women occupied in it two elevated and separated galleries, which, however, filled only

part of the Court. Fifteen steps led up to the Upper Court, which was bounded by a wall,

and where was the celebrated Nicanor Gate, covered with Corinthian brass. Here the

Levites, who conducted the musical part of the service, were placed. In the Court of the

Women were the Treasury and the thirteen 'Trumpets,' while at each corner were

chambers or halls, destined for various purposes. Similarly, beyond the fifteen steps,

there were repositories for the musical instruments. The Upper Court was divided into

two parts by a boundary - the narrow part forming the Court of Israel, and the wider that

of the Priests, in which were the great Altar and the Laver.

The Sanctuary itself was on a higher terrace than that Court of the Priests. Twelve steps

led up to its Porch, which extended beyond it on either side (north and south). Here, in

separate chambers, all that was necessary for the sacrificial service was kept. On two

marble tables near the entrance the old shewbread which was taken out, and the new that

was brought in, were respectively placed. The Porch was adorned by votive presents,

conspicuous among them a massive golden vine. A two - leaved gate opened into the

Sanctuary itself, which was divided into two parts. The Holy Place had the Golden

Candlestick (south), the Table of Shewbread (north), and the Golden Altar of Incense

between them. A heavy double veil concealed the entrance to the Most Holy Place, which

in the second Temple was empty, nothing being there but the piece of rock, called the

Ebhen Shethiyah, or Foundation Stone, which, according to tradition, covered the mouth

of the pit, and on which, it was thought, the world was founded. Nor does all this convey

an adequate idea of the vastness of the Temple-buildings. For all around the Sanctuary

and each of the Courts were various chambers and out -buildings, which served different

purposes connected with the Services of the Temple.57

In some part of this Temple, 'sitting in the midst of the Doctors,58 both hearing them and

asking them questions,' we must look for the Child Jesus on the third and the two

following days of the Feast on which He first visited the Sanctuary. Only on the two first

days of the Feast of Passover was personal attendance in the Temple necessary. With the

third day commenced the so-called half- holydays, when it was lawful to return to one's

home59 - a provision of which, no doubt, many availed themselves. Indeed, there was

really nothing of special interest to detain the pilgrims. For, the Passover had been eaten,

the festive sacrifice (or Chagigah ) offered, and the first ripe barely reaped and brought to

the Temple, and waved as the Omer of first flour before the Lord. Hence, in view of the

well-known Rabbinic provision, the expression in the Gospel-narrative concerning the

'Parents' of Jesus, 'when they had fulfilled the days,'60 cannot necessarily imply that

Joseph and the Mother of Jesus had remained in Jerusalem during the whole Paschal

week.61 On the other hand, the circumstances connected with the presence of Jesus could

not have been found among the Doctors after the close of the Feast. The first question

here is as to the locality in the Temple, where the scene has to be laid. It has, indeed, been

commonly supposed that there was a Synagogue in the Temple; but of this there is, to say