PORCH
A covered entrance to a building, or a place for waiting before entering. The Hebrew word ʼu·lamʹ basically means “the anterior part, front” and hence “vestibule, porch.” In the Hebrew Scriptures this word is not used in regard to an architectural portion of individual homes, private houses. Whether Israelite homes had a porch of some sort is difficult to determine. But the archaeological remains of some houses in Megiddo indicate that they were built around a courtyard and that “one ground floor room served as an entrance vestibule.” (The Biblical Archaeologist, May 1968, pp. 46, 48) In the Scriptures ʼu·lamʹ is applied to two of the public buildings Solomon constructed (see PORCH OF PILLARS; PORCH OF THE THRONE), the front part of Solomon’s temple and to certain parts of the gateways and temple that Ezekiel was shown in vision.
SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
While the primary portions of the temple were the Holy and Most Holy compartments, in front of the Holy (toward the E) there was a massive porch that served as an entranceway to the temple. The porch was 20 cubits (27.5 feet or 8.4 meters) long (running along the width of the temple) and 10 cubits (14.6 feet or 4.4 meters) deep. (1 Ki. 6:3) It was 120 cubits (175 feet or 53.3 meters) high. Second Chronicles 3:4 presents the height of the porch in the context of other measurements for the house, measurements that are generally accepted and that harmonize with those in First Kings. (Compare 2 Chronicles 3:3, 4 with 1 Kings 6:2, 3, 17, 20.) Thus the porch would have appeared as a tall, evidently rectangular tower that extended high above the rest of the temple building. In front of it stood two massive copper pillars named Jachin and Boaz. (1 Ki. 7:15-22; 2 Chron. 3:15-17) The porch also had doors (King Ahaz closed these up but his son Hezekiah later opened and repaired them). (2 Chron. 28:24; 29:3, 7) Especially in the morning when the sun rising in the E shone directly on it, the lofty temple porch must have been a most impressive sight.
EZEKIEL’S TEMPLE VISION
Quite a number of porches are mentioned in the vision Ezekiel had of a temple sanctuary. The temple building itself had a porch in front (toward the E), as did Solomon’s temple. However, this porch was 20 cubits (c. 34 feet or 10.4 meters, based on the long cubit [Ezek. 40:5] of about 20.4 inches) in length and 11 cubits (c. 18.7 feet or 5.7 meters) in width; the height is not stated. This porch had pillars as well as side pillars, and there was a wood canopy, probably near the top. (Ezek. 40:48, 49; 41:25, 26) Each of the three elaborate outer gateways (approaching from the E, S, and N) incorporated a porch with windows of narrowing frames. Apparently, one ascending the stairs into the gateway passed three guard chambers on each side and then, by crossing a threshold, came into the porch before entering the outer courtyard. (Ezek. 40:6-17) Each of the three inner gateways also had a porch, perhaps just as one ascended the steps and entered the gate. The porch in the gateway approached from the N contained four tables for slaughtering the whole burnt offering.—Ezek. 40:35-42.