Court_, on the eastern side of the _Priests Court_, before the _King's
gate_, and therein built [474] a covert for the Sabbath: this Court was not
measured by _Ezekiel_, but the dimensions thereof may be gathered from
those of the _Womens Court_, in the second Temple, built after the example
thereof: for when _Nebuchadnezzar_ had destroyed the first Temple,
_Zerubbabel_, by the commissions of _Cyrus_ and _Darius_, built another
upon the same area, excepting the _Outward Court_, which was left open to
the _Gentiles_: and this Temple [475] was sixty cubits long, and sixty
broad, being only two stories in height, and having only one row of
treasure-chambers about it: and on either side of the _Priests Court_ were
double buildings for the Priests, built upon three rows of marble pillars
in the lower story, with a row of cedar beams or pillars in the stories
above: and the cloyster in the lower story looked towards the _Priests
Court_: and the _Separate Place_, and _Priests Court_, with their buildings
on the north and south sides, and the _Womens Court_, at the east end, took
up an area three hundred cubits long, and two hundred broad, the _Altar_
standing in the center of the whole. The _Womens Court_ was so named,
because the women came into it as well as the men: there were galleries for
the women, and the men worshipped upon the ground below: and in this state
the second Temple continued all the Reign of the _Persians_; but afterwards
suffered some alterations, especially in the days of _Herod_.
This description of the Temple being taken principally from _Ezekiel_'s
Vision thereof; and the ancient _Hebrew_ copy followed by the Seventy,
differing in some readings from the copy followed by the editors of the
present _Hebrew_, I will here subjoin that part of the Vision which relates
to the _Outward Court_, as I have deduced it from the present _Hebrew_, and
the version of the Seventy compared together.
Ezekiel chap. xl. ver. 5, &c.
[476] _And behold a wall on the outside of the House round about_, at the
distance of fifty cubits from it, aabb: _and in the man's hand a measuring
reed six cubits long by the cubit, and an hand-breadth: so he measured the
breadth of the building, _or wall_, one reed, and the height one reed.
_[477]_ Then came he unto the gate _of the House_, which looketh towards
the east, and went up the seven steps thereof, _AB_, and measured the
threshold of the gate, _CD_, which was one reed broad, and the _Porters_
little chamber, _EFG_, one reed long, and one reed broad; and the arched
passage between the little chambers, _FH_, five cubits: and the second
little chamber, _HIK_, a reed broad and a reed long; and the arched
passage, _IL_, five cubits: and the third little chamber _LMN_, a reed long
and a reed broad: and the threshold of the gate next the porch of the gate
within, _OP_, one reed: and he measured the porch of the gate, _QR_, eight
cubits; and the posts thereof _ST_, _st_, two cubits; and the porch of the
gate, _QR_, was inward, _or toward the inward court_; and the little
chambers, _EF_, _HI_, _LM_, _ef_, _hi_, _lm_, were _outward, or_ to the
east; three on this side, and three on that side _of the gate_. There was
one measure of the three, and one measure of the posts on this side, and on
that side; and he measured the breadth of the door of the gate, _Cc_, or
_Dd_, ten cubits; and the breadth of the gate _within between the little
chambers, Ee or Ff_, thirteen cubits; and the limit, or margin, or step
before the little chambers, _EM_, one cubit on this side, and the step,
_em_, one cubit on the other side; and the little chambers, _EFG_, _HIK_,
_LMN_, _efg_, _hik_, _lmn_, were six cubits _broad_ on this side, and six
cubits _broad_ on that side: and he measured _the whole breadth of_ the
gate, from the _further_ wall of one little chamber to the _further_ wall
of another little chamber: the breadth, _Gg, or Kk, or Nn_, was twenty and
five cubits _through_; door, _FH_, against door, _fh_: and he measured the
posts, _EF_, _HI_, and _LM_, _ef_, _hi_, and _lm_, twenty cubits _high_;
and at the posts there were gates, _or arched passages, FH, IL, fh, il_,
round about; and from the _eastern_ face of the gate at the entrance, _Cc_,
to the _western_ face of the porch of the gate within, _Tt_, were fifty
cubits: and there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to the
porch within the gate, round about, and likewise to the posts; even windows
were round about within: and upon each post were palm trees._
_Then he brought me into the Outward Court, and lo there were chambers, and
a pavement with pillars upon it in the court round about, _[478]_ thirty
chambers _in length_ upon the pavement, supported by the pillars, _ten
