The Hall of the Fire had two gateways: one opened to the Cheil and one opened to the Courtyard. R’ Yehudah said: The [gateway] that opened to the Courtyard had a small doorway, through which [the Kohanim] would enter to inspect the Courtyard.

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.”

Inside of [the Temple Mount wall was] the Soreg, ten handbreadths high, and there were thirteen breaches in it, breached by the Greek kings. [The Jews] once again fenced in [those breaches] and decreed thirteen prostrations corresponding to them.  Inside of [the Soreg was] the Cheil, ten amos [long], and there were twelve steps there, the height of each step half an amah, and its tread half an amah.  All the steps that were there [in the Temple], the height of each step [was] half an amah, and its tread [was] half an amah, except for those of the Antechamber.  All the entryways and gateways that were there, their height [was] twenty amos, and their width [was] ten amos, except for that of the Antechamber.  All the entryways that were there had doors, except for that of the Antechamber.  All the gateways that were there had lintels, except for [the] Tadi Gate, for there were two stones leaning upon each other.  All the [doors of the] gateways that were there were changed to gold, except for those of the Nikanor Gate because a miracle occurred with them; and some say, because their copper shone.

All the walls that were there were [very] high, ex-cept for the eastern wall, so that the Kohen who burned the parah [adumah] could stand atop the Mount of Olives and direct his gaze through the Heichal Entrance at the time of the sprinkling of the blood.

The Women’s Courtyard was one hundred thirty-five [amos] in length by one hundred thirty-five [amos] in width. And there were four chambers at its four corners, [each] with a length of forty amos. [These chambers] were not roofed, and that is how they are [destined] to be. For it is stated (Ezekiel 46:21-22): “[The angel] brought me out into the Outer Courtyard, and led me past the four corners of the Courtyard, and behold, an enclosure at one corner of the Courtyard, an enclosure at one corner of the Courtyard; at the four corners of the Courtyard [were] enclosures that were ‹keturos’ ”; and [the term] “keturos” denotes nothing other than the fact that they were unroofed.  And what were their functions? [The] southeastern chamber —- it was the Chamber of the Nezirim, for there the nezirim would cook their shelamim offerings and shave their hair and cast [the shorn hair] beneath the cauldron. [The] northeastern chamber —- it was the Chamber of the Wood, for there the Kohanim who were physically blemished would sort out the wormy pieces of wood, and any [piece of] wood in which a worm was found was disqualified from [being used] upon the Altar. [The] northwestern chamber —- it was the Chamber of the Metzoraim. [Regarding the] southwestern chamber, R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov said: I forgot what function it served.  Abba Shaul says: They used to place wine and oil there, [and] it was called “the Chamber Housing the Oils.” It was originally smooth, and they surrounded it with a balcony so that the women should watch from above and the men from below, so that they should not be intermingled.  And fifteen steps ascended from within [the Women’s Courtyard] to the Israelites’ Courtyard, corresponding to the fifteen Songs of Ascents that are [found] in Psalms; for upon [these steps] the Leviim would utter song. [These fifteen steps] were not straight; rather, [they were] rounded, like half a circular threshing floor.

And there were chambers beneath the Israelites’ Courtyard which were open to the Women’s Courtyard; there the Leviim would place harps, lyres, cymbals, and all [other] musical instruments.  The Israelites’ Courtyard was one hundred thirty-five amos in length by eleven [amos] in width. And similarly, the Kohanim’s Courtyard was one hundred thirty-five [amos] in length by eleven [amos] in width. And the ends of beams separated between the Israelites’ Courtyard and the Kohanim’s Courtyard. R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: There was a step [there], one amah high, and the Platform rested upon it, and in [the Platform were] three steps, each with a height of half an amah. It is found [that] the Kohanim’s Courtyard is higher than the Israelites’ Courtyard [by] 21/2 amos.  The entire Courtyard was one hundred eighty-seven [amos] in length by one hundred thirty-five [amos] in width, and there were thirteen prostrations there. Abba Yose ben Chanan says: Corresponding to [the] thirteen gateways [of the Courtyard]. The southern gateways, adjacent to the west: the Upper Gate, the Kindling Gate, the Gate of the Firstborns, and the Water Gate. And why was its name called the Water Gate? Because through it they would bring in the flask of water for the libations during Succos. R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: And because there the [stream of] water is as [wide as that which issues] from a flask, and in the future will emerge from under the threshold of the Temple.  And opposite [the southern gateways], in the north, adjacent to the west: the Gate of Yechoniah, the Gate of the Offering, the Women’s Gate, the Gate of the Song. And why was it called the Gate of Yechoniah? Because through it Yechoniah exited [the Courtyard] when he was exiled.  In the east [was] the Nikanor Gate. And [the Nikanor Gate] had two minor doorways, one to its right and one to its left. And there were two [gateways] in the west that did not have any name.