flected back such a flood of splendour, that those who attempted to look at it, had to turn away their eyes as from the intolerable brightness of the sun itself. Viewed by strangers coming from a distance, the temple appeared like a mountain covered with snow, for those parts which were not gilded were exceedingly white. Before the temple stood the altar; its figure was square, and it had corners like horns; you ascended to it by an imperceptible acclivity. It was formed without any iron tool, nor did any such thing so much as touch it. There was also around it a low wall of partition, made of fine stones, and grateful to the sight, which encompassed the altar, and the holy house, and kept the people on the outside, at a distance from the priests. The priests who officiated went up to the altar clothed in fine linen. The high priest went up with them only on the seventh days, and new moons, or at any other of the festivals of the Jews. When he officiated he was clothed in an inner garment of linen, together with a blue garment without seam, with fringe-work reaching to the feet, with golden bells that hung upon the fringes, intermixed with pomegranates. The girdle which fastened the garment round his breast, was embroidered with five rows of various colours, of gold, and purple, and scarlet, as also of fine linen, and blue, with which colours the veils of the temple were likewise embroidered. The same kind of embroidery was on the ephod, but the quantity of gold on it was greater. Its figure was that of a stomacher for the breast, with two golden buttons with small shields which buttoned the ephod to the garment in these buttons were inclosed two very large and beautiful sardonyxes, having the names of the tribes engraved on them. On the other part there hung twelve stones, three in a row one way, and four the other; a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; a curbuncle, a jasper, and a sapphire; an agate, an amethyst, and a ligure; an onyx, a beryl, and a chrysolite; upon every one of which was again engraved one of the forementioned names of the tribes. A mitre also of fine linen encompassed his head, about which there was a golden crown, having engraved on it the sacred name, consisting of four letters. These garments the high priest wore only once a-year, when he went into the most sacred part of the temple that is, the Holy of Holies. At other times he wore a plainer habit. The tower of Antonia, which is yet to be mentioned, was situated at the corner of two cloisters of the court of the temple, of that on the west, and that on the north; it was erected on a rock of great height, which was a precipice. It was the work of king Herod, wherein he de monstrated his accustomed magnificence. The rock on which it was built was covered over with smooth pieces of stone from its foundation, both for ornament, and to prevent any one ascending it. Next to this, and before you come to the edifice of the tower, there was a wall. The parts within the wall had the largeness and form of a palace, being divided into all kinds of rooms and other conveniences, such as courts and places for bathing, and broad spaces for camps; insomuch, that having all the appurtenances of cities, it might seem as if composed of many cities, but by its magnificence it appeared one palace. And while the entire structure resembled a tower, yet there were four other distinct towers at its four corners; of which that on the south east corner was so high, that the whole temple might be viewed from it; but on the corner where it joined to the two cloisters of the temple, it had passages leading down to them both, through which the guards, for in this tower their lay always a Roman legion, went with their arms among the cloisters, on the Jewish festivals, in order to watch over the people. For while the temple was a fortress which guarded the city, the tower of Antonia was a guard to the temple. There was also a peculiar fortress belonging to the upper city, which was Herod's palace. The bill of Bezetha, was divided from the tower of Antonia, as already mentioned; and as the height of the hill on which it stood, rendered Antonia the highest of these three fortresses, so it adjoined to the new city, and was the only place which intercepted the view of the temple on the north. On reading the above description of this superb, |