Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/230

 2io A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud.v.a. a diameter two cubits broad, was properly rejected as an error in the text, 1 but if we understand thereby the projection of the pillars on the body of the façade, all difficulty will vanish. 2 This salience was noticed by Ezekiel as he entered the doorway and measured its length from side to side, 50 cubits. 3 The width of the base of these pillars is not named in the text, and has to be determined by analogy. In reconstructing the plan, we were led to consider the posterior vestibule as the subsidiary part of a pylon of the Egyptian type. It is a feature which we note, and to which we shall again advert. Here, as in Egypt and Assyria, are twin pillars or towers, if preferred, on either side of the passage rising far above the crown of the doorway and the adjoining structures. It may be laid down as an axiom that no building can have its height increased, without adding proportionately to its base. It follows, therefore, that the weak walls at the extremity of the chambers, are not sufficient to support alone the heavy weight of the pylon, and that pillars with wide projection on either side of the central building must be thrown out, to provide the needful solidity. It will be observed that here again the proportion of height is double to its base. We have worked our way to the first inner court or precinct of Israel, which was daily thronged with well-dressed people, even as the more important outer courts of the mosques at Constanti- nople and Cairo, with fountains and large spreading trees, are in the present day. No better place can be selected to study the natives who on special occasions swarm there. The terrace of Israel occupied two-thirds of the whole area, surrounding the enclosure of the priests and the temple on three sides, with gates east, north, and south. It was in this court, about the eastern gate, that the prophet noticed "thirty chambers on the pavement." He makes no mention of similar apartments having occurred at the other doorways ; but thirty rooms would not have sufficed for the service of the temple; the portals, moreover, being explicitly stated to have been identical, must imply identicity of distribution. 1 Ezek. xl. 14. The figures in the version of the Seventy do not coincide with other versions. 2 Ezek. xl. 9 : And he measured the vestibule of the doorway, eight cubits ; and its pillars two cubits. 3 Reuss is somewhat contradictory, for at one time, note 9, he includes the two cubits of the pillars in the 50 cubits ; whilst at note 10, he specifies a base " one metre in width."