Kings Solomon's Temple

Page 1 King Solomon’s Temple


King Solomon’s Temple

Have you ever wondered if you could see King Solomon’s Temple? Did you ever want to go there or find out what happened to it? This paper will give a brief description about King Solomon’s Temple and will inquire some interesting information about the building of King Solomon’s Temple and where it is today. There are close relationships between the Ark of the Covenant and King Solomon’s Temple. We’ll discuss the following topics:

Where and how did the plan of the Temple begin? Why was the present site chosen? What are the essential purposes of the Temple? Where is the temple today? What other assemblies represent the temple? King Solomon's Temple also known as the First Temple, was the first temple of the ancient religion of the biblical Israelites in Jerusalem and originally constructed by King Solomon. These accounts in the Bible are also the basis for much of the legend and lore of Freemasonry, which

uses the construction of the Temple as a backdrop and metaphor for moral instruction.

According to the Bible, it functioned as a religious focal point for worship and the sacrifices known as the korbanot in ancient Judaism. Completed in 960 BC and was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. A reconstructed temple in Jerusalem, which stood between 516 BC and 70 BC, was the Second Temple. This temple was known as Herod’s temple. Jewish studies commonly include belief that a Third Temple will be built. (See Attachment 1)

History is an afterthought, written only when greatness has already been achieved. There was no Hebrew history before David, who united the tribes and conquered their enemies. Nor was there any Masonic history, as we know it, until the operative stone masons of England had established their craft by building some of those marvelous monuments to Christian civilization, the Gothic cathedrals. But there were Masons and there were Hebrews long before there were books about either. In the widely separated beginnings of both Hebrew and Masonic history we find references to the building of a Temple. We have seen that King Solomon's Temple was not built in a day, or without the accumulation and expenditure of a vast treasure in materials, craftsmanship, and human organization. We have seen that a generation of intensive preparation (David concentrating the energies of a kingdom on a project he was never able to behold) preceded the actual building, and that long ages of venerating the simpler Tabernacle in the Wilderness came before that.

The Masonic fraternity started simply, too, and the magnificent brotherly structure of the past two hundred years was many centuries in the making. Unlike the Temple, the fraternity in its formative years


had no powerful king to protect and support it, and its growth was far less spectacular than that of the great monument on Mount Moriah (Temple Mount).

Medieval History and Legend

The legends of Masonry are very old, and they tell of times far older then themselves. The earliest legendary Masonic writing which has survived in manuscript is a little book consisting of 33 leaves of parchment, written in English, probably before 1390 A.D. Freemasonry history as backed by solid empirical evidence has been traced back to 1390. In 1390 the Regius Manuscripts, the oldest authenticated Masonic documents, were written. The Masonic phrase “So Mote it be” originated from this document (See Attch 3). "Here begin the constitutions of the art of Geometry according to Euclid," are the opening lines, in Latin. Then the manuscript proceeds, in old English, to tell how "that worthy clerk, Euclid," taught the useful art of geometry to unemployed sons of the Egyptian nobility, how the knowledge which he taught spread to France and England, and how he admonished his pupils, in fifteen articles and fifteen points, to be good men and worthy exponents of the art of geometry. By geometry he meant Masonry. This medieval stone masons' organization, forerunner of modern Masonry, was already of respectable age when the book of "Euclid's constitutions" was written. It was old enough so that its living members saw nothing ridiculous in tracing their history back to Lamech, the grandson of Adam, and through him to Pythagoras of Greece and Hiram, King of Tyre, and King Charles Martel of France and Athelstane, King of England, even though these celebrities were separated from each other by centuries rather than by years. It was old enough so that not only stone masons but gentlemen and dignitaries of the Church were interested in its legends, and impressed with its supposed continuity since Biblical times. In 1450 the Cooke Manuscript was written by a Speculative Mason. This document of immense Masonic significance was the source of many important Masonic usages including Andersen’s Constitutions written in 1723, and references to the seven liberal arts and sciences, and King Solomon’s Temple. It consists of 100 manuscripts known collectively as The Old Charges. The next oldest Masonic manuscript, written only a few years later, tells substantially the same story in a somewhat different manner, and also includes a reference to King Solomon's Temple. Solomon is represented as having confirmed Euclid's articles and points for the government of Masons. These two Masonic manuscripts are the oldest of a long series known to have been written over a period of more than 300 years, between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 18th. They are sometimes called the Old Charges of Masonry, and sometimes the Manuscript Constitutions of the Craft. Because they link modern Freemasonry with an immemorial past, they are also called "the title deeds of the Fraternity." In all of them is an account of the Temple of Solomon, or "Templum Dei," or "Temple of Jerusalem," or "Templum Domini," and an attempt at the establishment of a kinship between the builders of this Temple and the English stone masons for whom the manuscripts were written. King Solomon and Hiram, King of Tyre, are always in the story, and usually a third builder who is represented as Aynon, a son of Hiram. Thus the dominant theme of the builder's