chambers on every side, except the western_: and the pavement butted upon
the shoulders or sides of the gates below, _every gate having five chambers
or exhedræ on either side_. And he measured the breadth _of the Outward
Court_, from the fore-front of the lower-gate, to the fore-front of the
inward court, an hundred cubits eastward._
_Then he brought me northward, and there was a gate that looked towards the
north; he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof, and the
little chambers thereof, three on this side, and three on that side, and
the posts thereof, and the porch thereof, and it was according to the
measures of the first gate; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth
was five and twenty: and the windows thereof, and the porch and the
palm-trees thereof _were_ according to the measures of the gate which
looked to the east, and they went up to it by seven steps: and its porch
was before them, _that is inward_. And there was a gate of the inward court
over against _this_ gate of the north, as _in the gates_ to the eastward:
and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits._
* * * * *
_A Description of THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON_
[Illustration: _Plate_ I. _p. 346._]
ABCD. _The Separate Place in which stood the Temple._
ABEF. _The Court of y^{e} Priests._
G. _The Altar._
DHLKICEFD. _A Pavement compassing three sides of the foremention'd Courts,
and upon which stood the Buildings for the Priests, with Cloysters under
them._
MNOP. _The Court of the People._
MQTSRN. _A Pavement compassing three sides of the Peoples Court, upon which
stood the Buildings for the People, with Cloysters under them._
UXYZ. _The Mountain of the House._
aabb._ A Wall enclosing the whole._
c. _The Gate Shallecheth._
d. _The Gate Parbar._
ef. _The two Gates Assupim._
g. _The East Gate of the Peoples Court, call'd the Kings Gate._
hh. _The North and South Gates of the same Court._
iiii. _The chambers over the Cloysters of the Peoples Court where the
People ate the Sacrifices, 30 Chambers in each Story._
kkkk. _Four little Courts serving for Stair Cases and Kitchins for the
People._
l. _The Eastern Gate of the Priests Court, over which sate the Sanhedrin._
m. _The Southern Gate of the Priests Court._
n. _The Northern Gate of the same Court, where the Sacrifices were flea'd
&c._
opqrst. _The Buildings over the Cloysters for the Priests, viz six large
Chambers (subdivided) in each Story, whereof _o_ and _p_ were for the High
Priest and Sagan, _q_ for the Overseers of the Sanctuary and Treasury, _r_
for the Overseers of the Altar and Sacrifice and _s_ and _t_ for the
Princes of the twenty four Courses of Priests._
uu. _Two Courts in which were Stair Cases and Kitchins for the Priests._
x. _The House or Temple which (together with the Treasure Chambers _y_, and
Buildings _zz_ on each side of the Separate Place) is more particularly
describ'd on the second Plate._
* * * * *
_A Description of the Inner Court & Buildings for the Priests in Solomons
Temple._
[Illustration: _Plate_ II. _p. 346._]
ABCD. _The Separate Place._
ABEF. _The Inner Court, or Court of the Priests, parted from the Separate
Place, and and Pavement on the other three sides, by a marble rail._
G. _The Altar._
HHH. _The East, South, & North Gates of the Priests Court._
III. _&c. The Cloysters supporting the Buildings for the Priests._
KK. _Two Courts in which were Stair Cases and Kitchins for the Priests._
L. _Ten Steps to the Porch of the Temple._
M. _The Porch of the Temple._
N. _The Holy Place._
O. _The most Holy Place._
PPPP. _Thirty Treasure-Chambers, in two rows, opening into a gallery, door
against door, and compassing three sides of the Holy & most Holy Places._
Q. _The Stairs leading to the Middle Chamber._
RRRR. _&c. The buildings for the four and twenty Courses of Priests, upon
the Pavement on either side of the Separate Place, three Stories high
without Cloysters, but the upper Stories narrower than the lower, to make
room for Galleries before them. There were 24 Chambers in each Story and
they opend into a walk or alley, _SS._ between the Buildings._
TT. _Two Courts in which were Kitchins for the Priests of the twenty four
Courses._
* * * * *
_A Particular Description of one of the Gates of the Peoples Court, with
part of the Cloyster adjoyning._
[Illustration: _Plate_ III. _p. 346._]
uw. _The inner margin of the Pavement compassing three sides of the Peoples
Court._
xxx. _&c. The Pillars of the Cloyster supporting the Buildings for the
People._
yyyy. _Double Pillars where two Exhedræ joyned, and whose interstices in
the front _zz_ were filled up with a square Column of Marble._
Note _The preceding letters of this Plate refer to the description in pag.
