Historical Background of the Bible

 
The Temple at the Time of the Gospels

At the time of the Gospels, the Temple in Jerusalem was much more than a place for worship. Herod the Great, who ruled from 37-4 BC, conceived the idea of rebuilding the Temple. At first he met considerable resistance but after he proposed to prefabricate everything off site, to use priests trained as craftsmen to work within the sacred areas and not disrupt the regular Temple schedule, the Jews agreed to proceed. The platform on which the Temple itself stood, was almost doubled in size, making this the largest open area in the city. It was, therefore, the place where a great many people congregated. A variety of shops and financial traders were in a colonnade (stoa) on the southern edge of the platform. The Sanhedrin, the parliament of that day, met in the eastern end of this stoa. Shops were also along the outside of the southern and western wails. Cloth, wool, shoes, dates and other foodstuffs were sold from these shops. Municipal offices or council chambers, as they were referred to by Josephus, were close by.

Priests taught every day except the Sabbath from the raised platform, which bounded the Temple itself to the south, the west and the north. The audience was free to ask questions and comment at this outdoor school.
The treasury was also housed in the Temple precincts. The Temple was, therefore, the religious, administrative, financial, commercial and social centre for Jerusalem at the time of the Gospels.

Herod the Great had raised the Temple portico to its original height in Solomon's day and gilded the exterior making this a most impressive structure. He had promoted the construction of an upscale suburb to the west of the Temple and enlarged the cities water supply sufficient for both industrial and personal uses. Herod and others had built large palaces in Jerusalem. The city wails had been strengthened and extended, several defensive towers had been included. At the time of the Gospels, Herod the Great had transformed a small struggling city into a sophisticated metropolis, which became the setting for many of the events recorded in New Testament Gospels.

Source: Leen and Kathleen Ritmeyer, Jerusalem in 30 AD, Ritmeyer Archaelolgical Design, Harrogate, England.