Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:16

The Laws of God's Chosen House

OUTER SPACE ORBIT -Arena of Sanctity. For Pure Members Only

Zeroing in from Temple Mount, we encounter the next sacred line of scrimmage drawn on the famous Tabletop Mountain Plataea encircling the Beit HaMikdash arena. Here we learn of the increased level of restriction reflecting yet the next level of geographic holiness.

Interestingly, an outer line of demarcation is not of consequence in this equation of artificially orchestrated layered sanctity. This arena of specialized sanctity was, according to Rambam, walled in, resembling a defensive style rampart fortification. The growing list of individuals proscribed from entering past this point include both rabbinic and biblical form of Tuma'ah (ritual impurity). And as such, narrowed the allowance of entrance to "Members-of-the-Tribe" only, and only to those who were in an advanced state of Tahara (ritual purity).