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the first Osirtasen is derived from the drawings at BeniHassan (Wilkinson, ii. 117).

In the secluded valley of Dayr el Medeeneh, at Thebes, are several tombs of the early date of Amenoph I. Among the most remarkable of these is one whose crude brick roof and niche, bearing the name of the same Pharaoh, prove the existence of the arch at the remote period of B.C. 1540 (Wilkinson, Topography of Thebes, p. 81). Another tomb of similar construction bears the ovals of Thothmes III., who reigned about the time of the Exode (Ancient Egyptians, iii. 319). At Thebes there is also a brick arch bearing the name of this king (Hoskins, Travels in Ethiopia). To the same period and dynasty (the 18th) belong the vaulted chambers and arched doorways which yet remain in the crude brick pyramids at Thebes (Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians, iii. 317). In ancient Egyptian houses it appears that the roofs were often vaulted, and built, like the rest of the house, of crude brick; and there is reason to believe that some of the chambers in the pavilion of Rameses III. (about B.C. 1245), at Medeenet Haboo, were arched with stone, since the devices in the upper part of the walls shew that the fallen roofs had this form. The most ancient actually existing arches of stone occur at Memphis, near the modern village of Saqquara. Here there is a tomb with two large vaulted chambers, whose roofs display in every part the name and sculptures of Psamaticus II. (about B.C. 600). The chambers are cut in the limestone rock, and this being of a friable nature, the roof is secured by being, as it were, lined with an arch like our modern tunnels.

To about the same period-that of the last dynasty before the Persian invasion-belong the remarkable doorways of the enclosures surrounding the tombs in the Assaséef, which are composed of two or more concentric semicircles of brick. Ancient Egyptians, iii, 319.

Although the oldest stone arch whose age has been positively ascertained does not date earlier than the time of Psamaticus, we cannot suppose that the use of stone was not adopted by the Egyptians for that style of building previous to his reign, even if the arches in the pyramids in Ethiopia should prove not to be anterior to the same era. Nor does the absence of the arch in temples and other large buildings excite our surprise, when we consider the style of Egyptian monuments; and no one who understands the character of their architecture could wish for its introduction. In some of the small temples of the Oasis the Romans attempted this innovation, but the appearance of the chambers so constructed fails to please; and the whimsical caprice of Osirei (about B.C.

1385) also introduced an imitation of the arch in a temple at Abydus. In this building the roof is formed of single blocks of stone, reaching from one architrave to the other, which, instead of being placed in the usual manner, stand upon their edges, in order to allow room for hollowing out an arch in their thickness; but it has the effect of inconsistency, without the plea of advantage or utility.' Another imitation of the arch occurs in a building at Thebes, constructed in the style of a tomb. The chambers lie under a friable rock, and are cased with masonry, to prevent the fall of its crumbling stone; but, instead of being roofed on the principle of the arch, they are covered with a number of large blocks, placed horizontally, one projecting beyond that immediately below it, till the uppermost two meet in the centre, the interior angles being afterwards rounded off to form the appearance of a vault as represented in the left hand figure of our cut. The date of this building is about B.C. 1500, and consequently many years after the Egyptians had been acquainted with the art of vaulting.

Thus as the temple architecture of the Egyptians did not admit of arches, and as the temples are almost the only buildings that remain, it is not strange that arches have

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Wilkinson, in portraying an Egyptian mansion (Ancient
Egyptians, ii. 131), makes the grand entrance an archway.

After this it seems unreasonable to doubt that the arch was known to the Hebrews also, and was employed in their buildings. Palestine was indeed better wooded than Egypt; but still that there was a deficiency of wood suitable for building and for roofs is shewn by the fact that large importations of timber from the forests of Lebanon were necessary (2 Sam. vii. 2, 7; 1 Kings v. 6; 1 Chron. xxii. 4; 2 Chron. ii. 3; Ezra iii. 7; Cant. i. 17), and that this imported timber, although of no very high quality, was held in great estimation. [APPENDIX, No. 74.]

43. Hooks.'-It is probable that these hooks were attached to posts, and that the victims were suspended from

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are informed by the Rabbinical writers, that in the slaughter-place of the second temple, to the north of the altar, there were eight pillars of stone boarded with cedar, in each of which were fixed three rows of iron hooks, one above another, and that from the higher hooks were suspended the bullocks, from the next the rams, and from the lowest the lambs, when dressed for sacrifices. A large variety of instruments were employed in the ancient sacrifices. Of knives alone there were several kinds, and some of these have a hooked shape in ancient paintings; and something of this sort might be intended here, unless the above explanation should seem preferable.

CHAPTER XLI.

The measures, parts, chambers, and ornaments of the temple.

AFTERWARD he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.

