Study Desk

Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year^(a) after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the second month, in the month of Ziv.^[a](b)

The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord ^(c) was 90 feet^[b] long, 30 feet^[c] wide, and 45 feet^[d] high.^(d)

The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was 30 feet^[e] long extending across the temple's width, and 15 feet deep^[f] in front of the temple.^(e)

He also made windows with beveled frames^[g] for the temple.^(f)

He then built a chambered structure^[h] along the temple wall, encircling the walls of the temple, that is, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary.^(g) And he made side chambers^[i] all around.^(h)

The lowest chamber was 7½ feet^[j] wide, the middle was nine feet^[k] wide, and the third was 10½ feet^[l] wide. He also provided offset ledges for the temple all around the outside so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.

The temple's construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.⁽ⁱ⁾

The door for the lowest^[m] side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They^[n] went up a stairway^[o] to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third.

When he finished building the temple,^(j) he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar.

He built the chambers along the entire temple, joined to the temple with cedar beams;^(k) each story was 7½ feet^[p] high.

The word of the Lord came to Solomon:^(l)

"As for this temple you are building—if you walk in My statutes, observe My ordinances, and keep all My commands by walking in them,^(m) I will fulfill My promise to you, which I made to your father David.⁽ⁿ⁾

I will live among the Israelites and not abandon My people Israel."^(o)

When Solomon finished building the temple,^[q](p)

he paneled the interior temple walls with cedar boards; from the temple floor to the surface of the ceiling he overlaid the interior with wood. He also overlaid the floor with cypress boards.^(q)

Then he lined 30 feet^[r] of the rear of the temple with cedar boards from the floor to the surface of the ceiling,^[s] and he built the interior as an inner sanctuary, the most holy place.^(r)

The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place,^[t] was 60 feet^[u] long.

The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds^(s) and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar;^(t) not a stone could be seen.

He prepared the inner sanctuary^(u) inside the temple to put the ark of the Lord 's covenant^(v) there.

The interior of the sanctuary was 30 feet^[v] long, 30 feet^[w] wide, and 30 feet^[x] high; he overlaid it with pure gold.^(w) He also overlaid the cedar altar.

Next, Solomon overlaid the interior of the temple with pure gold, and he hung^[y] gold chains^(x) across the front of the inner sanctuary^(y) and overlaid it with gold.

So he added the gold overlay to the entire temple until everything was completely finished, including the entire altar^(z) that belongs to the inner sanctuary.

In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim^(aa) 15 feet^[z] high out of olive wood.

One wing of the first cherub was 7½ feet long,^[aa] and the other wing was 7½ feet long. The wingspan was 15 feet^[ab] from tip to tip.

The second cherub also was 15 feet;^[ac] both cherubim had the same size and shape.

The first cherub's height was 15 feet^[ad] and so was the second cherub's.

Then he put the cherubim inside the inner temple. Since their wings were spread out, the first one's wing touched one wall while the second cherub's wing touched the other^[ae] wall, and in the middle of the temple their wings were touching wing to wing.^(ab)

He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

He carved all the surrounding temple walls with carved engravings—cherubim,^(ac) palm trees and flower blossoms—in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

He overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made olive wood doors.^(ad) The pillars of the doorposts were five-sided.^[af]

The two doors were made of olive wood. He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold, hammering gold over the cherubim and palm trees.

In the same way, he made four-sided^[ag] olive wood doorposts for the sanctuary entrance.

The two doors^(ae) were made of cypress wood; the first door had two folding sides, and the second door had two folding panels.

He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold applied evenly over the carving.

He built the inner courtyard^(af) with three rows of dressed stone^(ag) and a row of trimmed cedar beams.

The foundation of the Lord 's temple was laid in Solomon's fourth year in the month of Ziv.

In his eleventh year in the eighth month, in the month of Bul,^[ah] the temple was completed in every detail and according to every specification.^(ah) So he built it in seven years.^(ai)

Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction.^(a)

He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon.^(b) It was 150 feet^[a] long, 75 feet^[b] wide, and 45 feet^[c] high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars.

It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on 45 pillars, 15 per row.

There were three rows of window frames, facing each other^[d] in three tiers.^[e](c)

All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other^[f] in three tiers.^[g]

He made the hall of pillars 75 feet^[h] long and 45 feet^[i] wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars^[j] was in front of them.

He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge^(d)—the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.^[k]

Solomon's own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, his wife.^[l](e)

All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard.

The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet^[m] long.

Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood.

Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord 's temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.^(f)

King Solomon had Hiram^[n](g) brought from Tyre.

He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill,^(h) understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.⁽ⁱ⁾

He cast two hollow bronze pillars:^(j) each 27 feet^[o] high and 18 feet^[p] in circumference.^[q](k)

He also made two capitals^(l) of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7½ feet^[r] was the height of the first capital, and 7½ feet^[s] was also the height of the second capital.

The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths^[t] made of chainwork—seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital.

And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet^[u] high.

The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and 200 pomegranates^(m) were in rows encircling each^[v] capital.

He set up the pillars at the portico⁽ⁿ⁾ of the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin;^[w] then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz.^[x](o)

The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed.^(p)

He made the cast metal reservoir,^[y](q) 15 feet^[z] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet^[aa] high and 45 feet^[ab] in circumference.

Ornamental gourds^(r) encircled it below the brim, 10 every half yard,^[ac] completely encircling the reservoir.^(s) The gourds were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast.

It stood on 12 oxen,^(t) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.

The reservoir was three inches^[ad] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held 11,000 gallons.^[ae]

Then he made 10 bronze water carts.^[af](u) Each water cart was six feet^[ag] long, six feet^[ah] wide, and 4½ feet^[ai] high.

This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces,

and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim.^(v) On the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging^[aj] work.

Each cart^(w) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath.

And the water cart's opening inside the crown on top was 18 inches^[ak] wide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal 27 inches^[al] wide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round.

There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was 27 inches^[am] tall.

The wheels' design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal.

Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart.

At the top of the cart was a band nine inches^[an] high encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it.

He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees^(x) on the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths.

In this way he made the 10 water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.

Then he made 10 bronze basins^(y)—each basin holding 220 gallons^[ao] and each was six feet^[ap] wide—one basin for each of the 10 water carts.

He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the reservoir near the right side of the temple toward the southeast.^(z)

Then Hiram made^(aa) the basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord 's temple:

two pillars;^(ab) bowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars;^(ac)

the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals' bowls on top of the pillars^(ad));

the 10 water carts;^(ae) the 10 basins on the water carts;^(af)

the reservoir;^(ag) the 12 oxen underneath the reservoir;^(ah)

and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins.^(ai) All the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord 's temple were made of burnished bronze.

The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth^(aj) and Zarethan.^(ak)

Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.^(al)

Solomon also made all the equipment in the Lord 's temple: the gold altar; the gold table that the bread of the Presence was placed on;^(am)

the pure gold lampstands in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left;^(an) the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs;

the pure gold ceremonial bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,^[aq] and firepans;^(ao) and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the most holy place) and for the doors of the temple sanctuary.

So all the work King Solomon did in the Lord 's temple was completed.^(ap) Then Solomon brought in the consecrated things of his father David^(aq)—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of the Lord 's temple.^(ar)