The Temple in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 13

The Temple in the Days of our Savior Described · Chapter 13

p. 58CHAP. XIII. The Porch.

Sect. 1. The ſteps up to it.

IN taking particular account of the length of the building from Eaſt to Weſt, (which was 100 cubits) we will firſt be in at the Porch (which was the beautifull front Eaſtward) and view ſeverally every ſpeciall place and parcell till we come to the Weſt end.

[a][a]See. chap.The ſpreading of the Porch in length was 100 cubits, and in height 120; twenty cubits higher then the height of the Temple: And this Porch which was a croſſe building to the Temple it ſelfe, and ſo high above it, may not improperly be conceived to be that place whither Satan brought our Saviour in his temptation, when he is ſaid to have brought him foreign, properly to the wing of the Temple.

There were ſeverall things at this front, before we ſtir from it, that were very remarkeable, and cannot be paſſed without obſervation: And the firſt that we will looke upon, ſhall bee the ſteps that roſe up out of the Court into this entrance, which were[c][c]Mid. per. 3. twelve in number, every ſtep halfe a cubit … fing, ſix cubits in the whole riſe, and ſo much was the floore of the Porch higher then the floore of the Court. And here p. 59wee meet with a paſſage in the Treatiſe Middeth, in the place cited in the …, which is exceeding …ard to be underſtood; and the very ſame alſo in Maymonides and in him it is harder. The words are theſe. Having ſpoken of the ſteps that went up to the Porch, that they were twelve, and that the riſe of every ſtep was halfe a cubit, and the breadth of it to ſtand upon a cubit, it comes on and ſaith, foreign, Which applyed to the ſteps, and their riſing I ſhould tranſlate to this ſenſe, At every cubits riſe there was a halfe pace of three cubits broad, and at the higheſt cubits riſe there was a halfe pace of four cubits broad. The meaning this, that as you had gone up two … which being halfe a cubit high a peece made but a cubit … …he third ſtep the ſpace you tread upon was enlarged, and was three cubits broad, whereas the ſteps themſelves that you had come up were but one cubit breadth: And ſo from this inlarged breadth or half pace, ſtep two ſteps further and there was another, and after two ſteps more another, and after two ſteps yet more there was the higheſt, which was an halfe pace, or inlargement of four cubits breadth: And ſo every third ſtep of the twelve was an halfe pace, or ſuch an inlargement, which made the aſcent exceeding beautifull and ſtately. And this helpeth to underſtand a paſſage in the treatiſe Joma, which at the firſt reading is not eaſy to bee underſtood. Where relating how when the high P…eſt on the day of Expiation had ſlain his own bullock, he gave the blood to one to … it to keep it from congealing, it ſaith foreign,[d][d]Ioma per. 4. That he ſtirred it about, upon … of the Temple; which Maymony expreſſeth foreign [e][e]Maym. in Ioma habbech. per. 5.be firſt it about that it …, upon the fourth halfe pace of the Temple without; that is; upon the very top of theſe twelve ſteps that went up into the Porch▪ The word foreign,[f][f]Ar. in foreign Baal Aruch (after the production of many examples of it) renders by foreign ſtandings, or pillars, or … find not a … word for it here to expreſſe it by then …

Now[g][g]Per. 4. verſus finem. Maymony in B…h habbiebirah or in his … of the Temple, having to deale with theſe words of the Tahund that p. 60we have been ſpeaking of, doth utter them thus, foreign Round about the walls of the Porch from below upward they were thus: One cubit plain, and then an halfe pace of three cubits, one cubit plaine (or an ordinary riſing of ſteps) and then another halfe pace of three cubits, and ſo up; ſo that the halfe … go about the walls of the Porch: His meaning is the ſame with what was ſaid before, but he addeth ſomewhat more, and that is, that theſe twelve ſteps thus beautifully ſpreding, every third ſtep into an halfe pace, did not only go up to the entrance into the Porch, but alſo there were ſuch ſteps all along the front of the Porch Eaſtward: … ſuch ſteps at either end of it, North and South; and … of this was becauſe the floor of the Porch was higher … the floore of the Court, and there then were dores in the building beſides the great dore that gave paſſage into the Temple, and into theſe dores you could not get without ſuch ſteps.

