And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams.
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Bede
AD 735
Hence it is aptly noted that the priests’ court was constructed of three courses of polished stones and one course of cedar beams. For the three courses of polished stones are faith, hope and charity, and the expression “of polished stones” is appropriate because each one needs a certain amount of intelligence to discern how he ought to believe and what he ought to hope for as well as love. But the one course of cedar beams is good works performed without being vitiated by outward show, since, if this condition is lacking, faith, hope and charity cannot be genuine. For it has often been said that on account of their pleasant fragrance and naturally incorruptible quality, cedar beams symbolize the enduring character and good repute of works of piety. All the elect who aim at pleasing God by faith, hope, love and action get as far as this court. Beyond it climb the perfect by the exalted grace of their merits since they reach such a peak of virtue that they can say to their hearers, “Be ...
Court of the priests.
Cedar. Some think that the court was surrounded with galleries, supported on three rows of pillars; or one gallery was above another, on pillars of stone, with a third supported by cedar pillars. (Menochius)
But Josephus takes no notice of these galleries. Others think that the wall of separation consisted only of two rows of stone, with a third of wood, in all three cubits high. (Josephus, viii. 2.) (Villalpand)
But the sacred writers seem rather to indicate, that beams of cedar were fixed in the walls, at the distance of three courses of stone, even to the top. This mode of architecture is clearly mentioned, chap. vii. 12., 1 Esdras vi. 3, 4., and v. 8., and Habacuc ii. 11. The ancients admired such a variety, and deemed the building more solid. (Vit. i. 5.) Eupolemus (ap. Eusebius, præp. ix. 34.) takes notice, that these beams were fastened together, in the temple, by hooks of copper, weighing each a talent. (Haydock)
Such was the structure of the inner cou...
