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. XXXVI. The space between the Altar and the Porch. (Book 36)

THE Altar stood before the Gate or entrance of the Porch, that gave access into the Temple, and the space between the foundation of the Altar and the founda∣tion of the Porch a 1.1 was two and twenty cubits: But there was not so much clear ground or plain pavement and passage between them, for the stairs of the Porch being in number twelve, and every step a cubit broad, besides the half pace or inlarging at every third step, caused that these steps lay down a great way in the Court towards the Altar: and took up a good space of these two and twenty cubits. Every one of these steps was half a cubit high, and thereupon the whole rise ariseth to be six cubits from the ground to the landing in the Porch, so that he that stood in the Porch-gate, his Feet stood even and level, with his Feet that stood upon the Circuit of the Altar: b 1.2 Upon these steps of the Porch the Priests stood when they came out from burning Incense and blessed the People.

As concerning the space betwixt the Porch and Altar, these things are remarkable about it.

1. c 1.3 That no man might come upon this space that had any blemish upon him, nor any man might come here bare headed: the reason of the former restraint is easie to be apprehended, because of the holiness of the place, being so near both to the Alar and the Temple: and the reason of the later is, because in their greatest devotions they used to cover their Head, and therefore none might come bare-headed into so devout a place.

2. That no man might stand upon this space or stay within it, while the Priest was burning Incense in the Holy place. d 1.4 For whilest they burned Incense in the Temple every day, all the People departed from the Temple, so that between the Temple and the Altar there was not a man till he that burned Incense came forth. And so at the time that the High Priest went in with the Blood of the Sin-offering, which was to be sprinkled within, all the People withdrew from between the Altar and the Temple, till he came forth again: And because they might know the time when to withdraw from this space at the daily Incense, the Sagan or President of the Service called to the Priest that was within the Holy place with a loud voice, and gave him notice when he should begin with the Incense, saying to him, Offer the Incense, and as he spake thus, the People withdrew: The reason of this custom I shall not be curious to look after, but whether the Ceremony did not fitly resemble, how far distant all men are from having any share with Christ in his Intercession, which the offering of the Incense resembled, be it left to the Reader to consider.

3. In this space between the Temple and the Altar, was the murder committed upon Zacharias the son of Barachias, as our Saviour mentioneth, Matth. XXIII. 35.

Now there are various conjectures who this Zachary should be: some think of Zachary the Prophet, whose Book of Prophesie we have in the Old Testament. Some suppose it might be John Baptists Father, and some conceive that Christ speaketh there predictive∣ly, foretelling that they should slay Zachary the son of Baruch in the Temple, the story of which Josephus giveth in lib. 4. de bell. cap. 19. But the Talmudists do help us to un∣derstand it of Zachary the son of Jehoiada, who was stoned by the people in this place in the days of King Joash, 2 Chron. XXIV. Why he is called the son of Barachias and not the son of Jehoiada is not a place here to dispute: the Jerusalem Talmud hath this story concerning his slaughter, which may give us cause to think, that our Saviour spake

according to the common received Opinion: and was understood to mean Zachary the son of Jehoiada, though for special reason he calleth him the son of Barachias, e 1.5 Rab. Jocha∣nan saith, Eighty thousand young Priests were slain for Zacharias blood. R. Jordan asked R. Aha, where slew they Zacharias? In the Court of the Women, or in the Court of Israel? He saith to him, Not in the Court of Israel, nor in the Court of the Women, but in the Court of the Priests, &c. And seven Transgressions did Israel transgress that day: They slew a Priest, a Prophet, a Judge, shed innocent Blood and defiled the Court, and the Sabbath, which was also the day of expiation. And when Nebuzaradan came thither he saw the Blood bubling. He saith to them, What meaneth this? They said to him, It is the Blood of Bullocks and Rams and Lambs which we have offered upon the Altar. Presently he brought Bullocks and Rams and Lambs and killed them, and as yet the Blood bubled or reeked above theirs. And when they confessed not, he hanged them up. They said, The Lord is pleased to require his Blood at our hands. They say to him, It is the Blood of a Priest and Prophet and Judge, who Prophesied to us concerning all that thou hast done to us, and we stood up against him and slew him. Presently he brought Eighty thousand young Priests and slew them: And still the Blood bubled: Then he was angry at it, and said to it, What wouldest thou have? That all the People should perish for thee? Presently the holy blessed God was filled with compassion and said: What? Is this Man that is but Flesh and Blood, filled with pity towards my Children, and shall not I be much more? Of whom it is written, For the Lord thy God is a merciful God, he will not forsake thee nor destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy Fathers: Presently he gave a sign to the Blood and it was swallowed up in the place. R. Jochanan saith, The Eighty thousand young Priests fled to the midst of the Chambers of the Sanctuary, and they were all burnt, and of all them, none was left but Joshua the son of Jozedeck: as it is written, Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire? Zech. III. 2.

In this space between the Altar and the Porch, there stood the Laver, but not directly before the Altar, but removed towards the South, so that it stood betwixt the rise of the Altar and the Porch, as we shall observe in the viewing of it by and by. But the Talmud speaketh of a Vessel, which by its relation appeareth to have lain directly betwixt Porch and Altar, which it calleth Migrephah, but what to English it, is not very ready.

The Treatise Tamid speaketh thus of it, f 1.6 They (that were to go into the Temple to burn Incense, and to dress the Lamps) came between the Porch and the Altar, one of them taketh the Migrephah and Rings it between the Porch and the Altar; one man could not hear another speak in Jerusalem, because of the sound of the Migrephah. It served for three things: The Priest that heard the sound of it knew that his Brethren the Priests were gone in to Wor∣ship, and he ran and came. A Levite that heard the sound of it, knew that his Brethren the Levites were gone in to sing, and he ran and came. And the chief of the stationary men brought them that had been unclean and set them in the Gate of Nicanor. Now what kind of thing this Migrephah was, I find but little light towards an exact resolution. g 1.7 Some say it was a great Vessel which they rung to make a sound, but of what fashion, and whether for any other use also, they leave uncertain.

The Chaldee renders 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Exod. XXXVIII. 3, &c. which seemeth to be the same word with this that we are about, and so he understands it to mean some of the fire-shovels that belonged to the Altar, which being either rung upon, or shoved up∣on the pavement, would make a loud noise being of brass, and very big.

The Jews upon the sound of this and divers other things at the Temple do hyperbo∣lize thus, h 1.8 Even from Jericho they heard the noise of the great Gate of the Temple when it opened. From Jericho they heard the ringing of the Migrephah. From Jericho they heard the noise of the Engine that Ben Kattin made for the Laver. From Jericho they heard the voice of the Crier that called them to their Services. From Jericho they heard the sound of the Pipe. From Jericho they heard the sound of the Cymbal. From Jericho they heard the sound of the Song. From Jericho they heard the sound of the Trumpets. And some say also, The voice of the High Priest when he uttered the Name Jehovah on the day of Expiation, &c. The truth of which things is not to be pleaded, seeing it is apparent that they are utter∣ed by way of Hyperbole, only it may not be improper to observe how common the phrase was, From Jerusalem to Jericho▪ which is also used in Luke X. 30.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Mid per. 3.
• b 1.2

  Tamed. per. 7.
• c 1.3

  Kelim. per. 1.
• d 1.4

  Maym. in Ta∣mid. in per. 3.
• e 1.5

  Talm. Ierus. in Taanith. f. 6••
• f 1.6

  Tamid. per. 5
• g 1.7

  Gloss. in Mishnaioth ib.
• h 1.8

  Tamid. per. 3.