The temple proper was surrounded on the north, west and south by chambers three stories high, which served as storerooms, offices and possibly also as accommodation for the priests. There was no entrance to these chambers from inside the temple, but an external door on the south side of the chambers, near the eastern end, gave access to an internal spiral staircase to the upper floors. The whole structure was on a platform elevated above the terraced courtyards that completely surrounded it. The brazen altar, brazen sea and the lavers were in the inner court, where the sacrifices and other ceremonials took place, which the public in the outer court could watch, but they could not mingle with the participants. The courts were enclosed within walls made of three courses of hewn stone, surmounted by a row of cedar beams.