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80,000 "hewers in the mountains," or rather, as the expression always means,
"stonecutters."
The two classes are carefully distinguished the Israelites being free laborers, who
worked under the direction of Hiram's skilled men; while the others, who were the
representatives of the ancient heathen inhabitants of Palestine, were really held to
"bond-service" (1 Kings 9:20, 21; 2 Chronicles 2:17, 18; 8:7-9). The total number of
men employed (160,000), though large, cannot be considered excessive, when
compared, for example, with the 360,000 persons engaged for twenty years on the
building of one pyramid (Pliny, Hist. Nat. 36. 12. apud Bahr u.s.) Over these men
3,300 officers were appointed (1 Kings 5:16), with 550 "chiefs" (1 Kings 9:23), of
whom 250 were apparently native Israelites (2 Chronicles 8:10).^98 The number of
skilled artificers furnished by Hiram is not mentioned, though probably the proportion
was comparatively small. A very vivid impression is left on our minds of the
transaction between the two kings.
When Hiram sent a friendly embassy to congratulate Solomon on his accession, the
latter replied by another, which was charged formally to ask help in the building about
to be undertaken. The request was entertained by Hiram in the most cordial manner. At
the same time, bearing in mind Eastern phraseology, and that a Phoenician ally of
David would readily recognize the God of Israel as a "national Deity," there is no
reason for inferring, from the terms of his reply, that Hiram was personally a
worshipper of Jehovah (1 Kings 5:7; 2 Chronicles 2:12). The agreement seems to have
been, that Solomon would undertake to provide for the support of Hiram's men, wheat,
barley, and oil, to the amount specified in 2 Chronicles 2:10; while, so long as building
materials were required, Hiram charged for them at an annual rate of 20,000 measures
of wheat, and twenty measures (about ten hogsheads) of "beaten oil," - that is, the best
in the market, which derived its name from its manufacture, the oil being extracted by
beating the olives before they were quite ripe (1 Kings 5:11). In regard to these terms,
it should be remembered that Phoenicia was chiefly dependent on Palestine for its
supply of grain and oil (Ezekiel 27:17; Acts 12:20). Lastly, the name of the "master-
workman/' whom Hiram sent, has also been preserved to us as Huram, or rather
Churam,^99 a man of Jewish descent by the mother's side (2 Chronicles 2:13, 14; comp.
1 Kings 7:14; 2 Chronicles 4:16).^100 Even the completeness and entirely satisfactory
character of these arrangements proved, that in this respect also "Jehovah gave
Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him" (1 Kings 5:12).
Without entering into details,^101 the general appearance and proportions of the Temple
which Solomon built can be described without much difficulty.
The Temple itself faced east - that is to say, the worshippers entered by the east, and,
turning to the Most Holy Place, would look west; while, if the veil had been drawn
(^)