We use cookies to collect general visitor statistics but not personal information. Privacy policy

Herod's Temple - the Inner Court

Bible overview
The altar, laver and sacrificial area.
Contributed by Bible Scenes
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, German
1
Ritually clean men who went through the Nicanor Gate entered the wide but narrow Court of Israelites. – Slide 1
2
The Court of the Israelites was on level ground before the steps leading up to the wide but narrow Court of the Priests in front of the Altar. – Slide 2
3
Both these courts were 135 cubits (70.9m, 322ft) wide and 11 (5.8m, 19ft) cubits deep. – Slide 3
4
There were 12 steps up to the porch of the Temple, each step being half a cubit (26cm, 10 in) high and one cubit deep. This made the Sanctuary 6 cubits (3.2m, 10.5ft) higher than the Court of the Priests. – Slide 4
5
The entrance to the Sanctuary was 40 cubits high and 20 cubits wide (21x10.5m, 70 x35ft). – Slide 5
6
According to Middot 5.1 the Inner Temple court from east to west was divided into the Court of the Israelites (11 cubits), the Court of Priests (11 cubits), the Altar (32 cubits), the space between the Altar and the sanctuary (22 cubits), the Sanctuary (100 cubits) and the space behind the Temple (11 cubits). – Slide 6
7
On the south side was the altar with a ramp to give the priests access. – Slide 7
8
Behind the altar was the Laver for the priests to wash. – Slide 8
9
To the north was the place of Slaughter. – Slide 9
10
The Place of Slaughter had 24 rings attached to posts arranged in four rows of six into which the heads of animals for sacrifice were placed. – Slide 10
11
It also had marble tables and small cedar blocks with hooks on which to hang the slaughtered animals. – Slide 11
12
Here is the view of the Place of Slaughter looking south. – Slide 12
13
No animal was killed until the gate leading into the Sanctuary was opened. With legs bound together the animal head was placed through the ring facing west. It was dispatched with a knife and its blood caught in a golden vessel (mizrak) and subsequently sprinkled on the altar. – Slide 13
14
The laver stood between the Altar and the Sanctuary. A priest chosen by lot to clean the Altar had to first wash at the Laver. – Slide 14
15
Here is a view of the Altar looking east towards the Nicanor Gate from the Sanctuary. – Slide 15
16
A priest cleansing himself would stand below one of the 12 faucets of the Laver and let the water run over his hands and feet while laying his right hand on his right foot and his left hand on his left foot. – Slide 16
17
The altar was made of unhewn stone as stipulated in Exodus 20:25. According to Middot 3.1, the altar was made up of 1 cubit (0.5 m, 1.6ft) for the foundation on which were stones of 30 cubit (16m, 52.5ft) square and 5 cubits (2.7m, 8.8ft) high. The four horns at the corners were 1 cubit (0.5 m, 1.6ft) high. – Slide 17
18
On the south side of the altar was a 32 cubit (17m, 55.8ft) long ramp of unhewn stones. A ramp was needed to meet the stipulation of Exodus 20:26. The unhewn stones for the altar and ramp came from nearby Bethaccerem and were regularly whitewashed to cover the bloodstains left from the feast of Passover and Tabernacles. – Slide 18
19
Slide 19