CHASING THE MONEY CHANGERS AND MERCHANTS FROM THE TEMPLE

When I was young, I was much intrigued by the parable of Jesus chasing the money changers from the Temple.  The act is mentioned in four different books of the Bible.  I had vision of someone in the sanctuary, breaking down a twenty to some fives and ones to make a small donation.

Imagine my surprise to find out that the money changers were not in the physical Temple (building) but in a courtyard adjacent to the Temple (likely Court of the Gentiles*).  But this was in the King James version of the bible.  Others versions of the bible say "temple courts."**

The whole thing about money changers was that you could only buy the purified animals for sacrifice in local (Jewish) money at the Temple of Jerusalem so Greek and Roman money had to be changed.  Also one could "deposit" some money  with the changers for safe keeping in the Temple vaults for later withdrawal.***

The animals for sacrifice had to be "pure."  The sacrifice was only performed at the Temple courtyard in Jerusalem by a priest.  It bothered me that the sacrifices were a waste of food, but that was not so.  The sacrificed animal was eaten by the priests or the family or both making the sacrifice, depending on the animal sacrificed as a burnt offering and the reason for the sacrifice.****

The animal sacrifice in Judaism is no more.  The discontinuation is not because animal sacrifices are viewed as being barbaric, but because the Temple (a building) in Jerusalem is no more.  It was destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again and not rebuilt.  How do you destroy an open space (courtyard)?  It all seems strange to me.  It seems that some modern Orthodox Jews would resume sacrifices if a Temple were rebuilt.

But why did Jesus chase out the money changers and animal keepers from a courtyard?  It seems the problem was that the money changers charged a  fee for changing the money or storing it.  The poor, for example could only afford a dove for sacrifice.  The sellers of animals (merchants) also collected a fee, and the animals were soiling the ground and creating a strong smell.  The noise made prayer difficult.

I guess where I go wrong was that the sacrifices were done in a courtyard and a Temple means to me a building, an enclosed area with ceiling and walls, but the praying was not done inside the Temple (building) but in an open courtyard.  All the activity in the courtyard made praying to be difficult.  Apparently if the business was done at smaller fees before you entered the courtyard, everything would have been all right?

Upon further investigation (August 09, 2017): Another fifteen steps led up to the famous Gate of Nicanor, to which Mary had brought the child at the time of his presentation; this led through the Court of the Men to that of the priests, which had in its center the altar for the burnt offerings and to the left of it a large basin called the Brazen Sea resting upon twelve bulls cast in bronze.(ht tp://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEThe_Altar_of_Sacrifice.htm)

Inside the court of the priests and just after the entrance into the Temple area, stood the great Altar of Burnt Offering, it could be seen from a distance. (underlining added)

The Altar of Burnt Offering was made of unwrought stone, 30 cubits (45 feet) in length and breadth, and 15 cubits (22 feet) high. West of this was the Temple, and between the Holy Place and the altar stood the laver of  cleansing. 
 http://www.biblehistory.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEThe_Altar_of_Sacrifice.htm

Whereas the above reference indicates that the burnt offerings were not done in the Temple building, they also were not done in the Courtyard Of The Gentiles.  I have talked about the matter to a minister, and he says that the changing of money was actually sort of a ticket of entry to the Courtyard of The Gentiles.  It is still possible that Jesus would have cleansed the area of money changers and merchants no matter where they were; however, I remain confused that the parable mentions  chasing the money changers from the Temple which to my literal mind means from the building as the Courtyard of The Gentiles was even beyond the balustrade beyond which only circumcised (men) may go.

* https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/25776/why-did-jesus-physically-throw-out-the-money-changers-instead-of-winning-the-arg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleansing_of_the_Temple
** https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A12-13
http://biblehub.com/luke/19-45.htm
*** http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/money-changers
**** http://www.jewfaq.org/qorbanot.htm