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Herod's Temple - Nicanor Gate

Bible overview
3D scenes of the Nicanor Gate in the Temple.
Contributed by Bible Scenes
1
At the west end of the Court of the Women, was the Nicanor Gate giving access for men to enter the Court of Israel in front of the Altar. Its gates were made of Corinthian bronze and its value exceeded those plated with silver or gold. It had one massive opening and two smaller side gates called wickets. The main gate was 50 cubits (26.7m, 87.5 ft) high and called the Nicanor gate. Nicanor was the benefactor who paid craftsmen in Alexandria, Egypt, to fashion the two large brass doors used for this gate. An ossuary mentioning Nicanor is now in the collections of the British Museum. – Slide 1
2
Although the Nicandor gate is sometimes called the ‘Beautiful gate’ it is not the gate mentioned in Acts 3:20. The most likely location of the ‘Beautiful gate’ is the Double Gate in the Southern wall. <br/>In front of the Nicanor Gate were 15 steps in a semi-circular shape described in Middot 2.5 as ‘rounded like half of a round threshing floor’. – Slide 2
3
It was in front of the Nicanor gate that many important rituals were performed, including the cleansing of those with leprosy and the purification of women after childbirth. It was at this gate that Mary and Joseph would have brought the baby Jesus to Simeon while Anna watched from the Court of the Women. – Slide 3
4
On the platform above the steps and before the Nicanor Gate Levites would sometimes play instruments and sing Psalms 120-134 known as the Psalms of the Steps. More that 10% of the 36,000 Levites were assigned the task of performing music in the Temple. Jewish commentaries state that the Levites would sing on the platform near the altar year round, but during the feast of Sukkot would sing from the 5 steps. – Slide 4
5
According to the Misnah at the feast of Sukkot, ‘The Levites with innumerable harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets, and other musical instruments, stood upon the fifteen steps leading down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, corresponding to the fifteen songs of ascents in the Psalms, upon which the Levites stand while singing.’ – Slide 5
6
There were entrances to two chambers within the Court of Women, on either side of the steps leading up to the Nicanor Gate. These were, the two ‘Chambers of Musical Instruments’ where the Levites conducted choir rehearsals and stored their instruments. The chambers themselves were not in the Court of Women but rather were dug beneath the floor of the Court of the Israelites, but the entrances to these chambers were within the Court of Women. – Slide 6
7
The heavy doors required twenty men to open them. The Nicanor Gate was opened only on the Sabbath, festivals, and Rosh Chodesh. If the king was present in the Temple, the doors were also opened in his honour. On all other days, the smaller gateways (to the left and right of Nicanor gate) were used. – Slide 7
8
When the Nicandor gates were open, the proceedings in the Temple Court could be viewed from the lower Court of Women. – Slide 8
9
Only ritually clean men could enter through the Nicanor gates to stand in front of the Altar and Place of Sacrifice. – Slide 9
10
This wide but narrow area was known as the Court of Israel. It was 135 cubits (70.9m, 322ft) wide and 11 (5.8m, 19ft 3 inches) cubits deep. – Slide 10
11
There were then steps up to the Court of the Priests which was the same width and also 11 cubits (5.8m, 19ft 3 inches) deep. – Slide 11
12
The men could witness the activities of the priests, the slaughter of the animals for sacrifice and the Altar in front of the Sanctuary. – Slide 12
13
The Court of Israel, whose level of sanctity was higher than that of the Women's Court, was defined as having the holiness of ‘The Camp of the Divine Presence.’ Impure individuals, as well as those who needed to bring an offering to complete the process of their purification, but had not yet done so were forbidden entry. <br/>The Court of Priests had a level of sanctity that was higher than that of the Court of Israel. Ritually pure Israelites were permitted entry into the Priests' Court only to perform specific Temple duties, such as those related to offerings they bring: the laying of hands, confession and slaughtering. – Slide 13