employed for educating children of the pious poor.

It is probably in ironical allusion to the form and name of these treasure -chests that the

Lord, making use of the word 'trumpet,' describes the conduct of those who, in their

almsgiving, sought glory from men as 'sounding a trumpet' before them (Matt 6:2)--that

is, carrying before them, as it were, in full display one of these trumpet-shaped alms -

boxes (literally called in the Talmud, 'trumpets'), and, as it were, sounding it. 12

In each of the four corners of the Court of the Women were chambers, or rather

unroofed courts, each said to have been 60 feet long. In that at the right hand (on the

north-east), the priests who were unfit for other than menial services on account of

bodily blemishes, picked the worm-eaten wood from that destined for the altar. In the

court at the farther angle (north-west) the purified lepers washed before presenting

themselves to the priests at the Gate of Nicanor. At the left (south-east) the Nazarites

polled their hair, and cooked their peace-offerings; while in a fourth court (at the south-

west) the oil and wine were kept for the drink-offerings. The musical instruments used

by the Levites were deposited in two rooms under the Court of the Israelites, to which

the access was from the Court of the Women.

Of course the western colonnade of this court was open. Thence fifteen easy steps led

through the so-called Gate of Nicanor into the Court of Israel. On these steps the

Levites were wont on the Feast of Tabernacles to sing the fifteen 'Psalms of Degrees,' or

ascent (Psalms 120 to 134), whence some have derived their name. Here, or, rather, in the

Gate of Nicanor, all that was ordered to be done 'before the Lord' took place. There the

cleansed leper and the women coming for purification presented themselves to the

priests, and there also the 'water of jealousy' was given to the suspected wife.

Perhaps it will be most convenient for practical purposes to regard the two Courts of

Israel and of the Priests as in reality forming only one, divided into two parts by a low

balustrade 1 1/2 feet high. Thus viewed, this large double court, inclusive of the

Sanctuary itself, would measure 280 1/2 feet in length by 202 1/2 feet in breadth. Of this a

narrow strip, 16 1/2 feet long, formed the Court of Israel. Two steps led up from it to the

Court of the Priests. Here you mounted again by three low semicircular steps to a kind of

pulpit or platform, where, as well as on the 'fifteen steps,' the Levites sang and played

during the ordinary service. The priests, on the other hand, occupied, while

pronouncing the blessing, the steps at the other end of the court which led up to the

Temple porch. A similar arrangement existed in the great court as in that of the Women.

Right and left of the Nicanor Gate were receptacles for the priestly vestments (one for

each of the four kinds, and for the twenty-four courses of priests: 4 x 24 = 96).

Next came the chamber of the high-priest's meat-offering (Lev 6:20), where each morning

before going to their duties the officiating priesthood gathered from the so-called 'Beth-

ha-Moked,' or 'house of stoves.' The latter was built on arches, and contained a large

dining-hall that communicated with four other chambers. One of these was a large

apartment where fires were continually burning for the u se of the priests who ministered

barefoot. There also the heads of the ministering courses slept, and here, in a special

receptacle under the pavement, the keys of the Temple were hung up at night. Of the

other three chambers of the Beth-Moked, one was appropriated to the various

counterfoils given as a warrant when a person had paid his due for a drink-offering. In

another the shewbread was prepared, while yet a third served for the lambs (at least six