Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/233

Plan. 213 Then, too, the word which has been translated by " chamber " bears a much wider meaning in Hebrew, and might with equal propriety be rendered by " warehouse," " dormitory," " house," " office," etc. We may assume, therefore, that the buildings under notice were not all on the same pattern, but that here and there diversity of detail existed without destroying the symmetry of the general outline. All were near the wall of enclosure ; the more important opened into the paved court, whilst the niches about the doorways did not project beyond the wall. Porches are not specified in the text, yet it is not credible that so universal a feature in all Oriental public buildings of importance should have been omitted here. Their necessity being so obvious may account for the silence of Ezekiel ; nevertheless, he alludes to some such arrangement when he states that the piers of the three-storied chambers were unlike those in the courts. 1 We need not see more in these pillars than supports to covered walks, always met with in Oriental buildings, be they of a secular or religious character (Ezek. lxii. 16). The outer court leads naturally into the inner or upper court, reserved for the service of the temple and the priests ; laymen being only admitted on particular occasions. It was necessarily smaller, with three gates opening into it facing those of the exterior terrace, and exactly similar to them, with this difference — indicated in the text — that the arches of these gates did not rise over the plane of the inner enclosure, but " were towards the exterior court " (Ezek. lx. 28-34). From the principal platform was obtained perhaps the finest architectural effect in the world, as the eye travelled down a noble line of buildings, and rows upon rows of arches flanking the court. This court, it will be remembered, measured 100 metres each way. If on this surface we put the whole width of the cloisters there will not be sufficient room to walk round the altar of burnt offering, or the brazen sea, or the tanks about the court. But if, recollecting that the length of the gateway with its vestibule was 50 cubits, we take it as the width of the gallery, it will free the court and enable us to protract the line of arches, thus heightening architectural effect. Facing the court, near the entrance, was the vestibule with four tables, upon which the victims were laid, cleansed, and quartered. 2 Others there were, although not specified, and may have been 1 Ezek., Ice. cit. a Ibid. xl. 38, 39.