MISHNAH: Where were these prostrations? Four in the North, four in the South, three in the East, and two in the West, corresponding to the thirteen gates.
The Southern gates close to the West⁵⁶The gates of the Temple courtyard were not symmetrical in the wall but more to the West; they are enumerated from West to East.: the Upper Gate, the Fuel Gate, the Firstborns’ Gate, the Water gate. And why was it called Water Gate? For there they bring in the phial of water for the water libation on Tabernacles. Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob said, the water will drizzle in the future from under the threshold⁵⁷As predicted in Ez. 47:1–5.
Opposite them⁹²Continued enumeration of the 13 gates of the Temple compound. in the North, close to the West, the Jechoniah⁹³He is called Jehoiachin in Kings and Chronicles, Koniahu in Jeremiah, Jechoniah in Esther. gate, the Sacrifice gate, the Women’s gate, the Song’s gate. And why was it called the Jechoniah gate? For through it Jechoniah left in his deportation⁹⁴Middot35b.. In the East the Nikanor gate⁹⁵Cf. Yoma3:8, Notes 317 ff., which had two small entrances⁹⁶Where the people charged with opening the large doors to the public could enter with a key., one to the right and one to the left. And two in the West which had no names.

HALAKHAH: The Mishnah is Abba Yose ben Ḥanin’s, since Abba Yose ben Ḥanin said, corresponding to the thirteen gates. But according to the Rabbis there were seven gates⁵⁸As described in Mishnah Middot1:4.. In the Rabbis’ opinion, where were the thirteen prostrations? As we have stated there⁵⁹Mishnah Middot2:3., “There were thirteen breaches, were the Greek kings breached it; they came back and closed them and decided correspondingly thirteen prostrations.”

It is written⁶⁰Sach. 14:8., on that day, fresh water will flow out from Jerusalem, etc. It was stated: From the Holiest of Holies to the gobelins like the feelers of silai and bilai⁶¹These seem to be tiny insects, not further identified.. From the gobelins to the golden altar like the horns of locusts. From the golden altar to the courtyards like a shut-thread, from the courtyards to the threshold of the Temple like woof-thread, from there onwards like the pouring from a jug: behold, water drizzled from the right hand side⁶²Ez. 47:2. (Yoma77b–78a).. It is written⁶³Ez. 47:3–5. Tosephta Sukkah3:3–7., when the man left towards the East, with a measuring rod in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits and made me cross the water, ankle water. Up to his ankles. Then he measured another thousand cubits and made me cross the water, knee water. Up to his knees. Then he measured another thousand cubits and made me cross the water, hip water. Up to his hips. From there on, then he measured another thousand, a river which cannot be crossed. Even a large Liburnian⁶⁴Latin liburna(sc. navis), the standard fast commercial sail ship. could not cross it. What is the reason? No mighty ship may cross it⁶⁵Is.33:21.; why? The water was high, swimming water⁶⁶Ez. 47:5. The word has to be explained since in common usage שיט, not שחה, was used for “to swim”.. What is “swimming water”? Where one swims. Rebbi Ḥuna said, in our place one calls the swimmer seḥuna. He moves his hands in himself, as a swimmer would move to swim⁶⁷Is. 25:11.. What means “to swim”? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, in unruly water⁶⁸Explanation of the verse; the movements referred to are those of a desperate person.. It is written⁶⁹Sach. 13:1. It is presumed that the prophesies of Ezechiel and Sachariah refer to the same matter and one may be used to explain to other.: On this day, a water-source will be opened for the House of David and the dwellers in Jerusalem, for purification and impurity. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: From the House of David⁷⁰The Temple. to the dwellers in Jerusalem it is qualified for impurity and purification⁷¹“Purification” here means water with ashes of the Red Cow, used to purify from the impurity of the dead, which in Num. 19:9 is called “purification”.. Farther away it is mixed water, qualified for impurity but disqualified for purification⁷²Only spring water is qualified as “purification,” Num. 19:17. All other impurities are removed by immersion in a miqweh, which may contain any kind of water, including rain water.. Rebbi Eleazar said, from the House of David to the dwellers in Jerusalem it is qualified for impurity and purification. Farther away it is water running down⁷³Greek καταφερής, -ές adj. “inclines downwards”, used in the sense of “rapidly flowing water”., disqualified for impurity⁷⁴Since a miqweh is a “collection” of water, it cannot be a waterfall (or any shower). The same holds for rapidly flowing water; Mishnah Ṭahorot8:9. and purification.

