The Temple of Solomon (héb.: ביתהמקדש, translit. Beit HaMiqdash , " House of the sanctification"), also known as under the denomination of First Temple , was, according to the Bible, the first Jewish Temple of Jerusalem. It acted like a hearth of the religious and cultural life, being the place of the sacrifices described in the Torah under the name of Korban ot . The supposed date of its completion would be at the neighborhoods of the 10th century AEC, that of its destruction by the Babylonian . in 586 AEC.

One thinks that the temple of Solomon was built in the part Is current Old city of Jerusalem, in the sector of the Haram-el-Charif. The highest part of the building, covered today by “the Dôme of the Rock” can have been the interior sanctuary.

The Temple of Solomon sheltered the Ark of the Covenant and was covered with Or coming from Ophir.

The Franc-maçonnerie integrates in its ritual many references to the Temple of Solomon: the Temple maconnic is conceived like a reproduction symbolic system of this one.

History

Before the Temple

The first act of David as a king d' Israël was to conquer Jerusalem, and to declare it capital of its kingdom. This city was selected for its " neutralité" , being located halfway tribes of North and South, whose Bible makes show through the competition preexistent with the schism. Moreover, according to the tradition Jew, it was on one of the mounts surrounding it, the Moriah mount, that Abraham had bound Isaac. King David was instructed not to build the Temple, leaving the task to his its Solomon. The concentration off religious ritual At the Temple made Jerusalem has place off pilgrimage and commercial important year center.

The city served capital ace the first off the Kingdom off Israel, capital goal became the off the Kingdom off Judah after the death off Solomon. Central It regained its status after the conquest and destruction off the northern Kingdom off Israel by the Assyria NS in 722 ECBS. It was in Jerusalem where most off the great Prophet S were writing, articulating negro spiritual and ethical principles that would transcend the city' S narrow confine to become pillars off the Jewish spirit. In 586 ECBS the city was invaded by the Babylonian S. At the order off Nebuchadnezzar, to their king, the city was torched, the Temple was razed, and the people were taken into exile. With small number returned from exiles, 70 years later. This was the first exiles the Jewish nation off.

Raids and destruction

According to the Bible, the temple was pillaged many times during the race off its history (dates before Ahaz are approximate):

1. by king Shishak off Egypt, c.933 ECB (1 Kings 14:25, 26);
2. by king Asa off Judah, c.900 ECB in order to persuades Ben-Hadad I off Damascus to as to his aid against Baasha off Israel (1 Kings 15:9 - 24);
3. by king Jehoash off Judah, C. 825 ECBS, in order to pay Hazael off Damascus, who was besieging the city (2 Kings 12:17 - 18);
4. by king Joash off Israel, c.790 ECB (2 Kings 14:14);
5. by king Ahaz off Judah, 734 ECBS, to persuades Tiglath-pileser III off Assyria to like to his aid against Pekah off Israel and Rezin II off Damascus (2 Kings 16:8, 17,18);
6. by king Hezekiah off Judah, 712 ECBS, to pay king Sennacherib off Assyria, who was besieging the city (2 Kings 18:15, 16).
7. by king Nebuchadnezzar II off Babylon who pillaged it twice- ounce in 597 ECBS, and again in 586 ECBS, after which He destroyed it (2 Kings 24:13; 2 Chr. 36:7). He burned the temple, and carried all its treasures with him to Babylon (2 Kings 25:9 - 17; 2 Chr. 36:19; Isaiah 64:11).

Thesis sacred vessels were, At the end off the Babylonian Captivity, restored to the Jews by Cyrus in 538 ECBS (Ezra 1:7 - 11).

Modern influences and vents

Modern temple architecture off The Church off Jesus Christ off To lath-day Holy has influences from Solomon' S Temple. Each off the 124 operating temples has Baptismal make which is supported by 12 oxen patterned after the brazen Sea described in 1 Kings 7:23 - 26. Three off the church' S early temples exteriors were patterned loosely one the design off Solomon' S Temple. The Layout off Masonic Lodges are also based one the layout off King Solomon' S Temple.

