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notices of its partial destruction (2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chronicles 25:23), and of its repair
(2 Chronicles 32:5).
We have purposely not taken account of the towers and gates of the city, since what
has been described will sufficiently explain the location of the great palace which
Solomon built during the thirteen years after the completion of the Temple (1 Kings
7:1-12; 2 Chronicles 8:1). Its site was the eastern terrace of the western hill, probably
the same as that afterwards occupied by the palace of the Asmonaeans (Maccabees)
and of Agrippa II. The area covered by this magnificent building was four times that of
the Holy House (not including its courts). It stood right over against the Temple. A
descent led from the Palace into the Tyropoeon, and thence a special magnificent
"ascent" (2 Chronicles 9:4) to the royal entrance (2 Kings 16:18), probably at the
south-western angle of the Temple. The site was happily chosen - protected by Fort
Millo, and looking out upon the Temple-Mount, while south of it stretched the wealthy
quarter of the city. Ascending from the Tyropoeon, one would pass through a kind of
ante-building into a porch, and thence into a splendid colonnade. This colonnade
connected "the house of the forest of Lebanon," so called from the costly cedars used
in its construction, with "the porch for the throne," where Solomon pronounced
judgment (1 Kings 7:6, 7). Finally, there was in the inner court, still further west, "the
house where Solomon dwelt," and "the house for Pharaoh's daughter," with, of course,
the necessary side and outbuildings (1 Kings 7:8). Thus, the royal palace really
consisted of three separate buildings. Externally it was simply of "costly stones" (ver.
9), the beauty of its design only appearing in its interior. Here the building extended
along three sides. The ground-floor consisted of colonnades of costly cedar, the beams
being fastened into the outer walls. These colonnades would be hung with tapestry, so
as to be capable of being formed into apartments. Above these rose, on each side of the
court, three tiers of chambers, fifteen on each tier, with large windows looking out
upon each other. Here were the State apartments for court feasts, and in them were
kept, among other precious things, the golden targets and shields (1 Kings 10:16, 17).
Passing through another colonnade, one would next reach the grand Judgment- and
Audience-halls, with the magnificent throne of ivory, described in 1 Kings 10:18-20; 2
Chronicles 9:17-19. And, lastly, the innermost court contained the royal dwellings
themselves.^139
But this great Palace, the Temple, and the enlargement of Millo and of the city wall,
were not the only architectural undertakings of King Solomon. Remembering that there
were watchful foes on all sides, he either built or repaired a number of strong places. In
the north, as defense against Syria, rose the ancient stronghold of Hazor (Joshua 11:13;
Judges 4:2). The plain of Jezreel, the traditional battlefield of, as well as the highway
into Palestine from the west and the north, was protected by Megiddo; while the
southern approach from Egypt and the Philistine plain was guarded by Gezer, which
Pharaoh had before this taken from the Canaanites and burnt, but afterwards given to
(^)