art appears in the very earliest history of the Craft. Early in the 18th century (1717), four old Lodges in London met together to form the first Grand Lodge and Freemasonry was well on its way toward becoming the organized fraternity which we know today. Probably as early as 1720 or 1730, George Payne, John T. Desaguliers, and their associates had developed a ritual of three degrees, with the legend of King Solomon's Temple holding the central position. This legend, of which there were possible suggestions in the earliest manuscripts, had grown to be one of the dominant themes in Masonry.

Location of the Temple

According to the biblical account, David's first action as king of Israel was to conquer Jebus (Jerusalem) and declare it the capital of his kingdom. Even though the city was not the perfect choice from many points of view, a geopolitical constraint dictated this choice. Mount Moriah located in Jerusalem is an important place where Abraham bound Isaac. Abraham sets out to obey God's command without questioning. After Isaac is bound to an altar, the angel of God stops Abraham at the last minute, at which point Abraham discovers a ram caught in some nearby bushes. Abraham then sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac. Genesis Chapter 22 verse14 states that it occurred at "the mount of the LORD“. The Bible seems to identify the location of this event as the hill on which Solomon later built the Temple, now known as the Temple Mount (Mount Moriah) in Jerusalem. (See Attachment 2) David conquered Jerusalem at the end of the 11th century BC, and then chose it as the center of his new government. Jerusalem became the political and spiritual centre of the Israelite tribes. According to the biblical narrative, David was instructed by God not to build the Temple, leaving the task to his son Solomon. King David had the desire to build the temple but God chose his son King Solomon who completed it in about 960 B.C. The concentration of religious ritual at the Temple made Jerusalem a place of pilgrimage and an important commercial center.

In the days of King David, who subdued the Jebusites, it became a part of the city named Jerusalem on Temple Mount also referred to as Mount Moriah. It is 14 1/2 miles from Jordan, 15 miles from Salt Sea, and 41 miles from the Mediterranean. The location was not the most desirable one on which to erect the Temple, but was chosen by Solomon because of its sacred associations. It was fitting that the great Temple to be


dedicated to the God of his father’s should be erected upon the very spot where Abraham made manifest that faith in Him which was accepted ever after by the children of Israel and the world. On this spot also, where Abraham offered Isaac, David made an acceptable offering unto the Lord, and by faith saved Jerusalem from destruction. David no doubt realized the significance of the name given to the Mount by Abraham, "Jehovah Sees," and ever after the children of Abraham found consolation in the thought, "In the Mount of Jehovah He will be seen." Solomon, in deciding to erect the Temple upon this sacred spot, fulfilled the wishes of his father, King David, and of all in whose breasts these sentiments were cherished. "Beautiful for Situation, the Joy of the whole Earth."

Biblical account of the Temple's construction

Before his death, King David had provided materials in great abundance for the building of the temple on the summit of Mount Moriah (1 Chronicles 22:14; 29:4; 2 Chronicles 3:1), where he had purchased a threshing floor from Araunah the Jebusite (2 Sam. 24:21 et seq.), on which he offered sacrifice.

The Bible states that in the beginning of his reign, King Solomon of the United Kingdom of Israel, set about giving effect to the ideas of his father, and prepared additional materials for the building. From subterranean quarries at Jerusalem he obtained huge blocks of stone for the foundations and walls of the temple. These stones were prepared for their places in the building under the eye of Tyrian master-builders. According to this account, Solomon also entered into a pact with Hiram I, king of Tyre, for the supply of whatever else was needed for the work, particularly timber from the forests of Lebanon, which was brought in great rafts by the sea to Joppa, where it was dragged to Jerusalem (1 Kings 5).

