Guard, Courtyard of the

Perhaps an emergency detention area in seventh-century BC Jerusalem, when the city was under Babylonian attack. Although the prophet Jeremiah was placed under arrest there, he was still able to maintain his normal activities, indicating that the area was probably a small courtyard (Jer 32:2–12; 33:1; 37:21; 38:6–28; 39:14–15; kjv “court of the prison”).