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.