Parbar

Parbar (also written Parvar) designates a structure or court associated with the western precinct of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. It is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 26:18 in connection with the assignment of Levitical gatekeepers: At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar. The term also appears in 2 Kings 23:11, where Josiah removes horses dedicated to the sun from the area near the entry of the house of the Lord, specifically by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs — a location the Hebrew renders similarly.

The precise architectural character of the Parbar is uncertain. Suggestions include a colonnade or open portico, a suburb or outer court, or a building for the accommodation of temple functionaries. Some scholars connect the term to a Persian or Aramaic loanword meaning outside or suburb, making it a general designation for the outer temple precincts.