the wars of the jews-第129章

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plenished　by　those　tributes　which　were　sent　to　God　from　the　whole　habitable　earth；）　they　then　　　encompassed　their　upper　courts　with　cloisters；　as　well　as　they　＇afterward＇　did　the　lowest　＇court　of　the＇　temple。　The　lowest　part　of　this　was　erected　to　the　height　of　three　　　hundred　cubits；　and　in　some　places　more；　yet　did　not　the　entire　depth　of　the　foundations　appear；　for　they　brought　earth；　and　filled　up　the　valleys；　as　being　desirous　to　make　them　on　a　level　with　the　narrow　streets　of　the　city；　wherein　they　made　use　of　stones　of　forty　cubits　in　magnitude；　for　the　great　plenty　of　money　they　then　had；　and　the　liberality　of　the　people；　made　this　attempt　of　theirs　to　succeed　to　an　incredible　degree；　and　what　could　not　be　so　much　as　hoped　for　as　ever　to　be　accomplished；　was；　by　perseverance　and　length　of　time；　brought　to　perfection。　　　　　　2。　Now　for　the　works　that　were　above　these　foundations；　　　these　were　not　unworthy　of　such　foundations；　for　all　the　cloisters　were　double；　and　the　pillars　to　them　belonging　were　twenty…five　cubits　in　height；　and　supported　the　　　cloisters。　These　pillars　were　of　one　entire　stone　each　of　them；　and　that　stone　was　white　marble；　and　the　roofs　were　adorned　with　cedar；　curiously　graven。　The　natural　　　magnificence；　and　excellent　polish；　and　the　harmony　of　the　joints　in　these　cloisters；　afforded　a　prospect　that　was　very　remarkable；　nor　was　it　on　the　outside　adorned　with　any　　　work　of　the　painter　or　engraver。　The　cloisters　＇of　the　　　outmost　court＇　were　in　breadth　thirty　cubits；　while　the　entire　compass　of　it　was　by　measure　six　furlongs；　including　the　tower　of　Antonia；　those　entire　courts　that　were　exposed　to　the　air　were　laid　with　stones　of　all　sorts。　When　you　go　　　through　these　＇first＇　cloisters；　unto　the　second　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　there　was　a　partition　made　of　stone　all　round；　　　whose　height　was　three　cubits：　its　construction　was　very　elegant；　upon　it　stood　pillars；　at　equal　distances　from　one　another；　declaring　the　law　of　purity；　some　in　Greek；　and　some　in　Roman　letters；　that　〃no　foreigner　should　go　within　that　sanctuary〃　for　that　second　＇court　of　the＇　temple　was　called　〃the　Sanctuary；〃　and　was　ascended　to　by　fourteen　　　steps　from　the　first　court。　This　court　was　four…square；　and　had　a　wall　about　it　peculiar　to　itself；　the　height　of　its　buildings；　although　it　were　on　the　outside　forty　cubits；　（13）　was　hidden　by　the　steps；　and　on　the　inside　that　height　was　but　twenty…five　cubits；　for　it　being　built　over　against　a　higher　part　of　the　hill　with　steps；　it　was　no　further　to　be　entirely　discerned　within；　being　covered　by　the　hill　itself。　Beyond　these　thirteen　steps　there　was　the　distance　of　ten　cubits；　this　was　all　plain；　whence　there　were　other　steps；　each　of　five　cubits　a…piece；　that　led　to　the　gates；　which　gates　on　the　north　and　south　sides　were　eight；　on　each　of　those　sides　four；　and　of　necessity　two　on　the　east。　For　since　there　was　a　partition　built　for　the　women　on　that　side；　as　the　proper　place　wherein　they　were　to　worship；　there　was　a　necessity　for　a　second　gate　for　them：　this　gate　was　cut　out　of　its　wall；　over　against　the　first　gate。　There　was　also　on　the　other　sides　one　southern　and　one　northern　gate；　through　which　　　was　a　passage　into　the　court　of　the　women；　for　as　to　the　other　gates；　the　women　were　not　allowed　to　pass　through　　　them；　nor　when　they　went　through　their　own　gate　could　　　they　go　beyond　their　own　wall。　This　place　was　allotted　to　the　women　of　our　own　country；　and　of　other　countries；　　　provided　they　were　of　the　same　nation；　and　that　equally。　