"03 - Acts of God" - читать интересную книгу автора (BeauSeigneur James)

"He will be addressing the people of the world on the subject of the destiny of Humankind," Decker answered.

Christopher and Miner climbed three more short flights of stairs through the Beautiful Gate and entered the Court of the Women. Only hours before, this court had been the center of activity in the Temple. Now it was silent except for the hollow echo of footfalls on the stone floor as Christopher and Milner walked without speaking toward the broad semicircular steps at the western end of the court. At the top of these steps, the magnificent Nicanor Gate, 60 feet wide and 75 feet high, extended far above the walls themselves, forming an arch, and opened into the Court of Israel.

Only Jewish men and boys were allowed to enter this part of the Inner Court. Unlike the Court of the Women, which was square and open to the sky, the Court of Israel was narrow and roofed, encircling the innermost court, and crowded with numerous columns. A series of chambers used for storage and small meetings lined the walls of the Court of Israel, further reducing the open space.

The third and final court, the Court of the Priests, rose 33A feet above the Court of Israel. Though adjoining and fully open to the Court of Israel, admittance to this court was permitted only to laymen bringing a sacrifice. At all other times only the priests and Levites could enter. In the gateway to the Court of the Priests were four tables of hewn stone on which lay the blood-drained carcasses of a half-dozen lambs and goats, abandoned there when the priests and Levites were driven from the Temple. The smell of blood, incense, and charred animal fat still hung heavy in the air. To the north and south of the gateway sat eight more tables in a similar state.

10 Acts of God

In the center of the easternmost part of the Court of the Priests, the Altar of Sacrifice rose 20 feet in stair-stepped pyramid form in a series of four immense, unfinished stones which, by commandment, had never been touched by metal tools.2 Steps on the eastern edge of the altar provided access to the upper stones. The capstone, which was called Ariel by the priests and Levites, was 21 feet square and, like the stone immediately below it, was 7 feet thick. On this stone was the fire of sacrifice which consumed the burnt offerings. Unattended by the priests, the fire had been reduced to embers.

From the four corners of the altar's capstone, horn-like projections, each 21 inches long, reached skyward. On these horns and upon the altar itself, the priests would pour out the blood of the recently slaughtered animals as a sacrificial offering. Around the base of the altar was a gutter, 21 inches wide and 21 inches deep, with a containing rim of 9 inches and a total capacity of over 3,000 gallons to accommodate the huge amounts of blood that were poured upon the altar during the busier days. The priests and Levites had been driven from the Temple only a little more than an hour into their day and so only a few inches of blood now settled in the altar's gutter, coagulating and drawing flies.

Directly behind the altar, in the westernmost portion of the Court of the Priests, stood the Sanctuary. This was Christopher's ultimate goal but there was a mission he and Milner needed to accomplish before continuing. Looking around until he found what he was looking for, Christopher nodded his intention to Milner. "We must see to it that no more animals are slaughtered here to satisfy Yahweh's blood thirst. We must desecrate the altar so that it cannot be used again."

Followed closely by Milner, Christopher went to where he had spotted a number of brass shovels used by the priests for removing ashes. They each picked up one of the shovels, and went to a spot near the slaughter tables where a hill of animal

2 Exodus 20:25.

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dung had been collected for later removal. As best he could with the use of only one arm, Christopher scooped up a shovelful and then walked over and slung it against the sides of the altar. Again and again Christopher and Milner repeated the act until there was no dung left and the altar had been liberally splattered. Next they beat the brass shovels against each of the altar's four stones.

"That should do it," Christopher said finally, knowing that Jewish law would forbid ever using these desecrated stones as an altar again.

After finishing their chore Christopher and Milner proceeded on to the Sanctuary. From above, the shape of the Temple proper formed a huge T Ч the result of the compromise between those who wanted to rebuild the Temple according to the plans of the prophet Ezekiel and those who wanted to recreate the design of Herod's Temple. It was 175 feet across at the widest point, 105 feet at the narrowest, and rose 175 feet above the Court of the Priests. To the right and left of the entrance stood two tremendous free-standing bronze pillars, called by the priests respectively Jachin and Boaz.

Here Milner stopped. The rest of the way, Christopher would go alone.

Looking back only to nod to Milner, Christopher ascended the final set of steps to the Vestibule or Porch. Directly in front of him were immense double doors 6 feet wide and 35 feet tall made of olive wood, decorated with carvings of cherubim (angels), palm trees, and flowers and covered entirely in pure gold. Suspended above the doors, a spectacular multi-colored tapestry displayed a panorama of the universe. And above that, the full width of the wall was covered with huge carvings of grape vines and leaves with clusters of grapes as tall as a man and nearly that distance across, entirely covered with gold.

Christopher took a deep breath and continued. Pushing open one of the huge doors and then the other, he let in the light of day and stepped through into the next chamber, called the H3diM or Holy Place. The ceiling of the Holy Place dropped 40

12 Acts of God

feet from the ceiling of the Porch to a height of 105 feet. The floor was covered with cypress wood. The walls were wainscoted with cedar, above which they were covered with gold. A golden altar for incense still smoldered, releasing the fragrant smell of frankincense, and another altar for shewbread (holy bread) sat undisturbed with twelve sheets of unleavened bread laid out in rows. The candles of a golden menorah, though nearly consumed by the flame, provided the only interior light.

Still outside the Sanctuary, Robert Milner turned and walked back the way they had come in. There was a matter outside the Temple which awaited his attention.

In front of Christopher, suspended from the ceiling at the western end of the Holy Place was the Veil, a divider between the Holy Place and the final chamber, the D░bhJr, or Holy of Holies. Beyond the Veil, where only the High Priest was allowed to go Ч and he, only once a year on the Day of Atonement Ч sat the ancient Ark of the Covenant. The Veil was actually two richly decorated curtains which hung parallel to each other with about five feet of clearance between the two, forming an entry corridor which prevented any light from reaching the windowless Holy of Holies.

Walking to the northern edge of the curtain nearest the Holy Place, Christopher took hold and pulled sharply until, bit by bit, it broke loose from the ceiling. He continued this until only a few yards of the curtain remained hanging. He then did the same with the other curtain, pulling it loose from the southern edge, thus leaving a wide entrance through the middle of the Veil and exposing the Holy of Holies to the light of day, which poured in through the Sanctuary's huge doors.

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Before him in the Holy of Holies two enormous winged cherubim, each 18 feet tall, carved from olive wood and covered with pure gold, stood watch over the Ark of the Covenant. Their outstretched wings spanned half the width of the chamber and met in the center of the room directly over the Ark.

Christopher entered the Holy of Holies and approached the Ark.