Bible Dictionaries
Stairs

Holman Bible Dictionary

A series of steps whereby a person can climb easily to another level. Houses in Palestine usually had stairs on the outside going up to the roof. Many activities were on the roof of the average house. Sometimes the steepness of city streets would make stairs from one level to another necessary. Also wells and cisterns in many cities in Palestine would have stairs leading down to the water. There were stairs in two visions in the Old Testament: Jacob's ladder may have been stairs (Genesis 28:12 ); Ezekiel's temple had stairs (Genesis 43:17 ). See Architecture; House .