8/12/2019 Day in the Temple 12

1/2

They had been on guard during the night, and since there was a

bathroom connected with the chamber, they could join theministering priests without first going to the Beth-Moked for their

morning bath.

Matthiah's band now turns northwards, following the balustrade atthe eastern extremity of the court and after a few seconds itmeets the first company coming southward, along the same

balustrade. Those who are not too near the torches, or too muchoccupied with the cares of the new day, enjoy a most sublime

spectacle. The sky overhead reminds one forcibly of the promiseAbraham received, when he was told to look up to the stars,

which, innumerable as they seemed, his posterity was to

outnumber. The heavenly bodies do not merely shine afar, likegems inlaid in the firmament, but they seem to hang down likelamps radiant with unspeakable splendor, and beyond them onelooks away into the infinite. That the stars should be adored as so

many divinities in the countries neighboring on Palestine, in Syriaand Mesopotamia, at a time when God's revelation had growndim, and religious error was rampant among most nations of the

earth, seems as natural as the admiration of the child at the whirlof a leaf and at the flow of water. For it is not the lot of unassistedhuman nature to rise through nature up to nature's God, likeDavid does in his royal psalms: "O Jehovah, our God, how

excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory uponthe heavens. When I consider the heavens, the work of thyfingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordainedwhat

is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thouvisitest him?" (Psa 8:1-4) And what weight of meaning do not thewords of Balaam the son of Beor, acquire under such

circumstances: "I see him, but not now: I behold him, but notnigh: there shall come forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter

shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners ofMoab" (Num 24:17).

The two companies stand face to face. "Peace," the first salutes."All in peace," the second answers. "It is well! all is well!" perhaps

gives the meaning of these reports more accurately. Then threepriests are deputed to prepare the high priest's meat-offering.

They pass through the wide opening in the middle of thebalustrade, descend two or three steps, each of which is half a

cubit high, and crossing the Court of the Israelites, eleven cubits

8/12/2019 Day in the Temple 12

2/2

in width, they stand opposite the Nicanor Gate. Instead of passing

through its heavy double doors, they turn to the right, and enterthe chamber of the high priest's meat-offering. Here they mix

one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour with oil. This mixture is then

kneaded and baked in a flat pan, the Machabath, whence thewhole, at a later period, will be known simply as the "baked" or

the Chabitim.

Matthiah, with his two companies of priests, turns to the Hall ofPolished Stones or the Gazith, in the southeastern corner of the

court, in order to determine by lot who is to cleanse and preparethe altar of burnt-offerings. In former times, this office was not so

determined, but was decided by a kind of running match. The

priest who first reached the altar had a right to perform this duty.For many years was this primitive way of determining the properperson found sufficient, till on a certain day two priests claimed tohave reached the altar at the same moment. A painful scene

followed, and we are told that one of the rivals fell headlong onthe marble floor from the circuit which ran around the altar ofburnt-offerings, a height of six cubits.

Arrived at the Gazith, all the priests stand in a circle aroundMatthiah, and the latter seizes the cap of the one most convenientto his reach. By doing so, he binds himself to begin his count from

the priest whose head he has uncovered. But is it not unlawful tocount persons in Israel? For this very reason, every one presentlifts up one, two or three fingers to serve as the object of the

count. Matthiah loudly and distinctly says "seventy-two"hemight have named any other number as the decisive oneandthen counts the uplifted fingers till he reaches seventy-two. Thelot falls on him whose fingers are counted last. A simpler way of

determining by lot can hardly be imagined.