344 345._
* * * * *
CHAP. VI.
_Of the Empire of the _Persians_._
_Cyrus_ having translated the Monarchy to the _Persians_, and Reigned seven
years, was succeeded by his son _Cambyses_, who Reigned seven years and
five months, and in the three last years of his Reign subdued _Egypt_: he
was succeeded by _Mardus_, or _Smerdis_ the _Magus_, who feigned himself to
be _Smerdis_ the brother of _Cambyses_.
_Smerdis_ Reigned seven months, and in the eighth month being discovered,
was slain, with a great number of the _Magi_; so the _Persians_ called
their Priests, and in memory of this kept an anniversary day, which they
called, _The slaughter of the _Magi__. Then Reigned _Maraphus_ and
_Artaphernes_ a few days, and after them _Darius_ the son of _Hystaspes_,
the son of _Arsamenes_, of the family of _Achæmenes_, a _Persian_, being
chosen King by the neighing of his horse: before he Reigned his [479] name
was _Ochus_. He seems on this occasion to have reformed the constitution of
the _Magi_, making his father _Hystaspes_ their Master, or _Archimagus_;
for _Porphyrius_ tells us, [480] that _the _Magi_ were a sort of men so
venerable amongst the _Persians_, that _Darius_ the son of _Hystaspes_
wrote on the monument of his father_, amongst other things, _that he had
been the Master of the _Magi__. In this reformation of the _Magi_,
_Hystaspes_ was assisted by _Zoroastres_: so _Agathias_; _The _Persians_ at
this day say simply that _Zoroastres_ lived under _Hystaspes__: and
_Apuleius_; _Pythagoram, aiunt, inter captivos Cambysæ Regis _[ex Ægypto
Babylonem abductos]_ doctores habuisse Persarum Magos, & præcipue
Zoroastrem, omnis divini arcani Antistitem_. By _Zoroastres_'s conversing
at _Babylon_ he seems to have borrowed his skill from the _Chaldæans_; for
he was skilled in Astronomy, and used their year: so _Q. Curtius_; [481]
_Magi proximi patrium carmen canebant: Magos trecenti & sexaginta quinque
juvenes sequebantur, puniceis amiculis velati, diebus totius anni pares
numero_: and _Ammianus_; _Scientiæ multa ex Chaldæorum arcanis Bactrianus
addidit Zoroastres_. From his conversing in several places he is reckoned a
_Chaldæan_, an _Assyrian_, a _Mede_, a _Persian_, a _Bactrian_. _Suidas_
calls him [482] a _Perso-Mede_, and saith that he was _the most skilful of
Astronomers, and first author of the name of the _Magi_ received among
them_. This skill in Astronomy he had doubtless from the _Chaldæans_, but
_Hystaspes_ travelled into _India_, to be instructed by the
_Gymnosophists_: and these two conjoyning their skill and authority,
instituted a new set of Priests or _Magi_, and instructed them in such
ceremonies and mysteries of Religion and Philosophy as they thought fit to
establish for the Religion and Philosophy of that Empire; and these
instructed others, 'till from a small number they grew to a great
multitude: for _Suidas_ tells us, that _Zoroastres gave a beginning to the
name of the _Magi__: and _Elmacinus_; that _he reformed the religion of the
_Persians_, which before was divided into many sects_: and _Agathias_; that
_he introduced the religion of the _Magi_ among the _Persians_, changing
their ancient sacred rites, and bringing in several opinions_: and
_Ammianus_ [483] tells us, _Magiam esse divinorum incorruptissimum cultum,
cujus scientiæ seculis priscis multa ex Chaldæorum arcanis Bactrianus
addidit Zoroastres: deinde Hystaspes Rex prudentissimus Darii pater; qui
quum superioris Indiæ secreta fidentius penetraret, ad nemorosam quamdam
venerat solitudinem, cujus tranquillis silentiis præcelsa Brachmanorum
ingenia potiuntur; eorumque monitu rationes mundani motus & siderum,
purosque sacrorum ritus quantum colligere potuit eruditus, ex his quæ
didicit, aliqua sensibus Magorum infudit; quæ illi cum disciplinis
præsentiendi futura, per suam quisque progeniem, posteris ætatibus tradunt.
