The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. The length of the whole court 2 was one hundred and eighty-seven cubits. The breadth one hundred and thirty-five. From east to west one hundred and eighty-seven. The place for the tread of the feet of Israel was eleven cubits. The place for the tread of the priests eleven cubits. The altar thirty-two. Between the porch and the altar twenty-two cubits. The Temple one hundred cubits; and eleven cubits behind the House of Atonement.
2. From north to south there were one hundred and thirty-five cubits. From the sloping ascent to the altar sixty-two. From the altar to the rings eight cubits. The space for the rings twenty-four. From the rings to the tables four. From the tables to the pillars four. From the pillars to the wall of the court eight cubits. And the remainder lay between the sloping ascent and the wall and the place of the pillars.
3. In the court were six chambers, three in the north, and three in the south. In the north, the chamber of salt, the chamber of parva, the chamber of washers. In the camber of salt they added salt to the offerings. In the chamber of parva they salted the skins of the offerings; and upon its roof was the house of baptism for the High Priest on the day of atonement. In the chamber of washers they
cleansed the inwards of the offerings; and from thence a gallery extended up to the top of the house of parva.
4. In the south were the chamber of wood, the chamber of the captivity, and the chamber of hewn stone. The chamber of wood, said Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Jacob, "I forget for what it served." Abashaul said, “the chamber of the High Priest was behind them both, and the roof of the three chambers was even. In the chamber of the captivity was sunk the well with the wheel attached to it, and from thence water was supplied to the whole court. In the chamber of Hewn Stone the great Sanhedrin of Israel sat, and judged the priesthood, and the priest in whom defilement was discovered, clothed in black, and veiled in black, went out and departed; and when no defilement was found in him, clothed in white, and veiled in white, he went in and served with his brethren the priests. And they made a feast-day, because no defilement was found in the seed of Aaron the Priest, and thus they said, “Blessed be the Place. Blessed be He, since no defilement is found in the seed of Aaron. And blessed be He who has chosen Aaron and his sons to stand and minister 1 before the Lord in the House of the Holy of Holies.
Our Beauty be upon Thee, Whole Court;
And Completion to Thee, Tract
MEASUREMENTS.
265:2 "The king only, and no man else (remarks Maimonides) might sit in the court of the temple in any place; and even this privilege was confined to a king of the family of David." Cunœus further observes, "that the king was esteemed nearer to God than the priests themselves, and a greater president of religion."
266:1 The Temple services were arranged by the council of fourteen. This council was composed of the High Priest, the Sagan (the deputy or Suffragan of the High Priest), two Katholikin, who had charge of the treasuries, three Gizbarim, who were assistants of the Katholikin, seven Ammarcalin, who had charge of the gates.