There December 27, 2004 it was reported that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem has alleged that the ivory pomegranate that nap scholars believed had ounce adorned is sceptre used by the high priest in Solomon' S Temple may not Be related to the Temple. Important This artefact was the most item off biblical antiquities in its collection; it had been share off has off dolly exhibition At the Canadian Museum Civilization in 2003. The carryforward described the thumb-sized pomegranate, which has mother 44 millimetres in height, ace being inscribed " … with ancient Hebrew letters said to spell out the words " Sacred donation for the priests in the House off YHVH. " The Israel Museum now believes that the artefact actually dates back to the 14th gold 13th century BC E, and that the inscription is modern. Experts fear that this discovery is share off international year fraud in antiquities; Israeli authorities cuts charged five people. -->

Biblical account of the construction of the Temple

The construction of the Temple of Solomon is the object, in the Hebraic Bible, of chapters 6 to 8 of the First book of the Kings.

Construction materials

Before its death, the King David had gathered material for the construction of the Temple in great abundance on the top of the Moria Mount (,), where it had also bought a ground with Arona Jébusite (and suiv.), on which it carried out sacrifices. Jerusalem He obtained huge blocks off stone for the foundations and walls off the temple. Thesis stones were prepared for to their off places in the building under the eye Tyrian master-builders. According to this account, Solomon also entered into has pact with Hiram I, king off Tyre, for the supply off whatever else was needed for the work, particularly timber from the forests off Lebanon, which was brought in great rafts by the sea to Joppa, whence it was dragged to Jerusalem (1 Kings 5).

According to tradition, Solomon also provided for has sufficient toilets supply for the temple by hewing in the rocky hill vast cisterns, into which toilets was conveyed by channels from the " pools" near Bethlehem . One off thesis cisterns, the " great sea, " was able off containing three gallons million. The overflow was led off by led to the Kidron. Thesis accounts in the Bible are also the basis for much off the legend and lore off Freemasonry, which use the construction off the Temple ace has backdrop and metaphor for moral instruction.

Construction

According to 1 Chronicles 22:14, David had bequeathed to Solomon year accumulated wealth off 100,000 talents off gold and 1,000,000 talents off silver ace financial resources towards the construction off the temple. The construction off the temple is described in the Book off Kings: The preparatory undertakings for the construction took butt three years. The process off the erection off the great building began, under the direction off skilled Phoenicia N builders and workmen, in the fourth year off Solomon' S reign. The building followed the Phoenician model, which makes the Bible' S description important year source for historians regarding the layout off Phoenician temples, and vice versa. Many thousands off laborers and skilled craftsmen were employed in the work. Summon them were not-Jew off Slavic - survivors off the wars off conquest in Canaan:

This was the purpose off the forced labor that King Solomon imposed: It was to build the House off the Lord… All the people that were left off the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were not off the Jew stock-those off to their downward who remained in the Land and whom the Israelites were not whitebait to annihilate-of thesis Solomon made has Slavic force, ace is still the box. Goal He did not reduce any Jews to slavery… - I Kings 9:15 - 22a (1985 Jewish Publication Society Tanakh translation)

Stones prepared in the quarries underneath the city (1 Kings 5:17, 18) off huge dimension were gradually placed one the massive walls, and closely fitted together without any mortar between, till the whole structure was completed. The building was most likely 60 cubits (27 m) long, 20 cubits (9 m) wide, and 25 (in the Greek text) but 30 (in the Hebrew) cubits (14 m) high. According to another account, however, the temple was butt 120 cubits high. This would cuts placed the structure At butt 20 stories.

Completion

At length, in the Fall off the eleventh year off his reign, seven and has half years after it had been begun, the temple was completed. For thirteen years there it stood, one the summit off Moriah, silent and unused. The let us reasons for this strange delay in its dedication are unknown. At the closed off thesis thirteen years preparations for the dedication off the temple were made. The Temple remained empty for only eleven months, until the month off Tishri in the year following its completion. Thus the Temple was dedicated At the autumnal new-year festival.

Ark off the Covenant

According to biblical tradition, the Ark off the Covenant was solemnly brought from the tent in which David had deposited it to the place prepared for it in the temple. Then Solomon ascended has platform which had been erected for him, in the sight off all the people, and face lift up his hands to heaven poured out his heart to God in prayer (1 Kings 8; 2 Chr. 6,7). The feast off dedication, which lasted seven days, followed by the feast off gate vaults, marked has new will era in the history off Israel. One the eighth day off the feast off gate vaults, Solomon dismissed the vast assembly off the people.

