Middot (Talmud)

Towards the front of the Temple Courtyard on the mount, and surrounding the Temple building, known as the Sanctuary (Azarah), was a low fence (soreg) designating the area beyond which a non-Jew, or a Jew who was ritually impure because of contact with a corpse (tumat met), could not proceed.

The Sanctuary area was divided into three areas, the first upon entering the Courtyard, was the Ezrat Nashim, the Women's Court, separated from the Ezrat Yisrael, the Israelite's Court by fifteen steps and "Nicanor's Gate", then the section containing the outer Altar (Middot 5:1) and finally, the Temple building itself.

[1][2][4][5] An overview of the topics of the chapters is as follows: Chapter 1 lists the places where the Priests and Levites kept watch in the Temple at night and describes the gates of the Temple Mount and the inner courts of the Temple building, and in particular, the chamber where the priests slept at night and a chamber in which the Hasmoneans preserved altar-stones from an earlier time:[1][4] The first part of the chapter describes how priests kept guard in three places and the Levites in twenty-one, how these watches were controlled by the Captain of the Temple (Ish Har Ha-bayit), and the punishments meted out for falling asleep at the watch.

According to several commentators (Rambam; Rash; Bartenura), this was not for protection as the gates were locked at night, but to enhance the splendor of the building, just as royal palaces are watched by a ceremonial guard.

[1][4] Chapter 2 provides the measurements of the Temple Mount and the buildings of the Sanctuary, including the courtyards, the chambers surrounding the courtyards that served various ritual and administrative purposes and the thirteen gates of the courtyard: The Mishna states that the Temple Mount covered an area of 500 square cubits (amot) surrounded by a massive wall; this is in accordance with the description in the Book of Ezekiel (Ezek.

120 – 134 ); a choir of kohanim stood on these steps while the Levites played instruments to provide musical accompaniment to their singing.

The Mishna then describes the structures surrounding the courtyards, including room in which the Levites kept their musical instruments.

[1][4] The Mishna specifies that the stones of the altar had to be in their natural form and could not be shaped with an iron tool or changed in any way.

It describes a hall built of square stones called Lishkat ha-Gazit, where the Great Sanhedrin met to determine matters concerning the priesthood.

One of the main sages reporting the details of the Temple in this tractate is Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob, a Tanna who lived during the 1st century CE.

Model of the Second Temple showing the courtyards and the Sanctuary, as described in Middot.
A stone warning inscription found on the Temple Mount accords with the description in Middot of the purpose of the fence ( soreg ) on the Mount.
Model of the Temple Mount and the Second Temple, late 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE, reflecting descriptions in tractate Middot.
The retaining wall of the Temple Mount, described in this tractate, is still visible today, including the Western Wall ; the southwest corner with the remains of Robinson's Arch shown here. [ 3 ]