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. XXX. Of the Gate Beth Mokadh called the Gate of Corban: And of the other Gate of Corban, called also the Gate of the Women. (Book 30)

WE need not inquire why the upper of these two Gates was called Beth Mo∣kadh; the considering that it joined to the East end of that piece of build∣ing that was so called, which we have newly surveyed, will resolve that question: but why the lower was called The Gate of the Women, and why both of them the Gates of Corban, will cost more labour to find it out.

I shall tender about the former these two conjectures: 1. Because at this Gate the Wo∣men in the former Temple, did weep for Tammuz; as was observed out of Ezekiel even now: And 2. Because at this Gate the Women that brought Sacrifices went into the Court to see them offered. For although it was not lawful for Women to go ordinarily into the Court as it was for Men, but they were confined to their own Court, yet as I have observed elsewhere out of Tosaphia, Women when they brought Sacrifices might and did go into the Court of Israel as well as Men. It is true indeed that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Women after childbirth appeared in the Gate of Nicanor for the making of their atone∣ment, and came but up into the Gate, and not into the Court at all, because they came thither for their full Purification: but those Women that were clean, and came not upon any occasion of Purification, but brought Burnt-offerings, or Sin, or Trespass-offerings, they presented them and themselves with them at this Gate. There was a Gate was nearer to the Altar than this, namely the Gate Nitsots, which we are to survey by and by, but the place of the rings or slaughter place being between it and the Altar, it was not a place

of that clear and uninterrupted access that this was of, and therefore the Sacrifices both of Men and Women were presented here. Yet did the Gate bear the name of the Women rather than of the Men, as from the rarer matter of the Womens going into the Court, which was more commonly done by Men.

And this helps us to one reason why this Gate was called the Gate of Corban, or of the offering, namely because the Sacrifices to be offered up were brought up in this way. And this very reason Bartenora giveth, saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a 1.1 Here they brought in the most holy Sacrifices, which were to be slain on the North-side of the Altar. Over against this Gate on the other side of the Court there was a Gate that bare two names as well as this. It was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Gate of offering, because the Sacrifices that were to be slain on the South-side of the Altar were brought in at that Gate, and it was also called the Gate of Firstlings, because those were the chiefest of those offerings. So also this Gate where we are, it was called the Gate of Corban or of offering, because the Sacrifices to be slain on the North-side of the Altar were brought in by it: and it was called also the Gate of the Women, because their passage through it with their Sacrifices was more rare and remarkable than Mens. b 1.2 Now these were the Sa∣crifices that were slain on this North-side of the Altar: The most holy Sacrifices, the Bul∣lock and Goat of the day of Expiation, the Bullocks and Goats that were burnt, all Sin-offer∣ings, whole Burnt-offerings and Trespass-offerings.

Only the Lambs of the daily Sacrifice, though they were slain on the North-side of the Altar, yet is it like they were not brought into the Court at this Gate, but at that that joyned to Beth Mokadh, for in that piece of building the Lamb-room was, where they were kept, as hath been shewed. And so we have one reason why these two Gates bare the name of Corban. The upper was so called because the daily Sacrifice or Cor∣ban was brought through it, and the lower, because other Sacrifices were brought through that.

But there was something more in the name besides: As there were several Treasure chests in the Temple, which have been named, and several Treasuries in the Gate∣houses of the Mountain of the Temple, and in the Chambers that joyned to the Temple it self: of Vessels, Vestments, Tithes, First-fruits, &c. So on this side of the Court was the Treasury of the Poll-mony, and for the Poor, and for the repair of the Temple; which more especially was called Corban: The word as at the first and most properly it signified an offering (and so is it frequently used in Leviticus, and that is the sense that we have newly parted with) so in the Jews common Language it came also to signifie the Treasury of the Temple, as Matth. XXVII. 6. The Priests took the money and said it is not lawful to cast it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Into the Corban. And so Josephus saith, that Pilate occasioned a tumult among the Jews, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. c 1.3 By consuming the sacred Treasury which was called Corban upon making an Aquaeduct. And so the Treatise Middoth reckoning the Guards that were in the Temple, nameth d 1.4 one at the Chamber of Corban: one at the Chamber of the Vail, and one behind the Mercy seat: From which last passage, laid to this consideration that we are about, namely, that there were two Gates on the North-side of the Court which were called Corban, there is some ground and probability to place the Corban or chiefest Treasury of cash or money there where we do. It appeareth by the distribution of the Guards in the Tradition cited, that the Guard at the Chamber over against the Vail, and at the Chamber of Corban were on the several sides of the Court, or else there were no proportion or conformity in their stations. All the seven Gates of the Court were Guarded, two with Priests, and five with Levites: all the four Corners of the Court were also Guarded, and there was besides (saith the Tradition) a Guard at the Chamber of the Vail, and another at the Chamber of Corban, and another behind the Mercy seat, that is, one on the one side of the Court over against the Body of the Temple, and another on the other side, and another just behind, which was called the Guard be∣hind the Mercy seat. Now where can we so properly look for the Chamber Corban, as between those two Gates that both bare that name? And the matter here seemeth some∣what nearly parallel to the case that we observed about the Gates and House of Asuppim upon the West-quarter of the Mountain of the House; for as there was a piece of buil∣ding that ran between two Gates, which it self was called the House of Asuppim, and gave occasion to the Gates on either end of it, to be called the Gates of Asuppim; so here was a piece of building that ran between two Gates, which it self was called Corban, and gave occasion to the Gates on either end it, to be called the Gates of Corban likewise.

