Nicholas of Lyra, "Commentary on the Bible, Genesis To Ecclesiastes". French manuscript from the late 14th century. For medieval Christian theologians, the vision of the Temple in Ezekiel 40–48 was an important episode in the Hebrew Bible, linked to the coming of Christ. Nicholas of Lyra (1270–1340) was familiar with the Jewish interpretation (particularly that of Rashi, but also Maimonides and others), and drew upon it in his detailed examination of the text. This plan shows the burning fire of the sacrificial altar and the River of Paradise running through the building, described by Ezekiel.