Antonia

ANTONIA, a Tower or Fortress of Jerusalem, situated towards the west and north-angle of the Temple, and built by Herod the Great in honour of his Friend Mark Antony, upon an eminence cut steep on all sides, and inclosed with a wall three hundred cubits high. It contained many apartments, bagnio’s and halls, so that it might well pass for a very fine Palace. It was in form of a square Tower, with four Towers at the four corners to defend it. It was so high that one might look from thence into the Temple; and there was a bridge or vault, whereby a Communication was kept up between this Tower or Palace and the Temple¹: So that as the Temple was in some sort the Citadel of the Town, the Tower of Antonia was the Citadel of the Temple. There is frequent mention made in Josephus of the Tower of Antonia, particularly in his History of the Jewish War. The Romans generally kept a Garrison in it, and from thence it was, that the Tribune ran with his Soldiers to rescue S. Paul out of the hands of the Jews, who had seized him in the Temple, Acts xxi. 31, 32.and designed to put him to death.

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