48 A History of Judaism
walls and doors surrounding the court, such as the golden chain dedi-
cated by Herod’s grandson Agrippa I to commemorate his release from
captivity in Rome,^ or the gilded gate donated (according to the Mishnah)
by a certain Nicanor from Alexandria. Huge tapestries displayed a pan-
orama of the heavens in purple, blue and scarlet. A remarkable golden
vine, described in some detail by Josephus, was sufficiently famous to
come to the attention of the gentile historian Tacitus. The precious
metals and stones glinted in the sun, giving rise in descriptions of the
building to recurrent images of intense light.^13
The Letter of Aristeas referred to the exceptional quiet of the Temple,
in which each official knew his task without instruction, but silence was
broken by the herds of animals being taken to slaughter or the occa-
sional sound of choral singing of psalms. The allocation of some of the
Psalms to the Temple liturgy on specific occasions probably goes back
to early times, since the relevant headings (such as ‘A Song for the Sab-
bath Day’) can be found in early Greek translations of the Hebrew; the
inclusion in the great Psalms Scroll, found at Qumran, of seven compo-
sitions not preserved in the later Hebrew and Greek traditions suggests
some continuing liturgical flexibility. More difficult to gauge is the
impact of the different smells of the Temple, from the incense offered on
the altar to the scent of roast meat from the sacrifices. These offerings
took place in the open air and presumably the rising smoke would dis-
sipate into the atmosphere: the fire of the altar, like the fire of the
candelabra, was secluded from ordinary worshippers in the area
reserved for priests. It is likely that some of these ordinary Jews would
visit the Temple, if they could, just to be in the divine presence and
address their prayers to God, as the barren Hannah did in the sanctuary
at Shiloh in earlier times before there were kings in Israel, according to
the biblical story of the birth of the prophet and judge Samuel.^ The pub-
lic offerings made by the priests on behalf of the nation on the altar
before the Holy of Holies – ‘a lamb a year old, without blemish ... and
the grain- offering ... and the drink- offering’ or ‘two loaves of bread as
an elevation- offering ... of choice flour, baked with leaven’ – were out
of sight of most of the worshippers in the Temple court, but individuals
had numerous religious obligations, even apart from their personal
offerings, to involve them in the heightened atmosphere of dedicated
piety.^14
Three times a year, on the great festivals of Pesach (Passover), Sha-
vuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles), the Temple was transformed
by the arrival of great crowds of pilgrims. The obligation for every adult