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6. The middle. At the height of 5 cu. there was a recess of 1 cu. in the outside of the Temple wall. On the top of this step rested the beams for the floor of the second story. The result was that the second-story chambers were a cubit more in depth than those of the first.

The third. At the ceiling of the second story there was another recess of a cubit in the Temple wall, making the rooms of the third and uppermost story 7 cu., or 10 ft. 2 1/2 in. (3.1 m.).

Narrowed rests. The chambers were in three stories. In order to preserve the sanctity of the Temple and at the same time allow the attachment of the exterior chambers, the outside of the main Temple wall was constructed in a series of steps upon which rested the beams forming the roofs of the chambers and the floors of the upper stories. There were three of these steps, each a cubit in depth. The Temple wall at the bottom was thus 3 cu. thicker than it was at the top. The outside wall of the service chambers was perpendicular, having no steps or rests. This arrangement resulted in the lowest series of chambers being the narrowest—5 cu. or 7 ft. 3 1/2 in. (2.2 m.). That was also their height (v. 10).

Not be fastened. With the arrangement of recessed walls just described, it would not be necessary for the beams supporting the floors of the outer chambers to pierce the Temple walls, but simply to lie upon the steps or “rests” provided by this type of construction. Thus there would be no basic union of these outside secular chambers with the sacred Temple itself.