2 And the breadth of the 'door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.

3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.

4 So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.

5 After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side.

6 And the side chambers were three, 'one over another, and "thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house.

7 And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.

8 I saw also the height of the house round

1 Or, entrance.

2 Heb. side chamber over side chamber. 5 Heb. it was made broader, and went round.

about the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.

9 The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within.

10 And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

11 And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about.

12 Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits.

13 So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;

14 Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, an hundred cubits.

15 And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on! the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court;

16 The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, 'cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered;

17 To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by 'measure. 18 And it was made with cherubims and

3 Or, three and thirty times, or, foot.
6 Or, several walks, or, walks with pillars.
9 Heb. measures.

8 Or, and the ground unto the windows.

4 Heb. be holden. 7 Heb. cieling of wood.

palm trees, so that a palm tree was between à cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces;

19 So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about.

20 From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.

21 The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other.

22 The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof,

and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.

23 And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.

24 And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door.

25 And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without.

26 And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks.

10 Heb. post.

Verse 1. He brought me to the temple.'-Having now concluded his description of the exterior portion of the building, the angel proceeds to describe to the prophet its more important feature, the temple itself.

-The tabernacle.'-The application is derived from the tabernacle of Moses, and is applied to the temple as its representative and as being applied to similar uses.

8. A full reed of six great cubits.-This reed of six great cubits was that with which all the measurements were taken. Compare verse 5 of the preceding chapter, where this reed is called 'a measuring reed of six cubits long, by the cubit, and a hand's breadth.' It has there been disputed whether the whole reed exceeded six cubits by a hand's breadth, or that each of the six cubits was a hand's breadth more than the common cubit. To us it seems that the present text decides for the latter alterna

tive, which is that also chosen by the Targum, followed by many Jewish and Christian interpreters. The distinction of measures (and also weights, as in our own troy and avoirdupois), great and small, has existed among different nations, ancient and modern, and was probably also found among the Hebrews. That there was such a distinction among the Babylonians, among whom the prophet was a captive, is attested by Herodotus, who so gives the measurement of the walls of Babylon in such a manner as to supply a parallel illustration of some interest. The width of the wall is fifty royal cubits, and its height two hundred cubits: the royal cubit exceeds the common cubit by three fingers' breadth.' (Clio, 178.) It may not be impossible that this royal cubit' was the very measure called the 'great cubit' by the prophet.

CHAPTER XLII.

1 The chambers for the priests. 13 The use thereof. 19 The measures of the outward court.

THEN he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.

2 Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.

3 Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.

4 And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.

5 Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries 'were higher than these, "than

1 Or, did eat of these. VOL. III,

the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.

6 For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.

7 And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.

8 For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.

9 And from under these chambers was "the entry on the east side, 'as one goeth into them from the utter court.

10 The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.

2 Or, and the building consisted of the lower and the middlemost. 4 Or, he that brought me. 5 Or, as he came. 2 J

8 Or, from the place.

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11 And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.

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12 And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.

13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.

14 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are

holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.

15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.

16 He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.

17 He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.

18 He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.

19 He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

20 He measured it by the four sides it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

6 Heb. wind.

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CHAPTER XLIII.

10

1 The returning of the glory of God into the temple.
7 The sin of Israel hindered God's presence.
The prophet exhorteth them to repentance, and ob-
servation of the law of the house. 13 The measures,
18 and the ordinances of the altar.

AFTERWARD he brought me to the gate, even
the gate that looketh toward the east:

2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east and 'his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

1 Chap. 4. 21.

the probability is, that they wore the common dress of the time, being, as the Targum expresses it, mingled with the people.' The Jewish writers favour the opinion that the priests appeared in the common dress of private persons when not officiating. The Rabbinical writers say that the priestly wardrobe was kept by a priest, whose duty it was to deliver out and receive back the sacerdotal vestments, the several articles of which were kept separately in chests in an apartment appropriated to the purpose, each chest having on it the name of the article of dress which it contained, so that there was no confusion or mistake when the dresses were wanted.

4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

6 And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

7 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.

8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and

Chap. 1. 4, and 8. 4. 3 Or, when I came to prophesy that the city should be destroyed. See chap. 9. 2, 5. 4 Or, for there was but a wall between me and them.

the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. 10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

12 This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

13 And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.

14 And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.

15 So the altar shall be four cubits; and from 'the altar and upward shall be four horns.

16 And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

17 And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a 5 Or, sum, or, number.

6 Heb. bosom.

9 Heb. Ariel, that is, the lion of God.

cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

18 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.

20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.

23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

24 And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

26 Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.

27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your "peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.

8 Heb. Harel, that is, the mountain of God.
11 Or, thank offerings.

7 Heb. lip. 19 Heb. fill their hands.

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