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The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
Moses made one LAVER, as is said, "Thou shalt also make a laver of brass." 2 Solomon made ten lavers, as is said, "He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash." 3 "There is no meaning in saying 'five on the right hand, and five on the left,' and what is the meaning of saying 'five on the right hand, and five on the left?'" "Five on the right of the laver of Moses, and five on the left of the laver of Moses." Solomon added to it when he made the sea, as is said, "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; it was round all about, and his height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. And it was an handbreadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies, it contained two thousand baths." 4 It is not possible to say "two thousand," since before it is said "three thousand," 5 and it is not possible to say "three thousand," since before it is said "two thousand." "How can it be?" "Two thousand liquid make three thousand dry measure." But you don't know how much is the bath until it be said, "The ephah and the bath contain one measure," 6 "for ten baths are an homer." Allow ten baths for every cur—there are two hundred curs. Subtract from them fifty curs, and allow fifty square, there are one hundred and fifty cleansing pools; since every pool contains forty seahs." "And from whence do we know that every pool contains forty seahs?" "As is
said, 'And bathe his flesh in water,' 1 water to cover all his flesh." "And how much is it?" "A square cubit, in height three cubits." From thence the Sages judged the measure of a pool to be forty seahs. "And how can it contain one hundred and fifty cleansing-pools, if thou shalt say it was all round?" "It could not contain them." "If thou shalt say it was all square?" "It therefore contained more." But the three lowest cubits were square; allow for ten cubits square, there are an hundred cubits. Allow for an hundred square; there are an hundred cleansing-pools. The two highest cubits were round. Allow for ten cubits square; there are seventy-five cubits. Allow for seventy-five square; there are an hundred and fifty. Allow for fifty square; there are fifty cleansing-pools; since the square exceeds the round by a fourth. "And whence do we know that the square exceeds the round by a fourth?" "As is said, 'Ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.'" 2 This teaches that the square exceeds the round by a fourth. "And whence do we know that it was round above?" "As is said, 'And it was an handbreadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup.'" "And whence know we that it was square below?" "As is said, 'It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking towards the north, and three looking towards the west, and three looking towards the south, and three looking towards the east.'" 3 And what is meant by saying "looking towards" four times; but that when one entered the temple, he looked towards the right; when he entered into the court, he looked towards the right; when he entered the Mountain of the House, he looked towards the right; when the priest went up to the top of the altar, he looked towards the right. "And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen." 4 It follows that (there were) four rows of the heads of oxen, which served for the four sides, as is said, "And the similitude of oxen, two rows of oxen were cast
when it was cast." 1 And it was all cast even from the feet of the ox.
352:2 Exod. xxx. 18.
352:3 2 Chron. iv. 6.
352:4 1 Kings vii. 23, 26.
352:5 2 Chron. iv. 5.
352:6 Ezek. xlv. 11, 14.
353:1 Lev. xv. 13.
353:2 2 Chron. iv. 2.
353:3 iv. 4.
353:4 iv. 3.
354:1 The Jerusalem Talmud states that the water poured through the feet of the oxen, and that this was the well of Etham.