Yoma 16b (טז:) — the Talmud in English

Ten cubits

the middle section of the altar was

opposite

the ten cubits of

the opening of the Heikhal.

Eleven cubits

from it—

to the north

of the opening of the Heikhal.

And eleven cubits—

to the south

of the opening of the Heikhal.

It follows

that the center of the

altar was aligned opposite

the opening of the

Heikhal, and

the entire altar was aligned opposite the entire width of

its walls

of the Heikhal. [The width of the Heikhal was twenty cubits, and each of its walls was six cubits thick, making thirty-two cubits altogether, equal to the width of the altar.]

The width of the Sanctuary was twenty cubits, and each of its walls was six cubits thick, making thirty-two cubits altogether, equal to the width of the altar.

And the Gemara asks:

And if it should enter your mind

that your statement is correct, that the tanna of tractate

[Middot]

was Rabbi Judah,

then this is difficult:

An altar in the middle of the courtyard—

can you find such a thing,

how could this be found according to the tanna of tractate Middot!?

And we learned

in tractate Middot [chapter 5, mishnayot 1–2]:

The entire courtyard was: one hundred eighty-seven cubits in length

cubits

by one hundred thirty-five cubits in width

cubits.

The length,

from east to west—

one hundred eighty-seven

cubits, according to the following breakdown:

a.

The area where the Israelites stood—

eleven cubits.

b.

The area where the priests stood—

eleven cubits.

c.

The altar—

thirty-two

cubits.

d.

Between the Hall and the altar—

twenty-two.

e.

And the Heikhal—

one hundred cubits.

f.

And eleven cubits—

behind the Holy of Holies.

One hundred eighty-seven cubits in length altogether.

And the width,

from south to north—

one hundred thirty-five

according to the following breakdown: [see illustration at the end of the book]

a.

The ramp and the altar—

sixty-two.

b.

From the altar to the rings—

eight cubits.

c.

The area of the rings—

twenty-four.

d.

From the rings to the tables—

four.

e.

From the tables to the nanshin—

four.

f.

From the nanshin to the courtyard wall—

eight cubits.

One hundred ten cubits altogether.

g. The area occupied by the tables themselves was four cubits.

One hundred fourteen cubits altogether.

h.

And the remainder [one hundred thirty-five cubits minus one hundred fourteen, which is twenty-one cubits]—was divided equally between the two areas:

one hundred thirty-five cubits less one hundred fourteen, which is twenty-one cubits ] was divided equally between the two areas:

Between the ramp and the wall—

ten and a half cubits.

And the area of the nanshin—

ten and a half cubits.

The nanshin were posts into which iron hooks were fixed, and the slaughtered sacrifices were hung upon them for flaying. [See illustration at the end of the book]

And if it should enter your mind

that the tanna of

[Middot was Rabbi Judah—

can you find an altar in the middle of the courtyard?

But according to the calculation presented in this Mishna,

most of the altar

stands in the south!

For the ten and a half cubits between the ramp and the southern wall of the courtyard, plus the thirty-two cubits of the ramp, plus the thirty-two cubits of the altar, total seventy-two and a half cubits.

And the line dividing the courtyard from north to south is at the sixty-seventh and a half cubit.

It follows that, according to the Mishna in Middot, most of the altar is located in the southern part of the courtyard.