The heavy smell of burning animal fat and incense filled the air over Jerusalem in the early second century b.c. Thousands of worshippers crowded into the temple courtyards during the autumn festivals. The high priest Simon stood above the massive crowds. He wore heavy linen and gold garments that reflected the harsh sun. His movements required extreme precision. He lifted the sacrificial portions over the fire. Blood from the slaughtered livestock ran down dedicated channels into the earth below the brazen altar.
This blood flowed into a vast subterranean catchment system built to serve the expanding cultic center. Simon oversaw major construction on the temple mount during his life. He ordered workers to excavate a massive reservoir to hold water for the constant ritual washings. Engineers dug deep into the bedrock to create a basin measuring over 50 feet deep. They also fortified the perimeter walls to protect the temple precinct from regional conflicts between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires. These defensive walls enclosed a self-sustaining complex that relied entirely on the newly excavated cisterns.
The massive volume of stored water allowed the priests to operate the sacrificial hearth without interruption. Simon stood by the heat of this bronze structure while his fellow priests handed him the butchered meat. He reached out his hands to accept the heavy offerings. The assembly of priests formed a tight circle around him. They resembled a grove of tall cedar trees standing firm on the slopes of Mount Lebanon. He poured out wine at the base of the altar to conclude the daily ritual. The smell of the wine mixed with the dense smoke rising into the sky.
A solitary figure standing against the smoke of the hearth becomes the center of the world for those who watch.
The thousands of worshippers watched this central figure lift the final cup. They dropped to the ground in unison when the silver trumpets sounded. The blast of the horns echoed off the fortified walls and rolled out over the Judean hills. Simon shouted a loud blessing over the prostrate crowd. The echo faded into the vast valleys stretching out past the city limits. The priests turned back to the bloody altar and prepared for the next round of slaughter.