The women's courtyard was so named, not because it was used by women any more than by men. It was named as such because under normal circumstances, this was as far west (i.e. as close to the hearth - Heichal) as a woman would go.

The courtyard (whose walls enclosed an area 135x135 Amos) had one chamber built into each of its four corners

The south-east chamber was called the Office of the Nazirites. There, Nazirites (Jews who had accepted on themselves temporary vows abstaining from wine, haircuts and contact with the dead - see Numbers 5) would come at the end of their assigned terms to cut their hair (and have it burnt) and cook their offerings.

The room to the north-east was used by Kohanim for making sure that no wood destined for the fires of the altar was wormy (and hence, unfit). Beneath the tiled floor of the room, lay more surprises.

To the north-west was the chamber of Metzorayim. Here, Metzorayim at the end of their Tuma'ah period would go to the Mikvah and prepare themselves for the final stage of their purification.

Finally there was the storehouse of wine and oils in the south-west corner. There was a small flight of stairs and a door that connected this room to the mail courtyard above it.

Sticking out of the inner walls of the courtyard were beams, built to support temporary balconies.

The one other prominent feature of the Ezras Nashim was the building set aside for the second Sanhedrin of twenty-three judges (out of the three on the Temple Mount).

Rabbi Boruch Clinton teaches at the Ottawa Torah Institute yeshiva high school and Machon Sarah high school for girls (both in Ottawa, Canada). You may reach him with comments and questions at bclinton@torah.org.

You can now read some of Rabbi Clinton's essays on Torah life at http://www.ncf.ca/~es625/essays

You can also buy his collection of essays on the Book of Shmuel (Samuel) in printed form at www.lulu.com/marbitzmedia

Copyright © 2000 by Rabbi Boruch Clinton and Project Genesis, Inc.