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200 feet in length, leads to a flight of steps which rise to the surface in the court of the Temple, exactly at that gate-way of the inner Temple which led to the altar, and is the one of the four gate-ways on this side by which any one arriving from Ophel would naturally wish to enter the inner enclosure. We learn from the Talmud that the gate of the inner Temple to which this passage led was called the "Water Gate;" and it is interesting to be able to identify a spot so prominent in the description of Nehemiah (xii. 37). Toward the west there were four gate-ways to the external enclosure of the Temple, and the positions of three of these can still be traced with certainty. The first or most southern led over the bridge, the remains of which were identified by Dr. Robinson (of which a view is given at the head of the next chapter), and joined the Stoa Basilica of the Temple with the royal palace. The second was that discovered by Dr. Barclay, 270 feet from the S. W. angle, at a level of 17 feet below that of the southern gates 'just described. The site of the third is so completely covered by the buildings of the Meckmé that it has not yet been seen, but it will be found between 200 and 250 feet from the N.W. angle of the Temple area; for, owing to the greater width of the southern portico beyond that on the northern, the Temple itself was not in the centre of its enclosure, but situated more toward the north. The fourth was that which led over the causeway which still exists at a distance of 600 feet from the south-western an gle.

Cloisters.-The most magnificent part of the Temple, in an architectural point of view, seems certainly to have been the cloisters which were added to the outer court when it was enlarged by Herod. The

cloisters in the west, north, and east sides were composed of double rows of Corinthian columns, 25 cubits or 37 feet 6 inches in height, with flat roofs, and resting against the outer wall of the Temple. These, however, were immeasurably surpassed in magnificence by the royal porch or Stoa Basilica, which overhung the southern wall. It consisted of a nave and two aisles, that toward the Temple being open, that toward the country closed by a wall. The breadth of the centre aisle was 45 feet; of the side aisles 30 from centre to centre of the pillars; their height 50 feet, and that of the centre aisle 100 feet. Its section was thus something in excess of that of York Cathedral, while its total length was one stadium or 600 Greek feet, or 100 feet in excess of York, or our largest Gothic cathedrals. This magnificent structure was supported by 162 Corinthian columns.

The court of the Temple was very nearly a square. It may have been exactly so, for we have not all the details to enable us to feel quite certain about it. The Middoth says it was 187 cubits E. and W., and 137 N. and S. To the eastward of this was the court of the women. The great ornament of these inner courts seems to have been their gate-ways, the three especially on the north and south leading to the Temple court. These, according to Josephus, were of great height, strongly fortified and ornamented with great elaboration. But the wonder of all was the great eastern gate leading from the court of the women to the upper court. It was in all probability the one called the "Beautiful Gate" in the New Testament.

Immediately within this gate-way stood the altar of burnt-offerings. Both the Altar and the Temple were enclosed by a low parapet one cubit in height, placed so as to keep the

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Capital of Pillar in Vestibule of the Southern Entrance of Herod's Temple.

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SECULAR HISTORY OF THE JEWS, FROM THE DEATH OF HEROD TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. B.C. 4-A.D. 70.

§ 1. Family and testament of Herod-Archelaus and Antipas-Collisions with the Romans at Jerusalem-Augustus confirms Herod's will. § 2. ARCHELAUS ethnarch of Judæa-His tyranny and banishment. § 3. HEROD ANTIPAS tetrarch of Galilee--His relations to Herodias and John the Baptist-War with Aretas-Joins with Pilate in condemning Christ-His deposition and banishment. § 4. HEROD PHILIP tetrarch of Northern Peræa-The city of Cæsarea Philippi. § 5. Judæa under Roman Procurators-i. SABINUS - ii. COPONIUS, under Quirinus (Cyrenius) prefect of Syria-Census-Pollution of the Temple-iii. AMBIVIUS- iv. ANNIUS RUFUS-V. VALERIUS GRATUS-vi. PONTIUS PILATUS- Caiaphas high-priest - Pilate's provocations and outrages against the Jews-Pilate and Christ-His recall and banishment-VITELLIUS prefect of Syria-His benefits to the Jews-Death of TIBERIUS and accession of CALIGULA-MARCELLUS procurator of Judæa-The Jews persecute the Christians. § 6. PETRONIUS, prefect of Syria, ordered to erect a statue of Caligula in the Temple-The emperor's claims to divine worship in all the provinces, resisted by the JewsTumults at Alexandria-The Greeks encouraged by the prefect Flaccus-Sufferings and massacre of the Jews-Recall of Flaccus-Deputation to Caligula, headed by Philo-Philo's account of their extraordinary reception-Resistance in Judæa-The decree suspended-Death of Caligula. §7. HEROD AGRIPPA I. made king of Judæa by CLAUDIUS -Imperial edict of toleration for the Jews-Agrippa's Jewish policyFortification of Jerusalem-Martyrdom of St. James-Power and magnificence of Agrippa. § 8. Judæa again under Roman Procurators