Sect. II. The two Pillars Jachin and Boa…

OF the gate or enmance into the Porch, and ſo into the Temple, and of its dimenſions and beauty hath been ſpoken before, and therefore as to that particular we need ſay no more here, but may be ſilent: but one maine part of the ornament and beauty of it was there omitted, and reſerved to this place, and that is the two famous pillars that in Salom… Temple ſtood at the cheeks of the entrance or paſſage in, Liebin and Boa…. I find not indeed mention among the Jews Antiquities of any ſuch pillars ſet at the entrance of the Temple, that we are ſurveying (which was the Temple built by Herod, the Temple that was in the dayes of our Saviour) though E… kiel ſpeak of ſuch pillars at the doore of his Temple, … yet becauſe we deſire to give account … of wh… wee finde recorded in Scripture concerning the Temple in … wee cannot paſſe over two ſuch memorable monuments as theſe two pillars of whom the ſtory and relation is … by the Scripture ſo largely and exactly.

p. 611. Theſe two pillars (which were of braſſe) conſiſted either of them of two parts, the pillar it ſelf, … the boll and … that was ſet on the head of it. The pillar it ſelfe was hollow, the circle incompaſſing the the hollow, four fingers thick and the compaſſe of that circling twelve cubits about, Jer. … 1 King. 7.15.[a][a]R. Sol. in 1 Kin. 7. R. Le. Gerſ. ibid.1 Kgs 7 the whole thickneſſe or diameter of either pillar 4 cubits, or 3 cubits, and 4 fifth parts of a cubit, as is the reckonng of Levi Gerſom. The chapter or boll likewiſe of either pillar was hollow, and was a huge piece of braſſe bowſe or ovall faſhion, which had a very large hole in it, into which the top of the pillar was let, and ſo this chapiter ſate upon it.

2. The length or height of either Pillar was eighteen cubits, beſides the Chapiter, for the Text doth cleerly rockon the height of pillar and chapiter diſtinctly. Now the booke of Chronicles ſummeth the length of both pillars together, and ſaith they were five and thirty cubits high, 2 Chro. 3.15. in which it commeth ſhort a cubit of that account and … that is given in the booke of Kings and Jeremy, which ſay that … pillar was eighteen cubits, and ſo the whole of both was … and thirty: But halfe a cubit of either pillar was taken up, and bid in the hole of the chapiter that fate upon it: and ſo … in the booke of Chronicles, meaſures them as they ſtood with the chapiters upon them; two and twenty cubits and … high, pillar and chapiter and all.

3. The chapiter or ovall on the head of either pillar it … led in the Hebrew foreign, which Rabbi Solo… tenders in the vulgar foreign Pamells, Kimchi, A Crowne, who which … Chal… agrees, who expreſſeth it by foreign Cor…; but … … more exactly, ſaith, is was like two Gro…nes … together. It was a huge great ovall of five cubits high, and did not only ſit upon the head of the pillars, but alſo flow…ed or … over them, being larger about a great deale then the pillars themſelves.

4. Wherein it is ſaid both in King. 7.16. … that the height of either chapiter was five cubits; and … … 17. is ſaid, … height of the chapiter was …; it is … and well anſwered by the Jews, that the p. 62loweſt two cubits of the chapiter were plaine, and without any graving or imbroide…g, but the three upper cubits were of ſuch imbroidery. To which may be added, and ſome of them do adde it, that the two lower cubits were but the riſing into the ſpreading or belly of the chapiter, and that they there are not reckoned in that place, but only from the belly upward the account is taken.

5. The ingravery or imbroidery, or both of theſe chapiters is thus deſcribed by the holy Ghoſt in various particulars; as,

1. foreign, 1 King. 7.17. which our Engliſh renders, Nets of checker work: And ſo the Lxx. uſeth the word Nets alſo: The originall word doth properly ſignifie the inwrapping and infolding of the branches of trees one within another, as Neh. 1.10. Gen. 22.13. Jer. 4.7. Eſay 10.34. At vines or thickets (ſaith[b][b]Miclol. in foreign. Kimchi explaining the word) that are caught and infolded one within another: And ſo ſome others expreſſe this clauſe foreign, That the imbroidery was like the branches of Palme trees: or like the handfull of branches they uſed to carry in their hands at the feaſt of tabernacles: This I conceive to be the proper meaning of the words, that the chapiters were curiouſly wrought with branch-work, ſeven goodly branches ſtanding up with their feet from the belly of the ovall, and their boughes, and leaves curiouſty and lovelily intermingled and inwoven one with another. And the words might not improperly be tranſlated thus, for the cleerer underſtanding of their meaning, and of the manner of the work it ſelf With thickets of branch-work, and wreaths of chaine-worke.

