mishna - kehati

There were seven gates in the wall surrounding the azarah - the inner courtyard (see 2:6) - three in the north, and three in the south, and one in the east - as the mishnah elaborates:Those in the south: Nearest the west - Shaar Hadelek - (lit. "the gate of the fuel") through which firewood for the altar was brought in - second to it - i.e., immediately east of it - Shaar Habekhorot - (lit. "the gate of the firstbom") through which firstbom animals were brought in, rather than through Shaar Hakorban on the north side like other sacrifices (see 1:5), to demonstrate that they could be slaughtered on the south side of the azarah - third to it, Shaar Hamayim - oit. "the gate of the water") through which a pitcher of water drawn from the Shiloah well, just south of Har Habayit, would be brought into the azarah on Sukkot, for the water libation. Ezekiel prophesied that a stream of water will flow through this gate; thus: "And he brought me back to the opening of the building, and behold, water issuing from under the threshold of the building eastward...and he brought me out through the gate northward, and he led me around the outside to the outer gate through the one leading eastward, and behold, there was water trickling on the right side" (Ezek. 47:1-2; see 2:6; and see Bartenura).That - gate that was - in the east: Shaar Nikanor - the main entrance to the azarah named after the man who constructed its doors (see 2:3)-and it had two chambers-near it-one on its right and one on its left. One was the Chamber of Pinhas the Outfitter - where the uniforms of the kohanim were stored, named after one of the officials who occupied this chamber - and one was the Chamber of the Havitin Makers - where the havitin, the special fried meal-offering of the kohen gadol was prepared daily.