Acts 21:35 - Exposition

Crowd for people, A.V. Borne of the soldiers . Lifted off his legs and carried up the steps. The stairs from the temple area at the northwest corner to the castle of Antonia (see Acts 21:31 , note, and Acts 21:32 ). Alford quotes the description of the fort Antonia in Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' 5. 5.8, in which he says (Traill's translation), "Its general appearance was that of a tower with other towers at each of the four corners. That at the southeast angle rose to an elevation of seventy cubits, so that from thence there was a complete view of the temple. Where it adjoined the colonnades of the temple it had passages leading down to both, through which the guards—for in the fortress there always lay a Roman legion—descended and disposed themselves about the colonnades in arms at the festivals, to watch the people, and repress any insurrectionary movement."