se, "thou hast acted as though they had transgressed
against him in judgment; but, 'may He that dwelleth in this House put it
in thy heart that thou hearken to the words of thy neighbors, and they
shall receive thee.' "

3. Inside of the (Mountain of the House) was a reticulated wall, ten
hand-breadths high; and in it were thirteen breaches, broken down by the
Greek kings. The (Jews) restored, and fenced them, and decreed before them
thirteen acts of obeisance. Inside of it was the Chel, ten cubits broad,
and twelve steps were there. The height of each step was half a cubit, and
the breadth half a cubit. All the steps there were in height half a cubit,
and in breadth half a cubit, except those of the porch. All the doors
there were in height twenty cubits, and in breadth ten cubits, except that
of the porch. All the gateways there had doors, except that of the porch.
All the gates there had lintels, except Tadi; there two stones inclined
one upon the other. All the gates there were transformed into gold, except
the gate Nicanor,(575) because to it happened a wonder, though some said
"because its brass glittered like gold."

4. And all the walls there were high, except the eastern wall, that the
priest who burned the heifer, might stand on the top of the Mount of
Olives, and look straight into the door of the Sanctuary when he sprinkled
the blood.

5. The Court of the women was 135 cubits in length, by 135 in breadth. And
in its four corners were four chambers, each forty cubits square, and they
had no roofs; and so they will be in future, as is said, "Then he brought
me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners
of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a
court."(576) In the four corners of the court there were courts smoking,
yet not smoking, since they were roofless. And what was their use? The
southeast one was the chamber of the Nazarites, for there the Nazarites
cooked their peace-offerings, and polled their hair, and cast it under the
pot. The northeast was the chamber for the wood, and there the priests
with blemishes gathered out the worm-eaten wood. And every stick in which
a worm was found, was unlawful for the altar. The northwest was the
chamber for the lepers. The southwest? Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Jacob,
said, "I forget for what it served." Abashaul said, "there they put wine,
and oil." It was called the chamber of the house of oil. And it was open
at