CHAP. XXXV. Some other memorable places of the City. (Book 35)
- I. THERE was a Street leading from the Gate of Waters to the Mount of the Temple, which seems to be called the Street of the Temple, Ezra X. 9. This way they went from the Temple to Mount Olivet.
- II. The ascent to the Mount of the Temple was not so difficult, but Cattle and Oxen might be driven thither; nor so easie, but that it required some pains of those that went up. a 1.1 A child was free from presenting himself in the Temple at the three feasts, until (ac∣cording to the School of Hillel) he was able, his father taking him by the hand, to go up with him into the Mount of the Temple.
- III. b 1.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Vale of the Tyropaei (or the Cheesmongers) that divided between the hill of the upper City, and the lower, went down unto Siloam. The Entrance into this Vale probably was Eastward by the Horse-gate, and the Street (the most noted of the whole City) went onward to the West.
- IV. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The upper street. c 1.3 Any spittle found in the City was clean, except that which was found in the upper street. The Gloss thus, The spittle of any unclean person is unclean, and defiles. But strangers of another Country are as unclean among us, as those that have a flux. Now the strangers dwelt in the upper street. Here I remember the story of Ismael ben Camithi, the High Priest; d 1.4 who when he went out on the day of Expiation to speak with a certain (Heathen) Captain, some spittle was sprinkled upon his cloths from the others mouth: whereby being defiled he could not perform the service of that day: his brother therefore officiated for him.
- V. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The street of the Butchers.
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VI. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The street of those that dealt in Wool.
e 1.5 In the Butchers street, which was at Jerusalem, they locked the door (on the Sabbath) and laid the key in the window, which was above the door. R. Jose saith, That this was in the street of those that dealt in Wool.
- Josephus hath these words, f 1.6 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In the new City there was a Wool-market, and Braziers shops, and a market of garments.
- VII. g 1.7 At Jerusalem was a great Court, called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beth Jaazek, where the Cities were gathered together (namely that they might testifie concerning the New Moon) and there the Sanhedrim took them into examination, and delicious feasts were made ready for them there, that they might the more willingly come thither, for the sake thereof.
- VIII. h 1.8 Some Courts also were built upon a rock, under which there was made a hol∣low, that by no means any sepulchre might be there. Hither they brought some teem∣ing women, that they might be delivered there, and might there also bring up their chil∣dren. And the reason of that curiosity was, that those children, there born and brought up, where they were so secure from being touched by a sepulchre, might be clean with∣out doubt, and fit to sprinkle with purifying water such as were polluted with a dead carkase. The children were shut up in those Courts, until they became seven or eight years old. (So R. Solomon, who also cites Tosaptoth, where nevertheless it is, until they are eighteen years of age.) And when the sprinkling of any one is to be performed, they are brought with the like care and curiosity to the place where the thing is to be done, riding upon Oxen, because their bellies being so thick, might defend them the more se∣curely from the defilement of any sepulchre in the way.
- IX. There were not a few Caves in the City hollowed out of the rock, which we ob∣served concerning the hollowed floor of the Temple. i 1.9 Into one of these Simon the