The Hall of the Fire [was] a dome. And it was a large house, encircled with ledges of stone. And the elders of the beis av would sleep there, and the keys of the Courtyard were in their hands. And the young Kohanim [would sleep] each with his pillow on the ground.

And there was a hollow place there [that measured] one amah by one amah, and a marble tile with a ring was fixed in it, and a chain upon which the keys were hung. When the time to lock [the gates] arrived, [the Kohen] would lift the tile with the ring and remove the keys from the chain, and then the Kohen would lock [the gates] from the inside, [while] the Levi was sleeping outside. When [the Kohen] finished locking [the gates], he would return the keys to the chain and the tile to its place. He would then place his covering upon [the tile] and go to sleep.  If one of [the Kohanim] experienced a seminal emission, he would exit [the Hall of the Fire] and proceed through the tunnel that went under the Birah, and there were lamps burning here and there, until he reached the immersion room. R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: He would leave through a [second] tunnel that went under the Cheil, and he would exit [the Temple Mount] and go on his way, via Tadi.

The Temple Mount was five hundred amos by five hundred amos. The majority of [the space] was in the south; [the] second [largest area] was in the east; [the] third [largest area] was in the north; [the] minority of [space] was in the west. The area that had the greatest size also saw the most use.

All those entering the Temple Mount enter toward the right and circle and exit toward the left, except for one to whom something [adverse] occurred, for he would circle toward the left. “Why are you circling toward the left?” “Because I am a mourner.” “May the One Who dwells in this House comfort you.” “Because I was excommunicated.” “May the One Who dwells in this House instill [compassion] into [your colleagues’] hearts, that they should draw you close;” [these are] the words of R’ Meir. R’ Yose said to [R’ Meir]: You have made them out as if they overstepped the bounds of the law! Rather, [they should say:] “May He Who dwells in this House instill [reason] into your heart, that you should hearken to the words of your colleagues, and they shall then draw you close.”