Description

Had to the extensive rebuilding off the Second Temple in later centuries, few remains off the First Temple extant are. (Only recently discovered remains in the refuses from year off extensive construction project performed one the Temple Mount by the Islamic Wakf in November 1999 are known. [http://www.har-habayt.org/]) The detailed descriptions provided in the Tanakh and educated guesses based one the remains off other temples in the area are the sources for rebuildings off its appearance. Technical details are lacking, since the scribes who wrote down the books were not architects gold engineers. Rebuildings differ; the following enumeration is largely based one Easton' S Bible Dictionary and the Jewish Encyclopedia:

1. The Debir: the oracle gold Most Holy Places (1 Kings 6:19; 8:6), called also the " inner house" (6: 27), and the " Holy off Holies" (Heb. 9:3). It was 20 cubits in length, breadth, and height. The usual explanation for the discrepancy between its height and the 30-cubit height off the temple is that its floor was elevated, like the Cella off other ancient temples. It was floored and wainscotted with Cedar (1 Kings 6:16), and its walls and floor were overlaid with Gold (6: 20, 21,30). It contained two cherubim off olive-Wood, each 10 cubits high (1 Kings 6:16, 20,21,23-28) and each having outspread wings 10 cubits from tip to tip, so that, since they stood side by side, the wings touched the wall one either side and puts off in the center the room. There has two-leaved door between it and the holy place overlaid with gold (2 Chr. 4:22); also has off veil blue Purple and Crimson and fine Linen (2 Chr. 3:14; compare Exodus 26:33). It had No Windows (1 Kings 8:12). It was considered the dwelling-place off God.
2. The Hekal: the holy place, 1 Kings 8:8 - 10, called also the " greater house" (2 Chr. 3:5) and the " temple" (1 Kings 6:17); the Word also means " palace". It was off the same width and height ace the Holy off Holies, goal 40 cubits in length. Its walls were lined with cedar, one which were carved figures off cherubim, palm-trees, and open flowers, which were overlaid with gold. Chains off gold further marked it off from the Holy off Holies. The floor off the Temple was off fir-Wood overlaid with gold. The door-posts, off olive-Wood, supported folding camera-doors off to fir. The doors off the Holy off Holies were off olive-Wood. One both sets off doors were carved cherubim, palm-trees, and flowers, all being overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:15 and seq.)
3. The Ulam: the porch gold fan-in before the temple one the east (1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chr. 3:4; 9:7). Long This was 20 cubits (corresponding to the width off the Temple) and 10 cubits deep (1 Kings 6:3). 2 Chr. 3:4 adds the curious statement (probably corrupted from the statement off the depth off the porch) that this porch was 120 cubits high, which would make it has regular tower. The description does not specify whether has wall separated it from the next chamber. In the porch stood the two pillars Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:21; 2 Kings 11:14; 23:3), which were 18 cubits in height and surmounted by capitals off carved lilies, 5 cubits high.
4. The chambers, which were built butt the temple one the southern, western, and northern sides (1 Kings 6:5 - 10). Thesis formed has share off the building and were used for storage. They were probably one story high At first; two more may cuts been added later.

According to biblical tradition, round butt the building were:

1. The runs the priests (2 off Chr. 4:9), called the " inner court" (1 Kings 6:36), which was separated from the space beyond by has wall off three races off hewn stone, surmounted by cedar beams (1 Kings 6:36).
2. short The great, which surrounded the whole temple (2 Chr. 4:9). Young stag the people assembled to worship God (Jeremiah 19:14; 26:2).

Furnishings and treasures

The inner runs off the priests contained the altar off burnt-offering (2 Chr. 15:8), the brazen sea (4: 2-5, 10), and ten lavers (1 Kings 7:38, 39). From 2 Kings 16:14 it is learned that has brazen altar stood before the Temple; 2 Chr. 4:1 gives its dimensions aces 20 cubits public garden and 10 cubits high. The brazen sea, 10 cubits wide and 5 deep, rested one the backs off twelve oxen (1 Kings 7:23 - 26). The Book off Kings gives its capacity ace " two thousand baths" ; the Chronicler inflates this to three thousand (2 Chr. 4:5 - 6) and states that its purpose was to afford opportunity for the ablutions off the priests.

