Within this is a court or courts with apartments opening into them. Over the door is a projecting
window with a lattice more or less elaborately wrought, which, except in times of public celebrations
is usually closed. (2 Kings 9:30) An awning is sometimes drawn over the court, and the floor is
strewed with carpets on festive occasions. The stairs to the upper apartments are in Syria usually
in a corner of the court. Around part, if not the whole, of the court is a veranda, often nine or ten
feet deep, over which, when there is more than one floor, runs a second gallery of like depth, with
a balustrade. When there is no second floor, but more than one court, the women’s
apartments—hareems, harem or haram—are usually in the second court; otherwise they form a
separate building within the general enclosure, or are above on the first floor. When there is an
upper story, the ka’ah forms the most important apartment, and thus probably answers to the “upper
room,” which was often the guest-chamber. (Luke 22:12; Acts 1:13; 9:37; 20:8) The windows of
the upper rooms often project one or two feet, and form a kiosk or latticed chamber. Such may have
been “the chamber in the wall.” (2 Kings 4:10,11) The “lattice,” through which Ahasiah fell, perhaps
belonged to an upper chamber of this kind, (2 Kings 1:2) as also the “third loft,” from which
Eutychus fell. (Acts 20:9) comp. Jere 22:13 Paul preached in such a room on account of its superior
rise and retired position. The outer circle in an audience in such a room sat upon a dais, or upon
cushions elevated so as to be as high as the window-sill. From such a position Eutychus could easily
fall. There are usually no special bed-rooms in eastern houses. The outer doors are closed with a
wooden lock, but in some cases the apartments are divided from each other by curtains only. There
are no chimneys, but fire is made when required with charcoal in a chafing-dish; or a fire of wood
might be made in the open court of the house (Luke 22:65) Some houses in Cairo have an apartment
open in front to the court with two or more arches and a railing, and a pillar to support the wall
above. It was in a chamber of this size to be found in a palace, that our Lord was being arraigned
before the high priest at the time when the denial of him by St. Peter took place. He “turned and
looked” on Peter as he stood by the fire in the court, (Luke 22:56,61; John 18:24) whilst he himself
was in the “hall of judgment.” In no point do Oriental domestic habits differ more from European
than in the use of the roof. Its flat surface is made useful for various household purposes, as drying
corn, hanging up linen, and preparing figs and raisins. The roofs are used as places of recreation
in the evening, and often as sleeping-places at night. (1 Samuel 9:25,26; 2 Samuel 11:2; 16:22; Job
27:18; Proverbs 21:9; Daniel 4:29) They were also used as places for devotion and even idolatrous
worship. (2 Kings 23:12; Jeremiah 19:13; 32:29; Zephaniah 1:6; Acts 10:9) At the time of the feast
of tabernacles booths were erected by the Jews on the top of their houses. Protection of the roof by
parapets was enjoined by the law. (22:8) Special apartments were devoted in larger houses to winter
and summer uses. (Jeremiah 36:22; Amos 3:15) The ivory house of Ahab was probably a palace
largely ornamented with inlaid ivory. The circumstance of Samson’s pulling down the house by
means of the pillars may be explained by the fact of the company being assembled on tiers of
balconies above each other, supported by central pillars on the basement; when these were pulled
down the whole of the upper floors would fall also. (Judges 16:26)
How The Prophetic Gift Was Received
—We learn from Holy Scripture that it was by the agency of the Spirit of God that the prophets
received the divine communication; but the means by which the divine Spirit communicated with
the human spirit, and the conditions of the latter under which the divine communications were
received, have not been clearly declared to us. They are however, indicated. In (Numbers 12:6-8)
frankie
(Frankie)
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