2. foreign, Wreathes of Chaine-worke. The word foreign, in Deut. 22.12. ſignifieth the fringes that they wore upon their garments for memorials of the law, foreign (foreign) in the Chald… Paraphraſt: And according to ſuch a ſenſe is it to be taken here, that about the belly of the chapiter was a curious fringe or border of wreathen and in wined work, upon which border ſtood the feet or root of the branch-work ſpoken of before, and thoſe branches from thence went upward ſpreading upon the ſwelling of the chapiter, and bowing p. 63toward the top of the ovall as the ovall bowed, and they there growing into their contracted tops.

3. foreign, Two rows of Pom…gr…nats, were wrought artificially below the boughes of theſe branches, as if they had been the apples that thoſe branches bare, but only that they were not ſcattered diſperſedly among the branches, as apples uſe to be in their trees, but were ranked into two ſeverall rows or borders ſeverally below them.

But here we had need to looke upon the text with much ſeriouſneſſe, for in two things about this very thing it ſpeakes obſcurely and with much difficulty: For firſt in ſpeaking of theſe rowes it ſaith, that the chapiters were above or upon the Pomgranats, 1 King. 7.18. Now it is ſo harſh to hear of the chapiters being upon the Pomegranats, whereas it is moſt undoubted that the Pomegranats were upon the chapiters, that ſome Copies, as David Kimchi tells us, have been ſo bold as to change the word, & inſtead of foreign upon the head of the Pomegranats, to read foreign upon the head of the pillars; but as he well obſerves, the Maſor…th by putting a foreign upon it, or a note that it is not read ſo any where elſe, doth conclude that it is and muſt be read ſo here, upon the head of the Pomegranats: Now the conſtruction of this may bee fetched from 2 Chrom. 3.16. where it is ſaid, that hee put the Pomegranats upon the chains; that is, the two rowes of the Pomegranats were cloſe above the fringe or border of chaine-work, which was as it were the bottome and baſis of the imbroidery; and ſo the bulke and body of the chapiter where the imbroidery was, was above theſe rowes of the Pomegranats, and though the ſtalkes of the branches reſted upon the fringe or chaine-work, yet did they not ſpread into their leaves and branches til their ſtalks had carried them above the Pomegranats: therefore the conſtruction and ſenſe of that verſe, viz. 1. King. 7.1…. is to be taken thus. Th…s hee made the pillars: And there were two rowes round about by the branch-work, which branch-work was … cover the chapiter, even that of the chapiter that was above the young … Secondly, there is no ſmall ſcruple about the number of the Pomegranats, becauſe the text doth ſum them up in … for in … Chr. 8.16. there is mention only of p. 64an hundred. In 1 Kin. 7.20 of two hundred. And in 1 Kin. 7.42. of four hundred: In all which diverſity the main difficulty refts in the count of Jeremy; for there was a hundred Pomegranats in every rowe, according to the reckoning of the book of Chronicles; and ſo there were two hundred upon either chapiter, as is the account of the book of Kings in the former place cited, that is 400 upon both chapiters, according to the ſum of the later quotation; but what to make of Jeremies ninety ſix is ſomewhat intricate at the firſt ſight: His words are theſe, foreign; whereof the laſt word is hard to tranſlate, and breeds all the ſcruple. The Chald…e and Lxx. render it, The Pomegranats were ninety ſix on a ſide, and ſo doth the Italian and our Engliſh; but this is of a very hard conſtruction, ſince the rowes of Pomegranats were in circles, the chapiter being round; and whereas there were but an hundred in a row, how could ninety ſix of them bee upon one ſide. The word is more eaſy to paraphraſe, then verbatine to tranſlate. The meaning of the clauſe is this, that whereas there was an hundred Pomegranats in every row; when the pillars were ſet to the wall, four of every row could not be ſeen, but ninety ſix might, the other four being hid behind the pillar as it ſtood cloſe up to the wall: And ſo the Pomegranats were 96 only in ſight. Therefore the word foreign may well be tranſlated in the clauſe thus, And the Pomegranats were ninety ſix on the open ſides, or towards the open air: for in this ſenſe I conceive foreign to ſtand here.