The　western　part　of　this　court　had　no　gate　at　all；　but　the　wall　was　built　entire　on　that　side。　But　then　the　cloisters　which　were　betwixt　the　gates　extended　from　the　wall　　　inward；　before　the　chambers；　for　they　were　supported　by　　　very　fine　and　large　pillars。　These　cloisters　were　single；　and；　excepting　their　magnitude；　were　no　way　inferior　to　those　of　the　lower　court。　　　　　　3。　Now　nine　of　these　gates　were　on　every　side　covered　　　over　with　gold　and　silver；　as　were　the　jambs　of　their　doors　and　their　lintels；　but　there　was　one　gate　that　was　without　the　＇inward　court　of　the＇　holy　house；　which　was　of　　　Corinthian　brass；　and　greatly　excelled　those　that　were　only　covered　over　with　silver　and　gold。　Each　gate　had　two　　　doors；　whose　height　was　severally　thirty　cubits；　and　their　breadth　fifteen。　However；　they　had　large　spaces　within　of　thirty　cubits；　and　had　on　each　side　rooms；　and　those；　both　in　breadth　and　in　length；　built　like　towers；　and　their　height　was　above　forty　cubits。　Two　pillars　did　also　support　these　rooms；　and　were　in　circumference　twelve　cubits。　Now　the　　　magnitudes　of　the　other　gates　were　equal　one　to　another；　but　that　over　the　Corinthian　gate；　which　opened　on　the　east　over　against　the　gate　of　the　holy　house　itself；　was　much　larger；　for　its　height　was　fifty　cubits；　and　its　doors　were　forty　cubits；　and　it　was　adorned　after　a　most　costly　manner；　as　having　much　richer　and　thicker　plates　of　silver　and　gold　upon　them　than　the　other。　These　nine　gates　had　that　silver　and　gold　poured　upon　them　by　Alexander；　the　father　of　　　Tiberius。　Now　there　were　fifteen　steps；　which　led　away　from　the　wall　of　the　court　of　the　women　to　this　greater　gate；　whereas　those　that　led　thither　from　the　other　gates　were　five　steps　shorter。　　　　　　4。　As　to　the　holy　house　itself；　which　was　placed　in　the　midst　＇of　the　inmost　court＇；　that　most　sacred　part　of　the　temple；　it　was　ascended　to　by　twelve　steps；　and　in　front　its　height　and　its　breadth　were　equal；　and　each　a　hundred　cubits；　　　though　it　was　behind　forty　cubits　narrower；　for　on　its　front　it　had　what　may　be　styled　shoulders　on　each　side；　that　　　passed　twenty　cubits　further。　Its　first　gate　was　seventy　cubits　high；　and　twenty…five　cubits　broad；　but　this　gate　had　no　doors；　for　it　represented　the　universal　visibility　of　heaven；　and　that　it　cannot　be　excluded　from　any　place。　Its　front　was　covered　with　gold　all　over；　and　through　it　the　first　part　of　the　house；　that　was　more　inward；　did　all　of　it　appear；　which；　as　it　was　very　large；　so　did　all　the　parts　about　the　more　inward　gate　appear　to　shine　to　those　that　saw　them；　but　then；　as　the　entire　house　was　divided　into　two　parts　within；　it　was　only　the　first　part　of　it　that　was　open　to　our　view。　Its　height　extended　all　along　to　ninety　cubits　in　height；　and　its　length　was　fifty　cubits；　and　its　breadth　twenty。　But　that　gate　which　was　at　this　end　of　the　first　part　of　the　house　was；　as　we　have　already　observed；　all　over　covered　with　　　gold；　as　was　its　whole　wall　about　it；　it　had　also　golden　vines　above　it；　from　which　clusters　of　grapes　hung　as　tall　as　a　man's　height。　But　then　this　house；　as　it　was　divided　into　two　parts；　the　inner　part　was　lower　than　the　appearance　of　the　outer；　and　had　golden　doors　of　fifty…five　cubits　altitude；　and　sixteen　in　breadth；　but　before　these　doors　there　was　a　veil　of　equal　largeness　with　the　doors。　It　was　a　Babylonian　　　curtain；　embroidered　with　blue；　and　fine　linen；　and　scarlet；　and　purple；　and　of　a　contexture　that　was　truly　wonderful。　Nor　was　this　mixture　of　colors　without　its　mystical　　　interpretation；　but　was　a　kind　of　image　of　the　universe；　for　by　the　scarlet　there　seemed　to　be　enigmatically　signified　fire；　by　the　fine　flax　the　earth；　by　the　blue　the　air；　and　by　the　purple　t