Prophet first brought in his vision, and there he seeth the Image of Jealousie: not in this Gate of the Altar, but in the mountain of the House Northward of this Gate, and of the Prophet as he stood in it. For the Prophet is not brought within the Court at this Gate, but is set without it, and there he is bidden to look Northward, and there he seeth that Image. This was not any Picture or Image to represent Jealousie by, but it is called the Image of Jealousie, because it provoked the jealous God to jealousie, it being set even in his Sanctuary and before his Altar: what Idol this was is but lost labour to go about to determine: I should as soon conjecture Molech as any other, because that was the high∣est Idolatry and most provoking, namely their burning of their Children in the fire, and because they were exceeding taxable and taxed for this Idolatry. Whether there were this Idol in the Temple at this very instant when Ezekiel had the vision, which was in the sixth year of Zedekiah, or whether the vision represent to him the Idolatry that had been in the Temple at any time, is not much easier to determine neither; but be the Idol what it would, and mean he the time when he will, it was no small abomination when an Idolatrous Chappel or Mansion is erected in the mountain of the Lords House, even facing the very Gate that opened upon the Altar. This Gate was the lower North∣gate which in the times of the second Temple was called the Gate Nitsots or of the Song.
Before the Prophet is brought to the upper North-gate, the Text saith he was brought to the door of the Court, vers. 7. that is, to the East-gate which was the commonest way of entrance, and in that Gate the Sanhedrin used to sit in those times, and there he seeth their Council-chamber painted all about with imagery, and the Seventy members of the Sanhedrin themselves offering Idolatrous incense: Then is he brought to the upper North∣gate, which opened upon the Body of the Temple, and there he seeth Women weeping for Tammuz: what Tammuz was, or what their weeping meant, it is not to our subject to insist upon here: I will only leave the Gloss of David Kimchi upon this matter with the Reader, and trouble him with no more discourse about it. Some interpret it (saith he) that they kept a feast to the Idol in the beginning of the month Tammuz: others interpret the the word Tammuz to signifie burnt from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Dan. III. 19. meaning that they wept for him that was burnt, because they burnt their Sons and Daughters in fire. Others, that they had a trick to convey water into the Idols Eyes, which was called Tammuz, so that he seemed to weep and to beseech them that they would serve him. But our great wise Man Rabbi Moses bar Maiemon writes, that it is found in the Books of the ancient, that there was a Man of the Idolatrous Prophets whose name was Tammuz, and he called to a certain King and com∣manded him to worship the seven Planets and the twelve Signs, and the King slew him: And on the night of his death, all the Idols from all parts of the Earth were gathered into the Tem∣ple at Babel, to the golden Image which was the Image of the Sun, which Image hung between Heaven and Earth, and it fell into the midst of the Temple and all the Images about it: It told them what hath happened to Tammuz the Prophet, and all the Idols wept and lamented all that night, and when it was morning they flew to their own homes: So this became a custom to them on the first day of the month Tammuz every year, to bewail and lament Tammuz. But some in∣terpret Tammuz to be the name of a Beast which they worshipped.
Thus may we suppose upon this Text of Ezekiel, that in the Temple before the capti∣vity there were but two Gates on the North-side of the Court, or at least there is not mention of any more: but in the second Temple there were three: The names of them going from West to East, were these. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate of Corban. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate of the Women. And 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate of the Song. Now every one of these Gates is owned by a double name: for the Gate of Corban is also called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beth Mokadh: The Gate of the Women is also called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate Corban: And the Gate of the Song is also called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate Nitsots: And thus are those Talmudick passages to be understood which carry difficulty with them, because they seem to carry contradiction: whilest one reckons the North-gates thus, On the North was the Gate of Corban, the Gate of the Women and the Gate of the Song: And another thus, On the North was the Gate Nitsots, the Gate Corban and Beth Mekadh: The former, reckoning their or∣der from West to East, and the later from East to West: the reason of these doubled and differing names we shall look after as we go along.
There were also other buildings on this side the Court besides the Gates, as well as there were on the South-side which we have surveyed already. And those were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The room for Salt, the room for Parvah, and the washing room, besides other rooms, which we shall find out in our progress.