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From this terrace apparently there were stairs
that led down to the next level. Entry to these
stairs and thus the court was protected by a stone
partition four and one-half feet high that had
inscribed on it warnings in Greek and Latin
prohibiting Gentiles from entering. Beyond this
partition was the court of Gentiles, which was a
large part of the temple enclosure and was
accessible to all people. In Mark 11 Jesus referred
to this area as having become used as a marketplace
and otherwise unsuitable for worship. By Jesus'
time the rest of the temple platform included many
other structures that added to the impressive
complex. Inside the walls there were porticoes with
colonnaded walkways, the best known of which is the
Royal Porch or Portico of Solomon.
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