Acts 3:2

Acts 3:2. A certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Martial (i. 112) tells us of beggars who were in the habit of sitting at the gate of heathen temples. Chrysostom recommends this practice as regards Christian charities. In the Roman Catholic churches on the Continent of Europe, one or more beggars, usually cripples, constantly sit in the church porch asking charity from all who enter.

The temple. A short description of the Temple as it appeared at the time of the crucifixion, will bring those events which are related in the ‘Acts' as happening in the Temple, more vividly before our eyes. Solomon's ‘House' had been completely destroyed in the Babylonian war; on the return from captivity, a second Temple was built. Herod the Great restored the second ‘House' completely, and almost entirely rebuilt it; his successors went on with the work of adorning and beautifying for the period of about forty-six years referred to by John 11:20. Outwards, and in its decorations within, it was perhaps not inferior to Solomon's ‘House' (its moveable furniture and vessels were not wrought of the same costly materials), and at this time it was one of the most stately buildings in the world. The outward face of the Temple, looking at it from the Mount of Olives, as our Lord did that last week of His earthly life (Matthew 24), wanted nothing that was likely to surprise men's minds or their eyes; for it was covered over with plates of gold, which, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back such a splendour as compelled those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn away their eyes, just as they would have done at the sun's rays. This Temple appeared to strangers, when they were at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow, for those parts of it which were not covered with gold were exceeding white' (Josephus, Jud . Bell. Acts 5:5). This glorious ‘House' in no way, writes Gloag, from whose elaborate note this description is in the main taken, resembled one of our mediaeval cathedrals; its most striking feature was not the Temple proper, but its courts, surrounded with cloisters. The whole pile consisted in a series of terraces rising one above the other, on the topmost of which stood the sanctuary. The circumference of the entire edifice was about half a mile.

The outer court, known as the Court of the Gentiles, surrounded the Temple; on each side were cloisters with pillars of the Corinthian order of white marble, with roofs of curiously engraved cedar. The open court was laid with coloured tesselated pavement; a flight of fourteen steps led from this outer court beyond which no Gentile might pass to the inner court. This was a square, and was divided into terraces which rose one above the other in a westerly direction to the Temple, which was situated at the western end of the square. The first terrace was termed the ‘Court of the Women,' not because it was exclusively allotted to them, but because no Israelitish woman might advance farther. There were cloisters with handsome pillars round this court also; a flight of five or, as some say, fifteen steps led to the second terrace, ‘the Court of the Israelites,' which was parted by a low wall from a still higher terrace, ‘the Court of the Priests.' This surrounded the Temple and led to it by a flight of twelve steps.

The Temple itself was comparatively small, 150 feet long, 150 feet broad, but narrowing as it receded to a breadth of 90 feet. Josephus states it as only 150 feet high, but opinions as to its height vary. It was built of blocks of white marble covered with plates of gold. It contained, besides other chambers, a vestibule, the Holy Place entered by a golden door, and the Holy of Holies.

The gate... which is called Beautiful. It is not certain whether (a) this refers to the gate called ‘Nicanor,' or (b) to the gate called ‘Shushan.' (a) The gate ‘Nicanor' led from the court of the Gentiles to the inner court of the Israelites. (b) The Shushan gate was an outer gate, and led out from the court of the Gentiles. The market for the sale of doves and animals for sacrifice was held close by this gate. It was named after Susa (Shusah), the ‘City of Lilies' (שׁוּשָׁן), some say, because a picture of the royal Persian residence was painted or carved on the gate (Meyer suggests the origin of the name might be sought from the lily-shaped capitals of the pillars of the gate, שׁוּשָׁן, 1 Kings 7:19). Josephus, without particularizing, speaks of one of the Temple gates excelling all the others in richness of material and in decoration. It was made of Corinthian brass, overlaid with plates of gold and silver, and was fifty cubits high.