Nearly 2,000 years
ago, our nation witnessed the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, a gleaming edifice of marble and gold
described by the Gemara as the most magnificent building in the world. To this
day, we cherish the memory of that structure along with the ever-present hope
that it will soon be rebuilt. A new book, titled The Original Second Temple: An Illustrated Guide to the Layout and
Design of the Pre-Herodian Beis Hamikdash (Feldheim, 2021) by local author Yoav Elan sheds a new light on this timeless
topic.
When we stand at the Kosel, we are looking at the remnants of the western wall of Har Habayis (Temple Mount). Two thousand years ago, the entire Har Habayis was surrounded on all four sides by tall walls like this one. Each wall had one or more gates to allow the steady flow of pedestrian traffic to enter and exit Har Habayis. The following excerpt (with some additional material from my blog) gives a brief overview of the gates of Har Habayis, and concludes with an interesting connection between the Beis Hamikdash and the upcoming holiday of Purim.*
Chuldah Gates
Yerushalayim was located primarily
to the south of the Beis Hamikdash, and the majority of the population
entered Har Habayis from that side. To accommodate the large flow of
pedestrian traffic, two gates were built along this side, spaced evenly across
the 500-amah length of Har Habayis. These were known as the Chuldah Gates, named after the
prophetess Chuldah, who delivered her prophesies to the masses just outside the
southern wall of Har Habayis during the era of the First Beis
Hamikdash.
Kiponos Gate
Centered
in the western wall of Har Habayis was the Kiponos Gate. The name Kiponos may represent a contraction
of the Greek words kepos [garden] and ponos [work,
toil] to mean “working the garden,” a reference to the garden located just inside this
gateway. In this garden, which occupied the area
between the western wall of Har Habayis and the western wall of the Azarah
(Courtyard) opposite the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies), the Kohanim cultivated all of
the ingredients used in compounding the Ketores (the mix of spices
offered twice daily in the Beis Hamikdash), and also maintained other fruit trees. The garden itself appears to have been
enclosed and was the only garden allowed in the city of Yerushalayim.
Tadi Gate
In the northern wall of Har
Habayis was the Tadi Gate. This gate was unique in
that its lintel was not flat but was made of two stones leaning against each
other at an angle, such that the top of the gate resembled a triangle. Unlike
the Chuldah and Kiponos Gates which served as
public access points to Har Habayis, the Tadi Gate was used almost
exclusively by Kohanim housed in the Beis Hamoked (a large
chamber built into the northern wall of the Azarah) who had become tamei
and wished to exit Har Habayis discretely. For this reason, the gate was
not centered in the northern wall of Har Habayis but was located
directly across from the Beis Hamoked so as to provide the shortest
possible route off of Har Habayis. The purpose of this gate is reflected
both in the name Tadi, which connotes “clandestine,”
and in its unique shape, which served to remind the public that this gate was
not for general access. Others add that this gate was also used by bridegrooms and mourners.
Shushan Gate
In the eastern wall of Har Habayis
was the Shushan Gate, so named for the
depiction of the city of Shushan which appeared above it. Shushan was the Persian capital that hosted the
Jews during their exile following the destruction of
the First Beis Hamikdash. In
appreciation of the ruling power and as a symbol of their allegiance, they
placed the Persian emblem over this gate in
the rebuilt Beis Hamikdash. Alternatively, Darius II himself (the son of Queen
Esther) — who authorized the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash (at least
he was good to his mother!) — insisted that a conspicuous reminder of his
generosity be displayed in the Beis Hamikdash. The Shushan Gate was a public entrance
and exit like the Chuldah and Kiponos Gates. In addition, this
gate was used by the Kohanim exiting Har
Habayis to escort the parah adumah to the Mount of Olives.
Chamber of
Shushan Habirah
The famous city from the Purim
story also figured in another part of the Beis
Hamikdash. The Chamber of Shushan Habirah (the capital) served as the repository for two different
measuring sticks of the amah
(cubit). In the northeast corner was a measuring stick that was half a
fingerbreadth longer than a standard amah of
six handbreadths, and in the southeast corner was a stick that was a full
fingerbreadth longer than a standard amah.
This chamber had a depiction of the city of Shushan on its outer wall, and this
feature gave the chamber its name.
These two
measuring sticks were used in determining the wages for craftsmen commissioned
to work on the structure or furnishings of the Beis Hamikdash, who would be paid per amah for their work. Since all man-made measuring instruments
are not perfectly accurate, there was a concern that any standard amah measuring stick used for this
purpose might be slightly off. If the measuring stick was even the slightest
bit too short then the craftsmen would wind up being paid from the Beis Hamikdash treasury for more than
they deserved, which constitutes a misuse of consecrated funds (me’ilah).
To avoid this, the finished product
would be measured by the treasurers using one of the two measuring sticks
stored in the Chamber of Shushan Habirah, whose
extra length compensated for any human error in accuracy and ensured that they
were (at least) one amah long
beyond any shadow of a doubt. Utensils of silver and gold would be measured
with the smaller of the two measuring sticks (to minimize the monetary loss to
the craftsmen), and work done on the physical structure of the Beis Hamikdash would be measured with
the larger of the two measuring sticks. (Although making the stick too long
would cause the craftsmen to be underpaid, this was an accepted part of doing
business with the Beis Hamikdash, for
there is a general rule that the Temple treasury always has the upper hand when
it comes to monetary matters.)
There is a dispute among the
commentators where this chamber was located. Some opinions maintain that it was
built over the eastern gate of Har
Habayis and that the depiction of the city of Shushan on the outer wall of
this chamber is identical with the one over the eastern gate (as described
above). Many other sources place this chamber above the Nikanor Gate, the main
entrance to the Azarah in the east.
The
book is currently at the printer and is expected to be available in late February
2021. For more information please visit BeisHamikdashTopics.com
or email the author at yoavelan@gmail.com.
* The printed
book contains numerous source citations and explanatory footnotes which have
been removed in this brief excerpt.
