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So Herod took away the old foundations, and laid others, and erected
the temple upon them, being in length a hundred cubits, and in height twenty
additional cubits, which [twenty], upon the sinking of their foundations
1
fell down; and this part it was that we resolved to raise again in the
days of Nero. Now the temple was built of stones that were white and strong,
and each of their length was twenty-five cubits, their height was eight,
and their breadth about twelve; and the whole structure, as also the structure
of the royal cloister, was on each side much lower, but the middle was
much higher, till they were visible to those that dwelt in the country
for a great many furlongs, but chiefly to such as lived over against them,
and those that approached to them. The temple had doors also at the entrance,
and lintels over them, of the same height with the temple itself. They
were adorned with embroidered veils, with their flowers of purple, and
pillars interwoven; and over these, but under the crown-work, was spread
out a golden vine, with its branches hanging down from a great height,
the largeness and fine workmanship of which was a surprising sight to the
spectators, to see what vast materials there were, and with what great
skill the workmanship was done. He also encompassed the entire temple with
very large cloisters, contriving them to be in a due proportion thereto;
and he laid out larger sums of money upon them than had been done before
him, till it seemed that no one else had so greatly adorned the temple
as he had done. There was a large wall to both the cloisters, which wall
was itself the most prodigious work that was ever heard of by man. The
hill was a rocky ascent, that declined by degrees towards the east parts
of the city, till it came to an elevated level. This hill it was which
Solomon, who was the first of our kings, by Divine revelation, encompassed
with a wall; it was of excellent workmanship upwards, and round the top
of it. He also built a wall below, beginning at the bottom, which was encompassed
by a deep valley; and at the south side he laid rocks together, and bound
them one to another with lead, and included some of the inner parts, till
it proceeded to a great height, and till both the largeness of the square
edifice and its altitude were immense, and till the vastness of the stones
in the front were plainly visible on the outside, yet so that the inward
parts were fastened together with iron, and preserved the joints immovable
for all future times. When this work [for the foundation] was done in this
manner, and joined together as part of the hill itself to the very top
of it, he wrought it all into one outward surface, and filled up the hollow
places which were about the wall, and made it a level on the external upper
surface, and a smooth level also. This hill was walled all round, and in
compass four furlongs, [the distance of] each angle containing in length
a furlong: but within this wall, and on the very top of all, there ran
another wall of stone also, having, on the east quarter, a double cloister,
of the same length with the wall; in the midst of which was the temple
itself. This cloister looked to the gates of the temple; and it had been
adorned by many kings in former times; and round about the entire temple
were fixed the spoils taken from barbarous nations; all these had been
dedicated to the temple by Herod, with the addition of those he had taken
from the Arabians.