The Temple in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of the Gazophylacia or Treaſuries.
BEfore we part out of this Court of the women, thoſe words of Joſephus, which were cited even now, which ſay the cloiſters of the court, were foreign turned inward before the Treaſuries, may juſtly challenge us to ſtay here a little and look about us, whether we can find any Treaſuries hereabout, or what may be ſaid to the Gazophylacium of the Temple, the name and mention of which is very well known and ordinary both in Scripture and other Writers, but the ſituation thereof about the Temple ſomething difficult to find out: Now in theſe two words of Joſephus. foreign, two maine things are obſervable, and to be looked after towards that ſearch that wee are now about; the one is, the number, importing more treaſuries then one, and the other is, the ſituation of theſe treaſuries in reference to the cloiſters mentioned, The cloiſters were before them.
The Treaſuries of the Temple were of a twofold nature and captivity, namely Treaſure-cheſts and Treaſure chambers, the former were called Sbopheroth, the latter Leſacoth, and both bare the generall name of Corban.
[a]Talm. in Shekalim per. 6There were thirteen treaſure-cheſts at the Temple, which by the Jews are commonly called foreign Sbopheroth which ſignifieth properly Trumpets [b]Maym. in Shekal. per. 2.becauſe trumpet-like they were wide in the bottom and narrow in the top: that money that was put in, might not eaſily be got out.
[c]Id. ibid.Two of theſe cheſts, were for the halfel ſhekel that every Iſraelite was to pay for the redemption of his ſoul or life (for which the Law is given, Exod. 30.13.) the one cheſt for the payment of the laſt year (if he had miſſed to pay at the due time) and the other for the halfe ſhekel for the yeare preſent.[d]Talm. ubi ant. per. 1. On the firſt day of Adar which anſwereth in part to our February, there was generall notice given throughout the Countrey, that they ſhould provide to pay their halfe ſhekel: and on the fifteenth day of that monethmonth the Collectors ſate in every City to gather it; and they had two cheſts before them, (as were at the Temple) and they demanded the payment calmly and uſed no roughneſs or compulſion. On the five and twentyeth day of the month, the Collectors began to fit in the Temple, and then they forced men to pay, and if any one had not wherewith to pay, they tooke his pawn, and ſometime would take his very rayment perforce: They had a Table before them to count and change the money upon (from whence they were called foreign Trapezita or Menſarii, and two cheſts before them to put into.
A man that brought a ſhekel to change, and muſt have halfe a ſhekel again, the Menſarius or Collector was to have ſome profit upon the change: foreign [e]Maym. ubi ſup. per. 3. et Aruch in foreign.And that addition or profit is called Kolbon (foreign) And how much profit did bee require for change? The twelth part of a Denarius, and never leſſe: Nay if two came together and paid a ſhekel for them both, ſo that there needed no change, yet the receiver was to have ſome profit from them both: The Talmud and the Authors cited in the margin doe diſcourſe exceedingly large about this foreign Kolbon, and who was to pay it, and who to be quit from it, and how much to be paid, and to the like purpoſe, but the generall concluſion is ſtil for ſome profit, which exaction was that that cauſed our Saviour to overthrow foreign The tables of theſe Colboniſts Iob. 2.15. at the firſt Paſſeover hee came up to Jeruſalem after his baptiſm, and Matth. 21.12. at his laſt: for theſe Receivers began to ſit in the Temple for that purpoſe, but eighteen or twenty dayes before the Paſſeover, and continued for that time when the concourſe of the people was greateſt, and after it was over they had done.
And ſo the market that was in the Temple of ſheep and oxen it is like it was not conſtantly there, but for ſuch times of concourſe, when the multitude of people and Sacrifices was ſo exceeding great, though indeed there was merchandizing of other things there, all the year long in the Tabernz. or ſhpps. that we have ſpoken of before. The place where the marketing of the ſheep and oxen was, was the great ſpace of the mountaine of the houſe, that lay upon the South fide of the Courts, for on the Weſt and North ſides the roome was too ſtrait for ſuch a matter, and on the Eaſt ſide was the moſt common entrance of the people, and ſo theſe cattel would have ſtopt up the way: but on the South there was a place exceeding roomy and ſpacious, and it they had taken up for a market at ſuch times, making the houſe of God an houſe of Merchandiſe.
Amongſt thoſe Authors that ſpeake of theſe two half-ſhekel cheſts, I find not any that doth inform us, where they ſtood, or where theſe Collectors of the poll-money did fit in the Temple to receive it: nor indeed is it of any great import to inquire after it, ſince their ſitting there was but for a ſhort ſpace, as a monethmonth or ſuch a matter, and ſo they had done: It is moſt probable they ſate about the Eaſt gate Shuſhan as being the chiefeſt and commoneſt entrance.
Beſides theſe two treaſure-cheſts that were in uſe but for a certain time every year, there were eleven more that were of conſtant and continuall uſe, and that ſtood in their places all the year long, and upon every one of them was written what uſe and imployment they were put unto.
