A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 104
CHAP. CIV. Examples of rare, stupendious, and costly works made by the Art of man.
A Description of Hierusalem, and the Temple, as they were when they were destroyed by the Romans.
HIerusalem was compassed with a treble Wall on every side, save onelyonly on that part where it was inclosed with inaccessible Vallies; for on that side it needed onelyonly one Wall: It was built upon two hills, the one opposite to the other, separated by a valley which was wondrously replenished with houses. One of these hills whereon stood the upper part of the City was far higher, and s…eeper then the other, whereupon King David compassing it about with a wall called it the City of David. The other hill called Acra was the place whereon the lower part of the City stood: And opposite to this Acra was another hill lower then it, which at first was divided from it by a large valley; but when the Asmonaeans reigned, they filled up this valley, and cut down the top of Acra that it might not hide the Temple: within one of the vallies was Siloam, a fountain sending forth abundance of cleer & sweet water: The outmost wall, by reason of the valley about it, & rock whereon it stood was impregnable the rather because besides the situation it was built very strongly by David, Solomon, and other Kings. A fourth wall was begun by Agrippa: In humane reason had this wall been finished, the City could never have been taken: For he began to build it with stones 20. cubits long, and 10. cubits broad, so that it could neither be easily undermined, nor battered with Engines: but he built this wall but onelyonly 10. Cubits high, and then fearing lest Claudius Caesar should think that he had a purpose to rebell, he gave it over: yet afterwards the Jews raised this wall 20 Cubits high: made a battlement 2. cubits high, and the Tower 3. cubits, in all 24. cubits high: Besides upon the wall were three Towers 20. cubits broad, and twenty cubits high, built four square very strongly; within these Towers were rooms for men to dwell in, and Cisterns to receive rain-water. The third wall had ninety of these Towers, and between every Tower were two hundred Cubits space: The second wall had fourteen Towers; and the old wall had threescore, and the compasse of the whole City was 33. furlongs. Between the North, and West-part of the City upon the outmost wall stood the Tower Psephina, which was raised seventy Cubits high; so that in a clear day a man might from thence discover Arabia, and the utmost confines of the Jewes even to the Sea. Just opposite to this was the Tower Hippicos built by Herod upon the old wall, which for bignesse, beauty, and strength surpassed all others in the world: It had four corners, each of which was 25. Cubits broad, as many long, and 30. Cubits high, and in no place hollow: On the top was a Well to receive rain-water twenty Cubits deep. On the Top of all were houses 25. Cubits high divided into many roomes: Above them were battlements two Cubits high, and Turrets three Cubits high, so that in all it was eighty five Cubits high. He built also a second Tower in breadth, and length fourty Cubits, and as many high in Figure of a square pillar, all solid, and not hollow within: And above this, a porch ten Cubits high adorned with Turrets, and Pinacles: Over the middest of this Porch he built another Tower distinguished into goodly roomes, and sumptuous Baths; and on the top it was beautified with Turrets, and Pinacles, so that the whole height was almost fourscore, and ten Cubits: Lastly, he built a third Tower, which he called after his Queens name, Mariamne twenty cubits high, and twenty broad, all of solid stone, and not hollow, having more stately and magnificent lodgings in it then either of the former: it was in all fifty five Cubits high. These Towers though they were very high, yet by reason of their situation they seemed far higher: For the old wall whereon they were built stood upon rock that was 30. Cubits high, whereby their height was much encreased: They were not built also of ordinary stone, but all of white Marble, whereof each stone was 20. Cubits long, and ten Cubits broad, and five Cubits thick; and so curiously joyned together that every Tower seemed but one stone; within the City was the Kings Palace surpassing all that can be spoken of it, and for greatnesse, and curious workmanship may be compared with any other in the world: It was environed with a wall 30. Cubits high, adorned with goodly Towers round about: Beautified with houses for an hundred of the Nobility: The variety of the Marble wherewith it was built was admirable, all sorts being therein used, though never so rare to be found. In every room also were many vessels of gold, and silver, and many Porches round about adorned with most curious Pillars: There were in it very many pleasant walks adorned with all sorts of trees, and gardens beset with Fountains that spouted up water on high, and Cisterns beautified with many brazen Statues from which ran out water continually.
The Temple was built upon a Rocky Mountain; the plain on the top whereof was at first scarce big enough for the Temple, and Court, the hill being very steep: But the people every day bringing earth thither, at last made it plain, and large enough, and enclosed the hill with a treble wall, which was a work passing all expectation; to the effecting whereof many ages were spent, and all the holy treasure offered to God from all parts of the world: The foundations of the Temple were laid three hundred Cubits deep, and in many places more. The stones of it were 40. Cubit: The Porches were double, and every one was supported by many stately Pillars, twenty five Cubits high all of one piece of white Marble; the Tops of them were of Cedar so exactly wrought as astonished the beholders: These Porches were 30. Cubits broad, and the Compasse of all was six Furlongs. The Courts were curiously wrought, and paved with all sorts of stones.
The way to the inward Temple was all inclosed with stones wrought like La…tice-work, which were three Cubits high of curious workmanship: to this second there was an ascent by fourteen staires; and aloft it was four square, and enclosed with a wall by it self, whose outside being fourty Cubits high was all covered with staires to ascend up to it, and within it was twenty five Cubits high: At the top of the fourteen staires within the wall was a level compassed with a wall of three hundred Cubits, which had eight Gates in it; and between the Gates were Porches opposite each to other reaching from the wall to the Treasury, supported with great, and stately Pillars. All the gates were covered with Plates of gold, and silver, onelyonly one was covered with Corinthian brasse, which for beauty far excelled the other, dazling the eyes of the beholders: In every gate were two doores, each of them thirty Cubits high, and fifteen broad; and on each side they had seats 30. Cubits long, and 40. Cubits high, each one supported with two Pillars twelve Cubits thick: OnelyOnly the Gate which was▪ covered with Corinthian brasse was fifty Cubits high, the Gates were fourty Cubits, and it was more richly adorned then the rest.
The Holy of Holies was situated in the middest of all, and had twelve staires to go up to it. The forepart of it was an hundred Cubits high, and as many broad: Backward it was fourty Cubits; on each side it had as it were two shoulders rising up in height twenty Cubits: The first Gate was seventy Cubits high, and 25. wide, and had no doores to shew that heaven was alwaies open, &c. All the foreparts were gilded, and all within was covered with fine gold. The inward part was divided into two rooms, whereof the first onelyonly might be seen, which was in height fourscore, and ten Cubits, in length fourty, and in breadth twenty: Round about the Wall was a golden vine, whereon hung many grapes in clusters all of gold, every cluster being about six foot long: It had golden gates fifty five Cubits high, and sixteen Cubits broad. It had curious hangings of the same length, admirably wrought with purple, violet, and Scarlet silk, all the fabrick was so exquisitely, and richly wrought, that none could possibly imagine any workmanship that it wanted: For it was all covered with a massie plate of pure gold which dazled the eyes of the beholders: The top was all set with rods of gold, sharp like pikes at the ends, lest birds should sit thereon, and defile it. The stones wherewith it was built were fourty five Cubits large, five in length, six broad, and as many long. Josephus l. 6. c. 7.