To come down therefore from the Gate of Beth Mokadh, towards the East, there was first a piece of building joyned to that Gate, which was a Treasury and was called Cor∣ban, and then was there a room where the Levites kept their Guard, and joyning to that there was another Treasury or Corban, and joyning to the East end of that, a Gate called by the same name Corban, but called also the Gate of the Women.

Now to distinguish these Treasuries, whether the one of them was the Treasury for the half Shekel poll-mony, and the other for mony and vessels offered for the use and repair of the House, or whether one of them was the Treasury for the Temple and the other for the Poor, which distinction we observed before, it is but in vain to inquire af∣ter, since it is not possible to resolve when we have done all we can: only this I suppose may not unpertinently be observed, that the Treasuries wherein they put money, (whe∣ther Chambers or Chests) were those that most properly were called Corban, rather than the Treasuries where they laid up other things: And according to the several places where these Chambers and these Chests stood, the place was called the Treasury, and the House of the Treasury.

And here let us look after a place of Scripture, which speaketh something in relation to the Treasury, and may not unproperly be taken into consideration before we part with this subject.

The place is in 2 King. XII. 9. & 2 Chron. XXIV. 8. about the Treasure or Collecti∣on chest that was made by Jehoiada, for the gathering of money for the repair of the Temple, which had been decaied and defaced in the days of Athaliah. And because there appeareth a visible contrariety between the two Texts that handle that matter, it may not be amiss to lay them together, and then to see how they may be reconciled.

2 King. XII. 9. Iehoiada the Priest took a Chest and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it besides the Altar, on the right side as one cometh into the House of the Lord.	2 Chron. XXIV. 8. And at the Kings commandment they made a Chest and set it without, at the Gate of the House of the Lord.
Vers. 13. Howbeit there were not made for the House of the Lord, Bowls of Silver, Snuffers, Basins, Trumpets, any Vessels of Gold or Vessels of Silver of the money that was brought into the House of the Lord.	Vers. 14. And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the King and Iehoiada, whereof were made Ves∣sels for the House of the Lord, even Vessels to minister with, and to offer withal, even Vessels of Gold and Silver, &c.

To heal the contrariety that seemeth to be in these Texts, the one saying the Chest was set beside the Altar, and the other, that it was set without the Gate: the one that there were no Vessels made of the mony that was offered, and the other that there were Ves∣sels made: it is to be observed that though the Chest might be the same, yet the stories concerning it and concerning the money coming to it are to be understood not of the same time. The zeal of Joash the King and the dulness of the Priests towards the re∣pair of the House of the Lord are here compared and laid together (though good Je∣hoiada did always the utmost in him towards it) Joash had urged the repair of the Tem∣ple, and that the Priests should get up all the money accrewing to it for the use of it and bestow it to that purpose: namely the half Shekel poll-money of every one that pas∣seth the account: the money that any one was set at to redeem him from any singular vow, Lev. XXVII. and all the money that any offered of his own free-will: every one of the Priests to take it of his acquaintance: yet in the three and twentieth of the Kings reign, there was nothing done towards repairing: Thereupon the King seeing either the slack∣ness, or falshood, or both, of the Priests, requires them to meddle no more with recei∣ving money, nor with repairing, since the business under their Hands went on no better: which they irreligiously and surlily are content to do, not caring whether the Temple be repaired or no. But good Jehoiada slacketh not, but sets a Chest with a hole in it besides the Altar, that what money might be had, might be put in there for the use appointed: But when that did not avail to do the work, nor to buy any Vessels for the House and Service of the Lord, for the money went still through the Priests fingers, the Chest being in their Court, Joash the King either removes that Chest, or makes another and sets it without the Court at the coming in, whither every one might have access to it; and pro∣claims through all the Country that they should bring in the money appointed by Moses; the Princes and People come readily and joyfully and bring it in, so that there was enough to perfect repairs, and withal to make those vessels for the Temple that were wanting.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Bart. in Mid.
• b 1.2

  Zevachin per. 5.
• c 1.3

  Ios. de bell. lib. 2. cap. 14.
• d 1.4

  Mid. per. 1.