Ex eo per sæcula multa ad præsens, una eademque prosapia multitudo creata,
Deorum cultibus dedicatur. Feruntque, si justum est credi, etiam ignem
cœlitus lapsum apud se sempiternis foculis custodiri, cujus portionem
exiguam ut faustam præisse quondam Asiaticis Regibus dicunt: Hujus originis
apud veteres numerus erat exilis, ejusque mysteriis Persicæ potestates in
faciendis rebus divinis solemniter utebantur. Eratque piaculum aras adire,
vel hostiam contrectare, antequam Magus conceptis precationibus libamenta
diffunderet præcursoria. Verum aucti paullatim, in amplitudinem gentis
solidæ concesserunt & nomen: villasque inhabitantes nulla murorum
firmitudine communitas & legibus suis uti permissi, religionis respectu
sunt honorati_. So this Empire was at first composed of many nations, each
of which had hitherto its own religion: but now _Hystaspes_ and
_Zoroastres_ collected what they conceived to be best, established it by
law, and taught it to others, and those to others, 'till their disciples
became numerous enough for the Priesthood of the whole Empire; and instead
of those various old religions, they set up their own institutions in the
whole Empire, much after the manner that _Numa_ contrived and instituted
the religion of the _Romans_: and this religion of the _Persian_ Empire was
composed partly of the institutions of the _Chaldæans_, in which
_Zoroastres_ was well skilled; and partly of the institutions of the
ancient _Brachmans_, who are supposed to derive even their name from the
_Abrahamans_, or sons of _Abraham_, born of his second wife _Keturah_,
instructed by their father in the worship of ONE GOD without images, and
sent into the east, where _Hystaspes_ was instructed by their successors.
About the same time with _Hystapes_ and _Zoroastres_, lived also _Ostanes_,
another eminent _Magus_: _Pliny_ places him under _Darius Hystaspis_, and
_Suidas_ makes him the follower of _Zoroastres_: he came into _Greece_ with
_Xerxes_, and seems to be the _Otanes_ of _Herodotus_, who discovered
_Smerdis_, and formed the conspiracy against him, and for that service was
honoured by the conspirators, and exempt from subjection to _Darius_.
In the sacred commentary of the _Persian_ rites these words are ascribed to
_Zoroastres_; [484] ‛Ο Θεος εστι κεφαλην εχων ‛ιερακος. ‛ουτος εστιν ‛ο
πρωτος, αφθαρτος, αιδιος, αγενητος, αμερης, ανομοιοτατος, ‛ηνιοχος παντος
καλου, αδωροδοκητος, αγαθων αγαθωτατος, φρονιμων φρονιμωτατος· εστι δε και
πατηρ ευνομιας και δικαιοσυνης, αυτοδιδακτος, φυσικος, και τελειος, και
σοφος, και ‛ιερου φυσικου μονος ‛ευρετης. _Deus est accipitris capite: hic
est primus, incorruptibilis, æternus, ingenitus, sine partibus, omnibus
aliis dissimillimus, moderator omnis boni, donis non capiendus, bonorum
optimus, prudentium prudentissimus, legum æquitatis ac justitiæ parens,
ipse sui doctor, physicus & perfectus & sapiens & sacri physici unicus
inventor_: and the same was taught by _Ostanes_, in his book called
_Octateuchus_. This was the Antient God of the _Persian Magi_, and they
worshipped him by keeping a perpetual fire for Sacrifices upon an Altar in
the center of a round area, compassed with a ditch, without any Temple in
the place, and without paying any worship to the dead, or any images. But
in a short time they declined from the worship of this Eternal, Invisible
God, to worship the Sun, and the Fire, and dead men, and images, as the
_Egyptians_, _Phœnicians_, and _Chaldæans_ had done before: and from these
superstitions, and the pretending to prognostications, the words _Magi_ and
_Magia_, which signify the Priests and Religion of the _Persians_, came to
be taken in an ill sense.
