and that, though he might suffer the
whole people to perish for their sins, he would yet protect, at the
last, his own sanctuary. Surely, John thought, as he stood on the
roof of the Temple, this glorious building can never be meant to be
destroyed.

The Temple occupied a square, six hundred feet every way. The lofty
rock on which it stood had been cased with solid masonry, so that
it rose perpendicularly from the plain. On the top of this massive
foundation was built a strong and lofty wall, round the whole area.
Within this wall was a spacious double cloister, fifty-two and one
half feet broad, supported by one hundred and sixty-two columns. On
the south side the cloister was one hundred and five feet
wide--being a triple cloister--and was here called the King's
Cloister. Within the area surrounded by the cloisters was an open
court, paved with marble; this was the Court of the Gentiles, and
was separated from the second court--that of the Jews--by a stone
railing, five feet high.

An ascent of fourteen steps led to a terrace, seventeen and one
half feet wide, beyond which rose the wall of the inner court. This
wall was seventy feet high on the outside, forty-four feet on the
inside. Round the inner court was another range of cloisters. There
were ten gates into the inner court. The doors of nine of these
gateways were fifty-two and one half feet high, and half that
breadth. The gateways rose to the height of seventy feet. The
tenth, usually called the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, was larger
than the rest; the gateway being eighty-seven and one half feet in
height, the doors seventy feet. In the centre of the inner court
was the Temple, itself. The great porch was one hundred and
seventy-five feet in width, the gateway tower one hundred and
thirty-two feet high and forty-three feet wide, and through it was
seen the Beautiful Gate. The Temple itself was built of white
marble, and the roof was covered with sharp golden spikes.

Now that it was evident that on the side of the Temple, alone,
could the enemy make an attack, the division between Simon and John
of Gischala's men was no longer kept up. All gathered for the
defence of the Temple. The Jews kept up a vigilant watch, for the
Romans could assemble in great force in Antonia, unseen by them;
and could advance, under cover, by the cloisters which flanked the
platform connecting Antonia with the Temple, on either side. The
interval between Antonia and the Templ