well, to be pounded well, &c. and then they mingled all altogether.

It was a caution that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 k 1.10 All the making and compound∣ing of the Incense should be in the Sanctuary in the midst of the Court: By which whether the very open place of the Court be meant, or that part of this Room of Abhtines that stood in the Court, it is not much important to dispute; this was the Room in which the Incense when it was made was reserved, and likely it is that this also was the place where it was made: And here it was pounded again twice a year, and aired and looked to that it might take no hurt.

Into l 1.11 this Room the High-Priest was brought for a certain time against the day of Expi••tion, that he might learn to take his handfuls of Incense against that day, as was required, Levit. XVI. 12. m 1.12 For this was the place (saith Aruch••) where the Incense was prepared: And they brought him hither that they might teach him to take his handfuls of it.

In this Room also the Priests kept a Guard every night, as it is related in the Talmud in the Treatise Tamid and Middoth in these words n 1.13 In three places, the Priests kept Guards in the Sanctuary, namely in Beth Abhtines, and in Beth Nitsots, and in Beth Mohadh: Beth Abhtines and Beth Nitsots were upper Rooms, and there the younger Priests kept, &c. which nightly guarding was intentionally as much for the honour of the Sanctuary as for in security, and these two Guard-Chambers Abhtines and Nitsots, were both over against the Al••ar, the one on the one side of the Court and the other on the other: and here the

younger sort of Priests watched, but the grandees in Beth Mokadh, in the furthest end of the Court West-ward, as we shall see when we come thither.

On the roof of this Water-gate, and of the room Abhtines, there was a Bath, in which the High-Priest did wash himself the first time of his washing on the day of expiation: for although the Bathing place, on the top of the room of Happarvah (which we shall survey in its place) was the place where he washed oftest on that day, yet here he washed first: for here had he spent some time in the Chamber of Abhtines before the day came, and here was the fittest and readiest place for him to bath when the day was come: Here he had been all the night before, and when the morning was come, and he is to go about the service, he first goeth to the top of this Gate and there batheth himself in Water. And this the Treatise Joma intendeth when he saith thus, o 1.14 Five bathings of his Body and ten washings of his Hands and Feet did the High Priest use on that day, and all in the holy ground, on the top of the room of Happarbah, but only the first, &c. This was a place most conve∣nient for a Bath, it being so near the Draw-well room, as joining to it, and this it may be helped forward the naming of it the Water-gate.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Mid. per. 5. & May••. in ••et•• habb••••••ir. per. 5. & She∣kalim per. 5.
• b 1.2

  Shekal. ibid▪
• c 1.3

  Succah per. ••.
• d 1.4

  Talmid. Ie∣rus. in Ioma, per. 1.
• e 1.5

  Shekalim. per. 1.
• f 1.6

  Maym. in k••l•• Mikd. per. 2.
• g 1.7

  Erach. per. 2. Aruch. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• h 1.8

  Av••th. R. Nathan ad ••in.
• i 1.9

  Maym. in She∣kalim per.
• k 1.10

  Id. ••bi ante.
• l 1.11

  Ta••m. in Io∣ma, per. 1.
• m 1.12

  Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• n 1.13

  Tamid. per. 1. & Mid. per. 1.
• o 1.14

  Ioma per. 3.