_Darius_, or _Darab_, began his Reign in spring, in the sixteenth year of
the Empire of the _Persians_, _Anno Nabonass._ 227, and Reigned 36 years,
by the unanimous consent of all Chronologers. In the second year of his
Reign the _Jews_ began to build the Temple, by the prophesying of _Haggai_
and _Zechariah_, and finished it in the sixth. He fought the _Greeks_ at
_Marathon_ in _October_, _Anno Nabonass._ 258, ten years before the battel
at _Salamis_, and died in the fifth year following, in the end of winter,
or beginning of spring, _Anno Nabonass._ 263. The years of _Cambyses_ and
_Darius_ are determined by three Eclipses of the Moon recorded by
_Ptolemy_, so that they cannot be disputed: and by those Eclipses, and the
Prophesies of _Haggai_ and _Zechariah_ compared together, it is manifest
that the years of _Darius_ began after the 24th day of the eleventh
_Jewish_ month, and before the 24th day of _April_, and by consequence in
_March_ or _April_.
_Xerxes_, _Achschirosch_, _Achsweros_, or _Oxyares_, succeeded his father
_Darius_, and spent the first five years of his Reign, and something more,
in preparations for his Expedition against the _Greeks_: and this
Expedition was in the time of the Olympic Games, in the beginning of the
first year of the 75th Olympiad, _Callias_ being _Archon_ at _Athens_; as
all Chronologers agree. The great number of people which he drew out of
_Susa_ to invade _Greece_, made _Æschylus_ the Poet say [485]:
Το δ' αστυ Σουσων εξεκεινωσεν πεσον.
_It emptied the falling city of _Susa_._
The passage of his army over the _Hellespont_ began in the end of the
fourth year of the 74th Olympiad, that is in _June_, _Anno Nabonass._ 268,
and took up a month; and in autumn, after three months more, on the 16th
day of the month _Munychion_, at the full moon, was the battel at
_Salamis_; and a little after that an Eclipse of the Moon, which by the
calculation fell on _Octob._ 2. His first year therefore began in spring,
_Anno Nabonass._ 263, as above: he Reigned almost twenty one years by the
consent of all writers, and was murdered by _Artabanus_, captain of his
guards; towards the end of winter, _Anno Nabonass._ 284.
_Artabanus_ Reigned seven months, and upon suspicion of treason against
_Xerxes_, was slain by _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, the son of _Xerxes_.
_Artaxerxes_ began his Reign in the autumnal half year, between the 4th and
9th _Jewish_ months, _Nehem._ i. 1. & ii. 1, & v. 14. and _Ezra_ vii. 7, 8,
9. and his 20th year fell in with the 4th year of the 83d Olympiad, as
_Africanus_ [486] informs us, and therefore his first year began within a
month or two or the autumnal Equinox, _Anno Nabonass._ 284. _Thucydides_
relates that the news of his death came to _Athens_ in winter, in the
seventh year of the _Peloponnesian_ war, that is _An._ 4. Olymp. 88. and by
the Canon he Reigned forty one years, including the Reign of his
predecessor _Artabanus_, and died about the middle of winter, _Anno
Nabonass._ 325 _ineunte_: the _Persians_ now call him _Ardschir_ and
_Bahaman_, the Oriental Christians _Artahascht_.
Then Reigned _Xerxes_, two months, and _Sogdian_ seven months, and _Darius
Nothus_, the bastard son of _Artaxerxes_, nineteen years wanting four or
five months; and _Darius_ died in summer, a little after the end of the
_Peloponnesian_ war, and in the same Olympic year, and by consequence in
_May_ or _June_, _Anno Nabonass._ 344. The 13th year of his Reign was
coincident in winter with the 20th of the _Peloponnesian_ war, and the
years of that war are stated by indisputable characters, and agreed on by
all Chronologers: the war began in spring, _Ann._ 1. Olymp. 87, lasted 27
years, and ended _Apr._ 14. _An._ 4. Olymp. 93.
The next King was _Artaxerxes Mnemon_, the son of _Darius_: he Reigned
forty six years, and died _Anno Nabonass._ 390. Then Reigned _Artaxerxes
Ochus_ twenty one years; _Arses_, or _Arogus_, two years, and _Darius
Codomannus_ four years, unto the battel of _Arbela_, whereby the _Persian_
Monarchy was translated to the _Greeks_, _Octob._ 2. _An. Nabonass._ 417;
but _Darius_ was not slain untill a year and some months after.