1.[f]Maym. ibid. One was for them that were to offer two turtle doves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a ſin-offering: they caſt in their price hither.
2. A ſecond was, for them that were to offer a burnt offering of birds only.
3. A third, for whoſoever offered money to buy wood for the Altar, he put his money into that cheſt.
4. A fourth, for whoſoever would offer money to buy Frankincenſe.
5. A fifth, for whoſoever would offer Gold for the Mercy Seat.
6. A ſixth, for the reſidue of a Sin-offering, that is, if a man had ſet apart a ſum of money for a Sin-offering, and it bought a Sin-offering and there was to ſpare, that which was to ſpare was put into this cheſt.
7. A ſeventh, for the reſidue of a Treſpaſſe-offering.
8. An eight, for the reſidue or ſurplus of an offering of birds, of men and women that had iſſues, and of women after childbirth.
9. A ninth for the ſurplus of a Nazarites offering.
10. A tenth for a ſurplus of a lepers treſpaſſe-offering.
11. The eleventh for whoſoever would willingly offer a ſacrifice of the herd, the money wherewith to buy it, he caſt into this cheſt.
Theſe many cheſts ſtood continually in the Temple, with every one its title written upon it, that told its uſe, that whoſoever would offer any one of theſe things mentioned, he could readily goe by thoſe directions, where to put the money of his offering: And theſe are thoſe Gazophylacia or Treaſuries that Ioſephus ſaith the eloiſters were before; that is, whereas the Courts were cloiſtered round about, and thoſe cloiſters were, on the ſide toward the Court, ſupported with pillars, theſe cheſts were ſet in the Court before thoſe pillars: as if ſuch cheſts ſhould be ſet in the quadrangle before the pillars that beare up the cloiſter walkes in the Royall Exchange London.
But in whether of the Courts were theſe cheſts diſpoſed of, in the Court of Iſrael, or the Court of the women, or in both, ſome in the one and ſome in the other?
Anſ. Theſe conſiderations doe evince, that they were placed in the Court of the women: 1. Becauſe thither was the acceſſe freer then it was into the Court of Iſrael, and it is no doubt, theſe cheſts would be ſet in a place moſt commodious for every one to come unto them: women might not come into the other Court at all, nor men neither, ſo ordinarily as they might into this, and theſe treaſuries in all reaſon were to be ſet, where men and women did both reſort. 2. In the upper Court, if theſe cheſts ſtood before or on the outſide of the Cloiſter, they ſtood in the Court of the Prieſts, and thither might not an Iſraelite that was come into the upper Court, enter, unleſſe it were upon three ſingular occaſions when he had a ſacrifice, which we have mentioned elſewhere, and putting money into the treaſuries was none of them. 3. It is ſaid in Mark. 12.41. That Jeſus ſate over againſt the Treaſury and ſaw the people cast in money, and be ſaw a widow throw in two mites: Now into the Court of Iſrael, this widow might not come, and in that Court Chriſt might not fit, for they had a tradition, that none might ſit in that Court, but onelyonly the Kings of the houſe of David: But the meaning of the place is, that Ieſus fitting in the Cloiſter of the Court of the women, ſaw the people caſt money into theſe cheſts, according as they were minded to offer for this or that occaſion: and there came a poore widow and threw in two mites which make a farthing. It is the ordinary expreſſion that the Hebrew authors uſe to ſignifie the peoples giving to the treaſury by, to ſay foreign They caſt in their money: which phraſe the Evangeliſts alſo follow in this ſtory: And ſince we are upon this poore widows offering, let it be without offence, to digreſſe ſo much, as to give in this ratetable of the Jews, for the underſtanding of the value of her two mites, and how they made a farthing, and it may be it will be uſefull on other occaſions:[g]Id. ibi. per. 1. The ſhekel, or peece of ſilver mentioned in the Law, the weight of it was 320 barley cornes: but the wiſemen added to its weight, and made it of the ſame weight with the coine called foreign Selaa: and what is the weight of the Selaa foreign Three hundred eighty and foure midling barley cornes: The Selaa is foure Denarii. The Denarius is ſix foreign Meabs; now the Meab is that which in Moſes his time was called a Gerab: The Meab was two Pondions: The Pondion was two foreign Iſſarin foreign: And foreign A mite, was the eight part of an Iſſar (ſo two mites make a fourth part) and the weight of a Meab which was the Gerab, was ſixteen barly cornes: and the weight of an foreign Iſſar (Aſſarius) was foure barly cornes: the weight of foreign a mite was balſe a barley corne, &c.
The place then of theſe treaſure cheſts was in the Court of the women, before the Cloiſters, ſome here and ſome there on the ſeverall ſides of the Court, (and therefore this place is alſo called the Treaſury, Joh. 8.20. where it is ſaid, Theſe things ſpake Jeſus in the treaſurie as be taught in the Temple, &c.) and ſo the people both men and women had acceſſe to them, and offered as their hearts or their occaſions moved them, and theinſcriptions of the cheſts did give them direction.
