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.”

And there were rings to the north of the Altar, six rows of four rings each; and some say: four rows of six rings each. For by [these rings] they would slaughter the [offerings of] kodashim.  The butchering area was to the north of the Altar, and upon it [were] eight dwarf pillars, and square blocks of cedar [were set] upon [these pillars], and hooks of iron were affixed in [the cedar blocks]. And each [block] had three rows [of hooks], upon which they would hang [the animals] and skin [them] upon marble tables which stood between the [dwarf] pillars.

The Laver was [located] between the Antechamber and the Altar and was drawn toward the south.  Between the Antechamber and the Altar [were] twenty-two amos and there were twelve steps there; [the] height of [each] step [was] half an amah, and its tread [was] one amah. One amah, one amah, and a landing [of] three amos; and one amah, one amah, and a landing [of] three [amos]; and the uppermost [set]: one amah, one amah [etc.], and a landing [of] four [amos]. R’ Yehudah says: The [steps of the] uppermost [set were] one amah, one amah [etc.], and a landing [of] five amos.

[The] entrance of the Antechamber, its height [was] forty amos and its width [was] twenty amos, and five decorated oak beams were above [the entrance].  The bottom [beam] was wider than the entrance [by] one amah on this side and one amah on this side; the [beam] above it was wider than [the first beam by] one amah on this side and one amah on this side. It is found [that] the uppermost [beam was] thirty amos, and a row of stones was between each and every [beam].

And beams of cedar were fixed between the wall of the Heichal and the wall of the Antechamber so that [the wall] should not buckle.  And chains of gold were attached to the ceiling of the Antechamber, which young Kohanim [would] climb up and see the crowns, as it is stated (Zechariah 6:14): “The crowns will be a remembrance for Helem, for Tobijah, for Jedaiah, and for Chen, son of Zephaniah, in the Heichal of Hashem.”  [A] golden grapevine stood at the entrance of the Heichal and [it was] suspended upon wooden poles. Anyone who donated a leaf or a single grape or a cluster of grapes, would bring [their donation] and hang it upon [the golden vine]. R’ Eliezer the son of R’ Tzadok said: There was once an incident where three hundred Kohanim were appointed on its account.

The entrance of the Heichal: Its height [was] twenty amos, and its width [was] ten amos. And it had four doors, two at the inside and two at the outside, as it is stated (Ezekiel 41:23): There were two doors to the Heichal and to the Holy [of Holies]. The outer [doors] opened into the entrance to cover the thickness of [the] wall, and the inner [doors] opened into the Heichal to cover [the area] behind the doors, for the entire Heichal was plated with gold, except for [the area] behind the doors.  R’ Yehudah says: [Both sets of doors] stood within the entranceway, and they were like an isteramita insofar as they folded back on themselves: the [outer doors occupied] two and a half amos and the [inner doors occupied] two and a half amos, [leaving] half an amah [for] the doorpost on this side and half an amah [for] the doorpost on this side; as it is stated (Ezekiel 41:24): There were two doors for [each one of] the doors, two swinging doors: two for one door and two doors for the other.

The Great Gate had two minor doorways, one in the north and one in the south. The one to the south, no man ever entered through it. [The reason for] this is explained by [the prophet] Ezekiel, as it is stated (Ezekiel 44:2): Hashem said to me, ”This gate shall be closed, it shall not be opened; a man shall not come through it, because Hashem, the God of Israel, comes through it; it shall be closed.”  He took the key and opened the minor doorway and entered the cell, and from the cell [he went] to the Heichal. R’ Yehudah says: He would walk within the thickness of the [Heichal’s] wall until he is found standing between the [Heichal’s] two sets of doors; and he opened the outer [doors] from the inside and the inner [doors] from the outside.

Thirty-eight cells were there: fifteen in the north, fifteen in the south, and eight in the west. [Those] in the north and in the south: five [cells] on top of five, and five on top of them. And those in the west: three [cells] on top of three and two on top of them.  Each [cell] had three openings: one to the cell on the right, one to the cell on the left, and one to the cell above it. But [in the cell] at the northeast corner were five openings: one to the cell on the right, one to the cell above it, one to the Winding Ramp, one to the minor doorway, and one to the Heichal.

The [cells of the] bottom [level were] five [amos wide], and [with] the ledge [were] six [amos]. The [cells of the] middle [level were] six [amos wide], and [with] the ledge [were] seven [amos]. The [cells of the] top [level were] seven [amos wide]. As it is stated (I Kings 6:6): The lowest cell, five amos was its width; the middle one, six amos was its width; and the third one, seven amos was its width.