It is written⁷⁵Ez. 47:8.: He said to me, these waters flow out to the Eastern district, this is Lake Samchonitis⁷⁶Lake Huleh., and descends to the lowlands, this is Lake Tiberias, and comes to the sea, this is the Salt Sea⁷⁷The Dead Sea., the sea of outgoing water, this is the Great Sea⁷⁸The Mediterranean.. And why is it called the sea of outgoing water? For the two times it came out, [once in the generation of Enosh, and once in the generation of the Dispersal.]⁷⁹Corrector’s addition from B; its statement understood by all texts.. Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: The first time it went out up to Calabria, the second time it went to the Capes of Barbary⁸⁰He holds that the Eastern Mediterranean was part of the original creation; it was connected to the Okeanos through the Straights of Gibraltar by later catastrophes. Cf. Gen. rabba23(11).. Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: The first time it went out to the Capes of Barbary, the second time it came to Acco and Jaffa⁸¹He holds that the Mediterranean was not part of the original creation; it was formed by waters of the Okeanos through the Straights of Gibraltar by later catastrophes.. Up to here you shall come but no more⁸²Job38:11.; up to Acco you shall come but not add. And there you stop the might of your waves⁸²Job38:11., at Jaffa⁸³Reading וּפֹא as יפו. Yalqut Šim`ony#924. you stop the might of your waves. One understands the Great Sea and the Salt Sea, to make them sweet. Lake Tiberias and Lake Samchonitis⁸⁴Since it is written that the river flowing out from the Temple brings healing to the water, what healing can it bring to sweet water lakes?? To increase their fish; their fish shall be in kinds⁸⁵Ez. 47:10.; in great number shall be the kinds of their fish. It was stated: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, it happened that I went to Sidon and they brought before me more than 300 kinds of fish on one tray.

The waters will be healed⁷⁵Ez. 47:8.. Its ponds and its puddles will not be healed, they will be given for salt⁸⁵Ez. 47:10.. It is written, the waters will be healed, and you are saying, they will not be healed? There is a place called “will not be healed.”

It is written⁸⁶Ez. 47:11. Taaniot1:2 (ת)., on the banks of the river on both sides all kinds of fruit tree will grow; its leaf shall not wilt, and its fruit not stop; in its months it shall produce first fruits. It was stated: Rebbi Jehudah said, in the present world grain grows in six months and trees produce every twelve months, but in the future grain will grow in a month and trees will produce in two months. Rebbi Yose said, in the present world grain grows in six months and trees produce every twelve months, but in the future grain will grow in fifteen days and trees will produce in a month, for so we find that grain grew in the days of Joel in fifteen days, and the ‘Omer was brought from it. What is the reason? The people of Zion shall enjoy and be happy in the Eternal, your God, for He in truth gave you strong rain, early rain and late rain in the first {month}⁸⁷Ez. 47:12. How does Rebbi Yose satisfy in its months it shall produce first fruits? Every month it shall produce first fruits⁸⁸Joel2:23.. And its leaf as medicine⁸⁶Ez. 47:11. Taaniot1:2 (ת).. Rebbi Joḥanan said, its healing is that one looks at it and food is turned into medicine. Rav and Samuel, one says, to open the upper mouth⁸⁹Toothaches and any disease of the mouth. Menaḥot95a., but the other one says, to open the lower mouth⁹⁰Constipation.. Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Joshua ben Levi, one says, to open the mouth of sterile women⁹¹The womb., but the other one says, to open the mouth of the dumb.

⁹⁷A shortened version of a text in Lev. rabba19(6). For the first part, cf. also Gen. rabba94, end. The text cannot be considered as historical reconstruction; it is part of an attempt to project the rabbinic establishment of the time as dominating factor inherited from Moses, prophets, and kings. You are finding that when Nebuchadnezzar campaigned here, he came and sat in Daphne of Antiochia. The Great Synhedrion went to him and said to him, did the time come that this House be destroyed? He said to them, give me the one which I made king over you and I will depart. They came and said to Jehoiachin, the king of Judea, Nebuchadnezzar wants you. ⁹⁸This is better read as a story about the destruction of the Temple, Babli Ta`anit29a, where the two Amoraic statements are combined into one (and the language of B is adjusted to fit the language there.) When he heard this from them, he took the keys of the Temple and climbed to the roof of the Temple. He said before Him: Master of the world! In the past we were trustworthy for You and Your keys were handed to us. Now that we are not trustworthy for You, Your keys are handed to You. Two Amoraim, One said, he threw them upwards and they never returned. The other said, He saw that something like a hand came and took them from him. When all the freeholders of Jehudah heard this, they climbed to the tops of their roofs, fell down, and died. That is what is written⁹⁹Is.22:1., Saying about the valley of vision: Why are you doing this, that you climbed on all roofs, the noisy, full, humming city.