Gate

Deut. xvii. 5, 8. xxv. 6, 7. xxi. 19. xxii. 15. &c.GATE. We have nothing to remark concerning the material Gates or Doors belonging to the Houses of the old Hebrews, except this, that generally the Posts were of wood: for example, the Gates of the City of Gaza, which Samson carried away upon his Judg. xvi. 3.shoulders; that is to say, the Gate, Bars, Posts, and Locks, if there were any, were all carried away together by him. At present, the Doors of Houses and Churches in Palestine are generally very low; to prevent, as is said, the Arabians, who always go on horse-back in that country, from getting in, and doing any thing insolent there. However, I do not observe any thing like it among the old Hebrews.

But the word Gate is often used in Scripture to denote the place of publick Assemblies, where Justice was administred. As the Jews were for the most part employed in labouring in the fields, it was wisely provided, that Assemblies should be held at the City-gates, and Justice administred there in a summary manner, that those laborious men, who were busy at their work, might lose no time, and that the country-people who had affairs upon their hands in the town, might not be obliged to enter, and spend time there. Ne cogerentur agricolæ intrare urbes, & aliquod subire dispendium, Judices in portis residebant, ut tàm urbanos, quàm rusticos, in exitu & introitu urbis audirent, & finito negotio, unusquisque confestim ad sedes proprias revertentur. One Hieron. in Zech. viii.particular form of these Judgments is to be seen in that, which was given at the Gate of Bethlehem, between Boaz, and another person, a relation of Naömi’s, upon the subject of Ruth’s marriage, who was a Moabite; Ruth iv. 1. Gen. xxiii. 10, 18. Gen. xxii. 17.and in Abraham’s purchase of a field to bury Sarah. The field of Ephron was made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the Gate of his city.

The word Gate, Porta, is likewise sometimes put to signify power, dominion; almost in the same manner as the Turkish Emperor’s Palace is at this day called the Port. God promises Abraham, that the Posterity of this Patriarch shall possess the Gates of their enemies, their towns, their fortresses: Thy seed shall possess the Gate of his enemies. Jesus Christ says to St. Peter; Matth. xvi. 18.Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Bergeron. Voyage de Calpin, c. 10. D’Herbelot Bibl. Orient. p. 157. col. 1.The Scripture remarks, that the idol Dagon, the God of the Philistins, having fallen in the presence of the Ark, and the two hands of this statue having been found upon the threshold of the Temple, the Priests afterwards forbore to tread on it. Therefore neither the Priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day. The Prophet¹ Zephaniah seems to allude to this practice of the Philistins, under the name of those who leap on the threshold. The Vulgate reads, Super omnem qui arroganter ingreditur super limen. But the Hebrew implies, as we have said, against those who leap over the threshold.

Among the Tartars they never walk upon the thresholds of Princes, out of respect to them. The Caliphs of Bagdat obliged all who entred their Palaces to prostrate themselves upon the Door-threshold, wherein they set a piece of the black stone of the Temple at Mecca, to make it more venerable. venerable to the people; who applied their foreheads to it. This threshold was pretty high, and it had been a sin for any one to rest his feet upon it.

The Gates of Hell. King Hezekiah representing If. xxxviii. 10.in his hymn the condition he was in when he was sick, explains himself thus; I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the Gates of hell, or of the grave. Jesus Matth. xvi. 18.Christ in the Gospel says, that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church; which is the same thing probably that the Psal. ix. 15.Psalmist calls the Gates of death. Qui exaltat me de portis mortis. And in another place, They drew near us to the Gates of Psal. cvii. 18. Wisd. xvi. 13.death. And the author of Wisdom, Deducis ad portas mortis. The Hebrews looked upon death, the grave, hell, as a place, whither people came from all parts of the world, there to enter upon another life. We have seen elsewhere what idea they had of the abode of the old giants, who composed a sort of commonwealth under the earth. The Gentiles used expressions much of the same nature; founded, without doubt, upon the same opinions. Achilles, in Homer, says, He Homer. Iliad.hates the man who says one thing, and acts another, as he does the Gates of hell.

Alcoran, chap. of the Stone.The Mahometans allow seven Gates to hell, and to each assign its particular punishment; the first is that where Mussulmen, who incur the guilt of sin, will be tormented. The second is for Christians. The third for the Jews. The fourth for the Sabians. The fifth for the Magi or Guebres, worshippers of fire. The sixth for Pagans and Idolaters. The seventh and deepest part of the abyss, is for Hypocrites, who make an outward shew of Religion, and have none. Others by these seven Gates understand the seven capital sins. Others the seven principal Members of a man, which are the instruments of sin.

The everlasting Doors mentioned in Psalm xxiv. 7, 9. are the Gates of Heaven. Angels are invited to open them for the reception of our Lord at his return to Heaven. This agrees admirably with the ascension of Jesus Christ.

The Gates of Righteousness; Open to me Ps. cxviii. 19.the Gates of Righteousness; are those of the Temple, where the Righteous, the Saints, the Priests of the Lord, the true Israelites pay their vows and praises unto God; where none enter but purified Israelites, a nation of righteous men.

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