The Altar was thirty-two [amos] by thirty-two [amos]. [It] ascended one amah and went inward one amah; this [tier] was the base. It is found [to be] thirty by thirty [amos]. [It] ascended five [amos] and went inward one amah; this [tier] was the ledge. It is found [to be] twenty-eight by twenty-eight [amos]. The space for the horns [measured] an amah on this [side] and an amah on this [side]. It is found [to be] twenty-six by twenty-six [amos]. The space where the feet of the Kohanim walked [measured] an amah on this [side] and an amah on this [side]. It is found [to be] twenty-four by twenty-four [amos]; [this is] the space for the pyre.  R’ Yose said: Originally [the Altar] was only twenty-eight by twenty-eight [amos]; it narrowed and ascended in this same manner until it is found [that] the space for the pyre [measured only] twenty by twenty [amos]. But when the exiles ascended, they added to [the Altar] four amos on the south and four amos on the west in the shape of a gamma, as it is stated (Ezekiel 43:16): “And the hearth area is twelve [amos] long by twelve wide, square.” It might be [thought] that [the space for the pyre] was only twelve by twelve [amos]. When [the verse] states ”for its four quadrants,” it teaches that it is from the centerpoint [of the Altar] that [the verse] is measuring twelve amos in each direction.  And a line of red encircled [the Altar] at the halfway point [of its height], to separate between the upper bloods and the lower bloods. And the base traversed the entire north side and the entire west side [of the Altar], and consumes one amah in the south and one amah in the east.

And at the southwest corner there were two holes like two fine nostrils, so that the [sacrificial] bloods which were placed on the western base and on the southern base would drain through them and mix together in the stream, and [the blood-enriched water] would flow out to the Kidron Valley.

Below on the floor at that corner was a [hollow] place [that measured] one amah by one amah, and [on top of this hollow there was] a marble tile with a ring fixed in it, that through it they would descend to the shis to clean it.  And there was a ramp to the south of the Altar, [which measured] thirty-two [amos] by a width of sixteen [amos]. And [the ramp] had an alcove built in to its west [side], for there they would place the unfit bird chatas [-offerings].

Both the stones of the Altar and the stones of the ramp [were quarried] from the valley of Beis Karem. And they would dig beneath virgin soil, and bring from there whole stones which had not been touched by iron, for iron renders unfit [simply] by touching, and by being nicked by anything.  If one of [the stones] was nicked, it is unfit, but the rest of them are [still] fit.  And they would reface [the stones] twice a year, once on Pesach and once on Succos. And the Heichal [was refinished] once [a year], on Pesach. Rebbi says: Every Friday they would clean [the Altar] with a [wet] cloth, on account of the blood.  They would not apply the coat of lime to [the stones] with an iron trowel, lest it touch [the stones] and render [them] unfit. For iron was created to shorten the life of man, while the Altar was created to lengthen the life of man; it is not right that the “shortener” should be lifted up upon the “lengthener.”