the temple is, with the covenant, one of the essential realities of scripture, one of the means by which it is deciphered. It forms part of a whole corpus of sacerdotal and liturgical themes which include sacrifices, liturgical prayer and feasts. But it does not only hold an important place in the Old Testament. It appears frequently in the Gospel. Jesus felt its power of attraction; for we may recall, at the very beginning, the presentation in the Temple; then, at twelve years old, Jesus teaching the doctors in the Temple; then, during His public ministry, the prophesying in the Temple on the occasion of the great feast of Tabernacles, Dedication and the Passover.