4. It is ſaid moreover, in the text in the booke of Kings, foreign, 1 Kings 7. 19. And the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars bad lilly worke in the porch four cubits; for ſo ſhould I rather tranſlate is, then were of lilly worke; and that upon thoſe grounds. 1. Becauſe the work of the chapiters is ſo exactly deſcribed before to be of branch-worke and Pomegranats, and that but for three cubits or thereabout, that I cannot poſſibly imagine how they ſhould be ſaid beſides, to be of lilly worke four cubits. 2. The text expreſly telleth afterward, That the lilly-work was on the top of the pillars, ver. 22. and not on the top or ſides of the chapiters. 3. The word foreign, In the Porch, or by the Por…, Math its p. 69ſpeciall emphaſis and intention; for it is not ſaid at all, that either the chapiters or the Pomegranate-work were In the Porth, but the thing is referred only to the lilly worke.

The meaning therefore of the verſe appeareth to be this that at the head of the pillar, even at the ſetting on of the chapiter, there was a curious and a large border or circle of lilly-work, which ſtood out four cubits under the chapiter, & then turned downe, every lilly or long tongue of braſſe, with a neat bending, and ſo ſeemed as a flowred crowne to the head of the pillar, and as a curious garland whereon the chapiter had its ſeat: And that particular expreſſion that it was in or by the Porch, intendeth to ſhew that theſe long tongues of braſſe which were made like lillies, did not ſuddainly decline, and li… down upon the ſides of the pillars, nor ſuddainly aſcend and ſtick upon the ſides of the chapiter, but ſtood out into and along the porch a foure cubit circle, after the manner of a ſpread lilly, and then the tongue bended downward, as the lilly doth.

And this conſtruction of that verſe, helpeth to cleere and explaine the next verſe that followes after it, which otherwiſe would coſt ſome pains to tranſlate it out of the originall, or to make facil ſenſe of it being tranſlated: In conſonancy and contexture to the verſe before, ſo underſtood as hath been held out, this verſe may be interpreted and paraphraſed thus: And the chapiters upon the two pillars were alſo above this lilly work, for they ſate upon the growing out of it, even from over againſt the belly, which was by the branch-work; for the lilly-work raught out, as far as the belly of the chapiters raught out, with an accurate bowing or ſwelling upwards towards the belly, where the ſtalkes of the branch-work, and the rowes of the Pomegranats were; even as a lilly gently ſwelleth up, before the tongue or utmoſt point of it turneth downe againe.

5. The place where theſe pillars ſtood is ſomewhat uncertain; the text indeed ſaith, they ſtood before the houſe, 2 Chr. 3.15. and before the Temple, ver. 17. but yet it is to ſeek, whether within the porch at the entring in, or without the porch, or within the porch at the Temple dore, which laſt is the opinion of Robbi Sol. p. 70upon the text cited. Upon theſe four reaſons I am induced to conceive that they ſtood within the porch, even at the very entring into it, joining or ſtanding up to the very cheeks of the gate or entrance. 1. Becauſe Ezekiel hath ſo placed his two pillars in the porch of his Temple, namely, at the top of the ſteps, by the poſts or cheeks of the entrance it ſelfe, Ezek. 40.49. 2. Becauſe, as we obſerved before, it is ſaid, that the lilly-work under the chapiters was four cubits in the porch. 3. Becauſe the booke of Kings ſaith, that Solomon ſet up the pillars, foreign, for the porch, as the word properly ſignifies, though David Kimchi, and our Engliſh tranſlate it. In: The expreſſion ſeemeth to intimate theſe two things, firſt that the pillars were ſet up for the porch dore, and not for the Temple dore, as was the opinion of Solomon Jarchi cited before: And ſecondly, that they ſtood for the porch, or very entrance into the building, as dore cheeks or poſts at that entrance foreign,Ioſ. antiq. lib. 8. c. 2. At the dore cheeks of the porch, as ſaith Joſephus. 4. That obſcure paſſage of Ezekiel. chap. 40.48. The bredth of the gate was three cubits on this ſide, and three cubits on that ſide, cannot be ſo underſtood, as if the entry or paſſage into the porch were but ſix cubits broad (and why alſo ſhould he ſpeake of this ſide, and that ſide, if he meant but one intire bredth?) but it is well underſtood by Kimcbi to meane, that on either ſide of the entry there was ſomething ſtanding out into the bredth of the entry, three cubits, which made the paſſage it ſelf but fourteen cubits broad: which meaſure of three cubits, though it fel ſhort one cubit of the thickneſſe of theſe pillars caſt by Solomon, yet ſuiting with the meaſure of Ezekiels pillars, it may do this for us, as to ſhew us how theſe pillars that we have in hand were placed, by the diſpoſing and placing of thoſe of his, namely, on your right hand, and on your leſt, as ſoone as ever you were ſtepped within the porch.

