| |
The Antechamber
Class 12
 | Looking west towards the face of the Antechamber.
Altar
is in the foreground
|
To the west of the Altar stood the massive entrance hall of the Sanctuary
Building called the Antechamber. It measured 100 cubits (150 feet) wide and
towered 100 cubits above the floor of the Courtyard. Leading up to the large
central doorway was a set of twelve steps which ran the entire width of the
building. Like all the steps in the Temple these steps were half a cubit (9
inches) high while the lengths of the steps varied. The first two steps were
1 cubit (1½ feet) long and the third step was 3 cubits (4½ feet) long. This
pattern repeated itself four times, save for the very top step which was 4
cubits (6 feet) long. Being that there were 22 cubits (33 feet) between the
Antechamber and the Altar and these steps took up 21 of those cubits, only 1
cubit (1½ feet) of walking space was left between the first step and the
Yesod of the Altar.
At the top of the steps leading up to the Antechamber was its large gateway.
This gateway was the largest in the Temple, measuring 20 cubits wide and 40
cubits high (30 feet by 60 feet). Queen Heleni [the queen of Adiabene, a
province in the Middle East, who converted to Judaism in the Second Temple
era] donated a golden candelabra which was mounted on the roof of the
Antechamber and centered in the eastern wall. Each morning the rays of the
rising sun would strike this candelabra, causing it to shine and sparkle,
which was the signal for the people of Jerusalem that the time of reciting
the morning Shema had arrived. [The Shema prayer must be
recited once each morning — at a certain time — and again in the evening.]
Inside the entrance to the Antechamber was its main hall, 11 cubits (16½
feet) long and 60 cubits (90 feet) wide. Every inch of the walls and floor
was plated with brilliant gold and decorated with carvings of flowers, palm
trees, and cherubs, all connected by a network of chain designs and set with
precious stones.
In the north and south of the Antechamber were two chambers called Chambers
of the Knives where they kept the knives used for slaughtering sacrifices.
Each of the twenty-four watches of Kohanim had private cabinets for
their knives (twelve in the north chamber and the other twelve in the south)
and these were set into the walls of the chambers. The southern chamber was
also used as permanent storage of knives which became unfit for use. They
would not be fixed since one operating principle of the Temple was, “there
are no displays of poverty in a place of affluence.”
Above the doorway of the Sanctuary, inside the Antechamber, was a large
grapevine of solid gold weighing over 25 tons. Donations of gold and other
precious materials such as carbuncles, sapphires, and diamonds, were
presented in the shape of leaves, individual grapes, or whole clusters (some
of which were as tall as a man). These additions were hung upon the vine
until they were needed for repairs to the structure or to support poor
Kohanim. The vine itself was suspended from strong cedar poles,
similar to a real grapevine.
_______________
For more information on this topic, and to submit questions or comments for
the author, please visit the blog
post of this class.
|
|
|
 |
|
ARTICLES ON
BEHAALOSCHA:
Her Husband's Modesty
Rabbi Yissocher Frand - 5763
It's Not What But Why Part III
Rabbi Aron Tendler - 5766
Giving Klal Yisrael A "High Five"
Rabbi Yissocher Frand - 5768
>
Chance of a Lifetime
Rabbi Raymond Beyda - 5767
Understanding Hashem's Love
Rabbi Yosef Kalatzky - 5762
Why Wasn't Moshe Depressed?
Rabbi Yissocher Frand - 5758
The Torah is Not Just for Rabbis
Rabbi Yaakov Menken - 5759
Making No Difference
Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann - 5759
Israel: Our Destiny
Rabbi Berel Wein - 5770
 Don't Sue the Travel Agent
Rabbi Yisroel Ciner - 5757
Doing it His Way
Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann - 5763
Chumras Must Be Stage-in-Life Appropriate
Rabbi Yissocher Frand - 5770
 No Changes
Rabbi Raymond Beyda - 5766
Bechor: That's My Firstborn!
Rabbi Osher Chaim Levene - 5767
No One Likes to Be Left Out
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky - 5756
Raiders of The Lost Menorah
Rabbi Pinchas Winston - 5765
|
|
