from the Court of Israel to that of the Women, stepped two priests with their silver

trumpets. As the first cockcrowing intimated the dawn of morn, they blew a threefold

blast; another on the tenth step, and yet another threefold blast as they entered the

Court of the Women. And still sounding their trumpets, they marched through the Court

of the Women to the Beautiful Gate. Here, turning round and facing westwards to the

Holy Place, they repeated: 'Our fathers, who were in this place, they turned their backs

on the Sanctuary of Jehovah, and their faces eastward, for they worshipped eastward,

the sun; but we, our eyes are towards Jehovah.' 'We are Jehovah's - our eyes are

towards Jehovah.'8 9 Nay, the who le of this night - and morning -scene was symbolical:

the Temple-illumination, of the light which was to shine from out the Temple into the

dark night of heathendom; then, at the first dawn of morn the blast of the priests' silver

trumpets, of the army of Go d, as it advanced, with festive trumpet-sound and call, to

awaken the sleepers, marching on to quite the utmost bounds of the Sanctuary, to the

Beautiful Gate, which opened upon the Court of the Gentiles - and, then again, facing

round to utter solemn protest against heathenism, and make solemn confession of

But Jesus did not appear in the Temple during the first two festive days. The pilgrims

from all parts of the country - perhaps, they from abroad also - had expected Him there,

for everyone would now speak of Him - 'not openly,' in Jerusalem, for they were afraid

of their rulers. It was hardly safe to speak of Him without reserve. But they sought Him,

and inquired after Him - and they did speak of Him, though there was only a murmuring

- a low, confused discussion of the pro and con, in this great controversy among the

'multitudes,'10 or festive bands from various parts. Some said: He is a good man, while

others declared that He only led astray the common, ignorant populace. And now, all at

once, in Chol ha Moed,11 Jesus Himself appeared in the Temple, a nd taught. We know

that, on a later occasion,12 He walked and taught in 'Solomon's Porch,' and, from the

circumstance that the early disciples made this their common meeting -place,13 we may

draw the inference that it was here the people now found Him. Although neither

Josephus nor the Mishnah mention this 'Porch' by name,14 we have every reason for

believing that it was the eastern colonnade, which abutted against the Mount of Olives

and faced 'the Beautiful Gate,' that formed the principal entrance into the 'Court of the

Women,' and so into the Sanctuary. For, all along the inside of the great wall which

formed the Temple -enclosure ran a double colonnade - each column a monolith of white

marble, 25 cubits high, covered with cedar-beams. That on the south side (leading from

the western entrance to Solomon's Porch), known as the 'Royal Porch,' was a threefold

colonnade, consisting of four rows of columns, each 27 cubits high, and surmounted by

Corinthian capitals. We infer that the eastern was 'Solomon's Porch,' from the

circumstance that it was the only relic left of Solomon's Temple.15 These colonnades,

which, from their ample space, formed alike places for quiet walk and for larger