The Kohanim would stand guard in three places in the Holy Temple: In the Chamber of Avtinas, in the Chamber of the Ray, and in the Hall of the Fire. The Chamber of Avtinas and the Chamber of the Ray were upper stories, and the youngsters would guard there. 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.  They would not sleep in [their] holy vestments, rather they would remove [them] and fold [them], and place them beneath their heads, and they would cover themselves with their personal garment.  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. A large fire was there, as well as a latrine of dignity. This was its dignity: [If] one found it closed, he knew that there was a person there; [if he found it] open, he knew that there was no person there. He descended and immersed, ascended and dried himself off, and warmed himself in front of the large fire. He came and sat next to his fellow Kohanim until the gates were opened; he departed and went on his way.

One who wishes to separate some ash from the Altar, arises early and immerses before the appointed [Kohen] arrives. Now, at what time did the appointed [Kohen] arrive? Not all the [arrival] times were the same; at times he would arrive at the rooster’s cry, or close to it, [either] before it or after it. The appointed one would arrive and knock upon [the Temple gates], and they would open for him. He said to them: “Whoever has immersed should come and participate in the lottery.” They held a lottery; whoever won, won.