The names of the two pillars (to omit the fancies of ſome Jews about them) were Iachin and Boaz, 1 King. 7.21. which words denote Eſtabliſhment and Strength, Jachin ſignifieth het will eſtabliſh: from Gods promiſe to eſtabliſh the throne of David, and his people Iſrael: And Boaz denoteth Herein is ſtrength; p. 71namely, alluding either to Gods promiſe, in which was all their ſtrength and ſettlement: or to the Arke which was within, which is called, The ſtrength of the Lord, Pſal. 80.2. & 105.4.

Sect. III. Cloſets for the Butchering inſtruments. foreign

YEt before we enter into the porch, and ſo into the Temple, there is one thing more calls for our obſervation, and that is, certaine cloſets or places that were in this pile of the porch, in which were laid up the knives and inſtruments that were uſed by the Prieſts, about the killing, and flaying, and cutting up of the beaſts to be ſacrificed. The treatiſe Middoth giveth intelligence and account of theſe places in theſe words, foreign,[a][a]Mid per. 4. Sect. 7. The Porch was broader then the Temple, fifteen cubits on the North, and fifteen cubits on the South, and that that exceeded was called Beth hachillapoth, where they laid up the knives.

The word foreign doth ſignifie the butchering knives of the Temple, Ezr. 1.9. from foreign ſaith[b][b]Vid. Ab. Ez. in Ezr. 1.Ezra 1 Aben Ezra, as it betokeneth cutting off, which it doth, Eſay 2.18. Prov. 31.8. And[c][c]Kimch. Ib. ſo ſaith Kimchi on the ſame place foreign, are knives: And of this ſenſe is Beth hachillapoth, for becauſe they laid up the knives there; therefore the place was called, The chamber of the laying up of the knives foreign.

There was therefore on either end of the extent of the porch for that ſpace that it ſtood out further then the buildings of Temple a chamber, one at the end towards the North, and another at the end towards the South, in which two large chambers were foure and twenty little cloſets; wherein the knives were laid up ſeverally for the foure and twenty courſes of the Prieſts: And theſe and ſuch like little cloſets the Jews p. 72call foreign Feneſtrae or windows; becauſe they were cloſets or boxes joining to the wall. And beſides theſe that wee are ſpeaking of where the butchery inſtruments were laid up, Maymony reckons fourſcore and ſixteen more, for the laying up of other things, four for every one of the four and twenty courſes.[d][d]Maym. in …ele Migd. per. There were (ſaith hee) 96 cloſets foreign in the Temple, wherein to lay up the veſtments, foure cloſets for every Courſe. And the name of every courſe was written upon their cloſets, and they were all ſhut: And when the men of any courſe came into the ſervice upon the Sabbath, they opened their cloſets, and tooke cut the utenſils: and when they went out of the ſervice, they reſtored their veſtments to their cloſets againe, and ſhut them up. And why made they foure cloſets for every courſe? Namely, that the utenſills might not be jumbled together, but all the breeches were in one cloſet, and upon it was written Breeches; Girdles in another cloſet, and upon it written, Girdles; All the Bonnets in another cloſet, and all the coats in another.