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HEROD AGRIPPA II. tetrarch of Eastern Palestine-His character and influence with the Jews-Agrippa and Paul-His splendid buildings— His sisters Berenice and Drusilla-Takes part with the Romans in the Jewish War-Retirement to Rome and death. § 9. Roman Procurators-CUSPIUS FADUS-Famine in Judæa-Paul and Barnabas at Jerusalem-VENTIDIUS CUMANUS-Tumult at the Passover - FELIXThe Sicarii or Assassins-Murder of the high-priest--General disorder -Felix and Paul-Tyranny of Felix-Massacre at Cæsarea, a chief cause of the Jewish War-PORCIUS FESTUS-His able and upright government-Judgment of St. Paul-Affair of Agrippa's Wall-ALBINUS and ANANUS-Persecution of the Christians, and death of St. James the Less-Anarchy at Jerusalem. § 10. GESSIUS FLORUS, the last and worst of the procurators-Insurrection at Jerusalem-Interposition of Costius Gallus - Mediation of Agrippa-Renunciation of allegiance and beginning of the Jewish War-Factions in JerusalemThe assassins and the zealots. § 11. Siege of Jerusalem by TITUSBurning of the Temple, and destruction of the city. § 12. Supplemental narrative-Insurrections under Trajan and Hadrian-Foundation of Elia Capitolina on the site of Jerusalem-JULIAN'S attempt to rebuild the Temple.

§ 1. In order to understand fully the history of our Saviour and his Apostles, it is necessary, for the reasons stated at the close of the preceding chapter, to give previously a brief account of the secular history of the Jews during this period.

1

The family of Herod is shown in the genealogical table (p. 75). Of his ten wives, we need only notice the offspring of the first five. (i.) He married Doris before his accession to the throne; and her only son ANTIPATER was, as we have seen, the last victim of his father's dying rage. (ii.) ARISTOBULUS, his eldest son by Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus, was the parent of a large family, and from him were descended the two AGRIPPAS, the first of whom was the "KING HEROD" who slew James and imprisoned Peter; the second, the "KING AGRIPPA" before whom Paul pleaded." (iii.) After the judicial murder of Mariamne, Herod married another Mariamne, daughter of the high-priest, Simon: her son was HEROD PHILIP, whose marriage with his niece Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus, followed by her divorce of him to marry his half-brother, Herod Antipas, led to the martyrdom of John the Baptist. He is often confounded with his half-brother PHILIP, the tetrarch of Ituræa. (iv.) His next wife, Malthace, a Samaritan, was the mother of HEROD ANTIPAS and ARCHELAUS, of whom we have presently to speak. (v.) By Cleopatra he had two sons, the younger of whom was PHILIP, the tetrarch of Ituræa and the adjacent districts, with Trachonitis. (vi.-x.) His other wives and

1 Acts xii.

2 Acts xxv.

These

their children are of no consequence in the history. complicated relations will be made clearer by the following conspectus of the chief personages with whom the history is concerned, for the four generations of the family:

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During his last illness, Herod made a will in favor of the sons of Malthace, who had been educated at Rome, and had been at first excluded from the inheritance through the accusations of Antipater. It was this unexpected arrangement which led to the retreat of Joseph to Galilee' on his return with Mary and Jesus from Egypt. The elder of them, Herod Antipas, was first named by Herod his successor; but the last change in the king's will transferred that dignity to Archelaus, leaving to Antipas the government of Galilee and Peræa (in the narrower sense), with the title of tetrarch. The northern part of the trans-Jordanic country, including Ituræa, Gaulonitis, and Batanæa, with Trachonitis, were made a tetrarchy for Philip, the son of Cleopatra. Lastly, Herod's will left an ample provision to his sister Salome, whose intrigues had been so fatal to his family, and large legacies to Augustus and his wife Julia. Herod Philip, the son of the second Mariamne, was excluded from all benefit of his father's will, in revenge for the supposed treason of his mother; as were also the descendants of the first Mariamne.

Pending the ratification of Herod's will by Augustus, Archelaus succeeded to his father's power. The Jewish

3 Matt. ii. 22.

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