2. And in the southwestern corner were two holes as two thin nostrils, that the blood poured upon the western and southern foundation should run into them; and it commingled in a canal and flowed out into the Kidron. 3. Below in the plaster in the same corner there was a place a cubit square, with a marble tablet, and a ring fastened in it. Through it they descended to the sewer and cleansed it. And there was a sloping ascent(579) to the south of the altar, thirty-two cubits long by sixteen broad. In its western side was a closet, where they put the birds unmeet for the sin-offering. 4. Either the stones of the sloping ascent, or the stones of the altar were from the valley of Bethcerem.(580) And they digged deeper than virgin soil, and brought from thence perfect stones over which iron(581) was not waved. For the iron defiles by touching. And a scratch defiles everything. In any of them a scratch defiled, but the others were lawful. And they whitewashed them twice in the year; once at the passover, and once at the feast of Tabernacles. And the Sanctuary (was whitewashed) once at the passover. The Rabbi said, “every Friday evening they whitewashed them with a mop on account of the blood.” They did not plaster it with an iron trowel, “mayhap it will touch and defile.” Since iron is made to shorten the days of man, and the altar is made to lengthen the days of man, it is not lawful, that what shortens should be waved over what lengthens. 5. And there were rings to the northern side of the altar, six rows of four each: though some say four rows of six each. Upon them the priests slaughtered the holy beasts. The slaughter-house was at the north side of the altar. And in it were eight dwarf pillars with a beam of cedar-wood over them. And in them were fastened iron hooks—three rows to each pillar. Upon them they hung up (the bodies), and skinned them upon marble tables between the pillars. 6. The laver was between the porch and the altar, but inclined more to the south. Between the porch and the altar were twenty-two cubits, and there were twelve steps. The height of each step was half a cubit, and its breadth a cubit—a cubit—a cubit—a landing three cubits—a cubit—a cubit and a landing three cubits. And the upper one a cubit—a cubit, and the landing four cubits. Rabbi Jehudah said, “the upper one a cubit—a cubit, and the landing five cubits.” 7. The doorway of the porch was forty cubits high, and twenty broad. Over it were five carved oak beams. The lower one extended beyond the doorway a cubit on either side. The one over it extended a cubit on either side. It follows that the uppermost was thirty cubits; and between each one there was a row of stones.