The Bible Book

123

Solomon’s

Temple was

similar to the

Tabernacle but

incorporated

Phoenician

elements such

as the two

columns “Jachin”

and “Boaz,”

reflecting the

input of architects

and craftsmen

loaned to Solomon

by King Hiram

of Tyre.

King of Tyre (Phoenicia), Solomon’s

ally and neighbor, supplies cedar

for the paneling as well as labor.

According to 1 Kings 6:7, the stone

is finished at the quarry before

being transported to the Temple, so

that “no hammer, chisel or any other

iron tool was heard at the Temple

site while it was being built.”

The priests move in

Once the Temple has been

completed, the priests move God’s

ceremonial equipment from the

tabernacle to the Temple and a

feast is held for 14 days. From then

on, a daily sacrifice of lamb is made

in the morning, with a second

lamb and cereal sacrificed by the

high priest Zadok on the Sabbath.

Singing and prayers are part of

worship. Only the high priest is

permitted to enter the Holy of

Holies, and then only on the

Day of Atonement (see pp. 86–87).

Jerusalem is now established

as a holy city. Zadok and his

descendants control the Temple until

the Babylonian Exile in 597 bce.

It is difficult to pinpoint when

Solomon’s Temple was completed.

The Bible says construction started

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

in the fourth year of Solomon’s

reign and that it took seven years,

which puts completion at around

964 bce. Rabbinic sources say

the Temple stood for 410 years,

yet records show that it was

destroyed by the Babylonians in

around 587 bce, 30 years earlier

than those dates indicate. The

most likely site is Temple Mount,

now occupied by the Dome of the

Rock, an Islamic shrine, where

the Prophet Muhammad is said

to have ascended to heaven. ■

Jachin

Boaz

ARK

COURT

BRONZE

ALTAR

Bronze

sea

HOLY OF HOLIES HOLY PLACE

INNER COURT

GREAT COURT

N

WHEELED BRONZE BASINS

CHAMBERS

Veil

Altar of

incense

Folding Doors

When the Queen of

Sheba heard about the

fame of Solomon and his

relationship to the Lord,

she came to test Solomon

with hard questions.

1 Kings 10:1

Raising funds for

the First Temple

According to 1 Chronicles

22:14, King David sets aside

funds and materials for the

Temple before he dies. They

included “a hundred thousand

talents of gold, a million talents

of silver, quantities of bronze

and iron too great to be

weighed, and wood and stone.”

In modern terms, this equates

to 3,750 tons of gold and

37,000 tons of silver.

King David also appeals

for donations. Gold, silver, iron,

bronze, and precious stones

are given by families, leaders

of the 12 tribes, commanders,

and those in charge of the

works. Huge quantities of

wood, especially cedar, are

imported from Tyre. David

promises King Hiram of

Tyre to pay his craftsmen

whatever wages Hiram

requires; by the end of the

project Solomon is greatly

in debt and is forced to give

20 towns in Galilee to Hiram

as payment (1 Kings 9:11).

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