Now he neither telleth where theſe cloſets were; nor ſpeaketh he among them all, of theſe for the knives, that are before us: and the reaſon of this latter, is eaſily given, becauſe in the place where he hath the words that are produced, he is only ſpeaking of the inſtalling & arraying of the Prieſts: But where to find theſe 96 cloſets he hath left us at uncertainty. Were they in the reſt of the building of this porch? It is not like they were, becauſe the Prieſts uſually came ready with their veſtments on, into the Court, and eſpecially ſo high as the Porch, and came not thither for their veſtments to put them on there was roome enough in the other buildings about the Courts to lodge all theſe cloſets in; but where to point them out wee muſt ſuſpend.

But what became of the other roomes of the porch, beſides the entrance; and theſe two at either end of the building; fon there were 25 cubits between the entrance and theſe chambers on either ſide upon the ground, and there were divers chambers and ſeverall ſtories over head, the building being ſo very long, and ſo very high? There is not expreſſe intimation to be had, either in Scripture, or in the Jewes Antiquities, as far as I can find, how theſe ſeverall parts were diſpoſed of, and p. 73therefore we can aſſert nothing, but leave it to cenſure.

A renowned monument the Jewes ſpeake of,[e][e]Mid. per. 3. Sect. 8. Kimch. & larch. in Zech. 6.Zech 6 namely, crownes that were laid up foreign, In cloſets, for a memoriall: as it is ſaid in the prophet Zachary (for they take that literally) Zach. 6.14. And the crownes ſhall be to Helem, and to Tobiah, and to Jedaith; und to Hen the ſon of Zephauiah, for a memoriall in the Temple of the Lord. And they ſay, that the young men or Candidates of the prieſthood did uſe to climbe up golden chaines which were fixed to the roofe of the entry of the porch, that they might looke up into the cloſets to ſee theſe crownes.

Sect. IV. A golden vine in the porch, and a golden candleſtick: and a marble, and a golden table.

ANd now let us go in at the entrance of the porch. And there Joſephus his proſpective doth repreſent it to us in theſe colours,[a][a]Joſ. de bell. lik. 5. cap. 14. foreign, &c. That it had no dores, becauſe it did repreſent the open heaven, and all the front of the gate was gilt with gold; and through the gate you might ſee all the porch within, which was large (for it was twenty cubits long, and eleven over) and all about the inner dore ſhining with gold.

Over this inner dore (which meaneth the dore of the Temple) there was a great golden vine, of ſo vaſt a bigneſſe, that (as[b][b]Id. ibid. the ſame Joſephus relateth) it had foreign bunches of grapes as big as the proportion of a man. And like a true naturall vine, it grew greater and greater, till it came up to ſo great a bigneſſe by time and degrees, for foreign men would bee offering, ſome gold to make a leafe, ſome a grape, ſome a bunch, and theſe were hung up upon it, and ſo it was increaſing continually.

Over the Temple dore alſo there was a golden candleſtick, which was given thither by Helena the Queen of Adiabeni, a p. 74woman of famous renowne, and of great benefactorſhip, towards the Jews; of whom, and of whoſe ſons Izates and Monobazes, Joſephus hath a large ſtory, Antiq. lib. 20. cop. 2. whither I referre the Reader. Of this Candleſtick of her beſtowing, there is mention in the Talmudick treatiſe Joma, in this paſſage.[c][c]Joma per. 3. Ben Kattin made the twelve cocks for the laver, whereas before it had but two; he alſo made the engine for the laver (of which hereafter) that the water of it might not be unclean, by ſtaying in it all night. Munbaz (Monobazes) the King made all the handles of the veſſells which were for the ſervics of the day of Expiation of gold. Helena his mother made the golden Candleſticke over the Temple dore: ſhe alſo made the golden Table whereon was written the ſection about the ſuſpected wife, &c.

[d][d]Maym. in beth habbech. per. 3.In the porch on either ſide of the Temple dore there was a Table. On the right ſide, a Table of Marble, and on it they ſet downe the ſhew-bread as they carried it new into the Temple: And on the left ſide was a Table of Gold on which they ſet the old bread downe for a while, when they fetched it out: And the reaſon why they began on the marble Table, and tended on the golden was foreign Becauſe they roſe higher and higher with holy things, and went not lower and lower.