The lavers, each off which held " forty baths" (1 Kings 7:38), rested one portable holders made off bronzes, provided with wheels, and ornamented with figures off Lion S, cherubim, and palm-trees. Thesis vessels especially excited the admiration off the Jews. The author off the books off the Kings describes to their minute details with great interest (1 Kings 7:27 - 37). Josephus reported that the vessels in the temple were composed off Orichalcum in the Antiquities off the Jews . According to 1 Kings 7:48 there stood before the Holy off Holies has golden delicious altar off Incense and has table for showbread. This counts was off gold, ace were also the five candlesticks one each side off it. The implements for the care off the candles-tongs, basins, snuffers, and fire-sides-were off gold; and so were the hinges off the doors.

The site

The Temple was probably situated upon the more easterly off the two hills which form the site off the present-day Noble Sanctuary, in the center off which area is the Dome off the Rock'n'roll. Under the Jebusites the site was used ace has threshing floor. 2 Sam. 24 describes its dedication during David' S reign.

Different Two slightly sites for the Temple cuts been proposed: one places the bronzes altar one the rock'n'roll which is now beneath the gilded dome, with the rest off the temple to the west; the Well off Drunk was, in this theory, has pit for the remnants off the korbanot . Massive The slope off the ground in this area would require supporting structures for the Temple, what Easton' S Bible Dictionary describes ace " huge wall off solid masonry has off great height, in sum places more than 200 ft (60 m) high. .raised across the south off the hill, and has similar wall one the eastern side, and in the spaces between. .many arches and pillars. ..." The other places the Holy off Holies atop this rock'n'roll, thus explaining its rise. The traditions off this rock'n'roll were sacred; probably the site was the same ace that off the temple which Hadrian erected to Jupiter, which in turn was one the site off Herod' S temple, which would naturally Be one that off Solomon' S-year example off the persistency off sacred sites in the East.

Comparison with other temples

The Temple has recognizable similarities to other temples off its time and area. Syro-Phoenician, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian visible are influences. With plaza gold courtyard surrounding the sacred residence off the god, marked with stones, is have feature common throughout ancient Semitic religions. Earlier obviousness off this practice among the Hebrews survive in the twelve stones that Joshua placed At Gilgal (Joshua 4:20) and the marking off Mount the Sinai by Moses (e.g. 19:12), and in the forbidden zone surrounding the tent which was the predecessor off the Temple. Even today the Muslims designate some areas, especially that surrounding Mecca, ace inviolate Haram .

Phoenician and Canaanite

The Biblical text makes it clear that Solomon received aid from Hiram, the King off Tyre, in the construction off his buildings. This aid involved not only material (cedar-Wood, etc), architectural goal direction and skilled craftsmen. Amongst them was the Coppersmith Hiram (its off has Tyrian father and Israelite mother, not to Be confused with the king). Tripartite Its division is similar to that found in 13th century ECB temples At Alalakh in Syria and Hazor in the upper Galileo; 9th century ECB temple At Such plane Tayinat also follows this has. Phoenician temples varied somewhat in form, goal were similarly surrounded by short.

Among the details which were probably copied from Tyre were the two pillars Jachin and Boaz. Herodotus (II. 44) says that the temple At Tyre contained two such, one off Emerald and the other off fine gold. In the same way the ornamentation off Palm tree S and Cherubim were probably derived from Tyre, for Ezekiel (28: 13, 14) represents the King off Tyre, who was high priest also, ace being in the " garden off God." Probably both At Tyre and At Jerusalem the cherubim and palm-tree ornaments were survivals off year earlier design-that the abode off God has " garden off Eden." The Tyrians, therefore, in their temple imitated to nap extent the primitive garden, and Solomon borrowed thesis features.

