Sunday, May 15, 2011  The outer court.  During the first century
King Herod had enclosed the outer court with colonnades and it
was referred to as the Outer Court because the "gentiles" (non-
Jews) were permitted to enter the Temple area their. They could
walk within it but they were forbidden to go any further than
the outer court.  These Temple precincts was divided into 4
courts: 1. The Court of the Women . 2. The Court of the
Israelites . 3. The Court of the Priests. 4. The Court outer
(Hel). The term “Court of Gentiles” is non-existent. However the
fact that ther...e was an area on the Temple Mount to which
Gentiles had access is hinted or referred to frequently in
ancient writings (e.g. by Philo in Legatio ad Caium 212; by
Josephus in The Jewish War II 341, V 194, VI 125, 126 and
Antiquities XV 417), and is explicitly mentioned in Josephus's
treaties Against Apion II 103, 104 in the following words:  Our
Temple . . . was surrounded by four courts. . . Admission to the
(outer court) was free to all, inclu