As there were theſe treaſure-cheſts, ſo alſo were there treaſure chambers, beſides thoſe that have been mentioned before, at the gates of the mountaine of the Houſe, and beſides thoſe that joyned to the body of the Temple: Beſides the chambers, where sithes, firſt-fruits, veſſels, and veſtments were treaſured up, as they were in the chambers by the gates, and by the ſides of the Temple, there were three chamber treaſuries of remarkable note, but the place where they ſtood is ſomething difficult to diſcover.
1. There was the chamber, or treaſury, of the halfe-ſhekel poll money, into which the two cheſts that have been ſpoken of, were emptied when they were full, and the chamber locked and ſealed up. Now at three ſet times of the yeare, they took the money out of this chamber againe: The Talmud and Maimony in the treatiſe Shekalim doe give the ſtory, and the manner of that action thus:[b]Shekalim per. 3. At three times of the yeare they emptied this chamber: Namely, fifteene daies before the Paſſeover, fifteene daies before Pentecoſt, and fifteene daies before the feaſt of Tabernacles: or as Rabba Akibathe ſonne of Azai ſaith, on the uine and twentieth of Adar, the firſt of Sivan, and the nine and twentieth of Ab: He that went in to fetch out the money, muſt not goe in in any garment, in which it was poſſible to hide money, nor in his ſhooes or ſandals, no nor with his Phylacteries on, becauſe it was poſſible to hide money under them: when he went in, a watch ſtood at the doore without, and all the while be was within they talked to him, and be againe to them, that ſo he might be prevented for putting any money into his mouth: He began not to empty out any money till he gave them without, notice, by ſaying, I empty, and they anſwered him, Empty, Empty, Empty, three times over: The money that was in the chamber was put up when it was firſt brought in, into three great cheſts, containing nine Seabs, or three buſhels a piece: and if there were more brought in then would goe into theſe three cheſts, it was laid by ſomewhere in the chamber: He that went in tooke three cheſts of three Seabs a piece, or every one containing a buſhel, and be filled them out of the great cheſts within. His three that be brought in, had theſe three letters foreign written ſeverally on thim, for diſtinction ſake: for one be filled in the name of the Jews of the Land of Iſrael, and another in the name of thoſe that were in townes and countries nearer band, and the third, in the name of thoſe in Babel and Media, and further off. And thus having filled theſe three at one time, they were brought out, and the money beſtowed to buy the daily ſacrifices, and additionall ſacrifices, and ſhewbread, and ſalt for the ſacrifices, and wood for the altar, and other things that were neceſſary for the ſervice: and thus they laid out the money as long as thoſe three buſhels would run, and at the next appointed time, he went into the chamber againe, and did the like.
2. There were two other treaſure chambers, in one of which was laid up what was offered towards the repaire and ſervice of the Temple, and another in which was laid up what was offered for charitable uſes. The Talmudicks ſpeake of them thus foreign [i]Ibid. per. 5. & Aruch in foreignThere were two Treaſure chambers in the Temple, one the chamber of the Silent, and the other the chamber of the Veſſells: The chamber of the Silent, was where religious men did ſilently or ſecretly put in their offerings, and poore children of honeſt parents, were brought up by them ſecretly. The chamber of the Veſſells was, where any that willingly offered any veſſell, caſt it in there: and once in thirty dayes the treaſurers opened the chamber, and fetched out what they found fit for the ſupply of the Temple, and what was not of it ſelfe fit, they ſold and turned into ſome thing that was fit, &c.
Now whereabout theſe chambers ſtood, it is ſomething difficult to diſcover: we ſhall gueſſe at their place when we come to ſurvey the upper Court: the mention of the Gazophylacia which we have found in this Court of the women that we are about, hath led us thus farre aſide as to ſpeake of theſe chambers alſo, though they were not in this Court but in the upper: we ſhall have ſo much the leſſe to ſay of them, when we come to their owne place.
And now let us looke over this Court that we have been ſo long about, at one view: As you were entered into it at the Eaſt gate, you ſaw in every corner of it, a piece of building that had a quadrangle in the midſt of it: on the North and the South ſides there was a gate juſt in the middle betweene theſe buildings: and from the buildings on either ſide, there ran a cloiſter ſupported with goodly marble pillars unto the gates: & the like cloiſter there was at the Eaſt quatter at which you entered: Theſe cloiſters had beaches within them for the people to ſit downe when they thought good, as there were in the cloiſters that ran along the outmoſt wall that encompaſſed the mountaine of the houſe: Before theſe cloiſters on the Eaſt, North, and South ſides, ſtood the treaſure cheſts, and then you were come into the open Court. Before you as you went up toward the Court of Iſrael, was a goodly riſing of ſteps up to the gate of that Court, called the gate of Nicanor which we are now to ſurvey the next: and upon this quarter there was no cloiſter at all.