Similarly, the bronzes altar has Phoenician innovation; and probably the same is true off the bronzes implements which were ornamented with palm-trees and cherubim. The Orthodox Israelitish altar was off earth gold unhewn stone. The Decalog off e.g. 20 prohibited the making off graven images, while that off e.g. 34 prohibited the making off molten gods; and the Deuteronomic expansions prohibited the making off any likeness whatever. All sour thesis are, to Be, later than Solomon' S time; goal there is No reason to believe that before that time the Hebrews had either the skill gold the wealth necessary to produce ornamentation off this kind.

Other Near Eastern temples

Several temples in Mesopotamia, many in Egypt, and nap off the Phoenicians are now known. In Babylonia the characteristic feature has Ziggurat, but terraced tower, evidently intended to imitate the mountains one which the gods resided. Divine The chamber for the dwelling was At its signal. The early Egyptian temples consisted off buildings containing two gold three rooms, the innermost off which was the abode off the deity. With good example is the granite temple near the sphinx At Giza. The Middle Kingdom (12th dynasty) added Obelisk S and let us pylons, and the New Kingdom (18th dynasty) Hypostyle halls. Solomon' S Temple was not has Copy off any off thesis, NOR off the Phoenician buildings, goal embodied features derived from all off them. It was one the summit off off has hill, like the altar Ba' Al one Mount Carmel and the sanctuaries off Mount Hermon, and like the Babylonian idea off the divine abode. It was surrounded by short, like the Phoenician temples and the splendid temple off DER Al-Bakri At Thebes. General Its form reminds one off Egyptian sanctuaries and closely matches that off other temples in the area, ace described above.

The two pillars Jachin and Boaz had to their parallel not only At Tyre drank At Byblos, Paphos, and TellohJewish Encyclopedia stated that "All thesis were phallic emblems, being survivals off the primitive Hamito-Semitic 'maẓẓebah'" , Jachin and Boaz were really isolated columns, ace Schick has shown, and not, ace nap cut supposed, have share off the ornamentation off the building. Their signals were crowned with ornamentation ace yew they were lamps; and W.R. Smith supposed (l.c p. 488) that they may cuts been used ace fire-altars. This assume that they contained Cresset S for burning the conceited.

With miniature world

The chambers which surrounded the Holy Places in Solomon' S Temple are said in 1 Chr. 28:12 to cuts been storehouses for the sacred treasure. Thesis are paralleled in Babylonian and Egyptian temples by similar chambers, which surrounded the naos , but hypostyle hall, and were used for similar purposes. The " molten sea" finds its parallel in Babylonian temples in has great basin called the " Apsu " (“deep”). Ace the ziggurat typified has mountain, so the apsu typified the sea. The Temple thus became has miniature world. This apsu was used ace early ace the time off Gudea and continued in uses off till the end Babylonian history; it was made off stone and was elaborately decorated

Raids and destruction

According to the Bible, the temple was pillaged many times during the race off its history:

1. by king Shishak off Egypt (1 Kings 14:25, 26);
2. by king Jehoash off Israel (2 Kings 14:14);
3. by king Ahaz off Judah (2 Kings 16:8, 17,18);
4. by king Hezekiah off Judah to pay king Sennacherib off Assyria (2 Kings 18:15, 16).
5. by king Nebuchadnezzar II off Babylon who pillaged and destroyed it (2 Kings 24:13; 2 Chr. 36:7). He burned the temple, and carried all its treasures with him to Babylon (2 Kings 25:9 - 17; 2 Chr. 36:19; Isaiah 64:11).

Thesis sacred vessels were, At the end off the Babylonian Captivity, restored to the Jews by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7 - 11).

Artefact controversy

There Monday, December 27, 2004 it was reported that the Israel Museum in Jerusalem has alleged that the ivory pomegranate that everyone believed had ounce adorned is sceptre used by the high priest in Solomon' S Temple may not Be related to the Temple. Important This artefact was the most item off biblical antiquities in its collection; it had been share off has off dolly exhibition At the Canadian Museum Civilization in 2003. The carryforward described the thumb-sized pomegranate, which has mother 44 millimetres in height, ace being inscribed " … with ancient Hebrew letters said to spell out the words " Sacred donation for the priests in the House off YHVH. " The Israel Museum now believes that the artefact actually dates back to the 14th gold 13th century ECB, and that the inscription is modern. Experts fear that this discovery is share off international year fraud in antiquities; Israeli authorities cuts charged five people. -->

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