Hiram, the Phoenician King of Tyre, ruled from 970-936 B.C. He had already established friendly relations with King David of Jerusalem with the commercial ventures that were carried on between their two nations. When Solomon approached him for help with the great undertaking of building a

magnificent temple, King Hiram was ready to accommodate with materials and labourers. The Phoenicians called themselves ‘Kinahna' meaning Canaanites. The Greeks called them ‘Phoenicians' which means purple because of the royal purple cloth the Greeks traded with them. These people were traders, not warriors. From history we acknowledge the Phoenicians as a very civilized and intelligent race. They were extremely skilled as artists and artisans. From the Egyptians they had developed a high degree of skill in making glass and weaving the imported linen. Their skill in navigation and seafaring was unparalleled and to them is credited the discovery and use of Polaris, the North Star. They were as successful as seamen that, by about 1,000 B.C., they had gained control of all the trading commerce on the Mediterranean, had established colonies all along the Mediterranean and had straddled this huge coastal area with factories that were centered at Tyre. They exported cedar from the Lebanon forests and many articles made from cedar, dyed woolen cloth,

King Hiram walking through the forests of Lebanon


glassware, metal ware, pottery, and ivory. They imported tin, silver, iron and lead from Spain; gold, spices, wrought iron, horses and superior wool from Arabia; and corn of superior quality from Israel. Papyrus, ivory, ebony, silk and spices were imported from Egypt; copper and various kinds of raw materials were imported from Cyprus. They smelted their metals with the aid of blowpipes and bellows. They blasted in their mines by using fire and vinegar. They even had learned the practical use of pulleys from their Asiatic trading partners. The Phoenicians' chief gift to the world was the invention of an alphabet which later evolved and was adapted by the Greeks to become the backbone of the modern alphabet. ‘Papyrus' (paper) was familiar to them from their trade with the Egyptians. They were great geometricians and they had a proven record of building skills. Solomon was familiar with the Phoenician Temple of Melqart, and wanted similar magnificence for his Temple at Jerusalem. Historians refer to this temple as one of unmatched magnificence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Solomon contracted with King Hiram of Tyre to receive Cedar, which is still world renowned today concerting Cypress and Juniper logs from the mountainous forests of Lebanon. Cedar of Lebanon was of especially good quality, solid, not many knots, and of a deep rich, reddish color. They could sometimes reach a height of well over 100 feet. They are now extremely rare. Hiram said: And we shall cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as Thou shalt need floats by sea to Joppa;. What we do not realize from this passage is that once the wood was cut, it had to be taken down the mountain side to the coast. This would have been an awesome task in itself because the distance was some 15 miles N. of Tyre. They rolled it down the mountainside and when it was on level ground, they pulled it to the coast by teams of oxen. There, the logs were bound together in rafts using very strong rope and floated down to Joppa, (today known as Tel Aviv). This was a further distance of about 90 miles. Joppa's harbor was formed by a low ledge of rocks about 330 ft. from the coast. The north end being open and shallow is probably where the log rafts were accessed. The city of Joppa was situated on a rocky hill rising to a height of about 115 ft. From the coast of Joppa it was ANOTHER 35 miles to Jerusalem. A new road laid by King Solomon, enabled them to transport the cedar logs to Jerusalem. In exchange for the wood and 30,000 labourers from Tyre, each year Hiram received from Solomon the following: 2,000 tons of wheat; 2,000 tons of barley; 400,000 liters of wine; and 400,000 liters of olive oil.


According to tradition, Solomon also provided for a sufficient water supply for the temple by carving in the rocky hill vast water tanks (cisterns), into which water was conveyed by channels from the "pools" near Bethlehem. One of these cisterns, the "great sea," was capable of containing three million gallons. The overflow was led off by a conduit to the Kidron.


Workmen at the Temple

Hiram Abiff of Tyre, the principal architect and engineer, was of mixed race. "He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre. (In the Book of ‘Kings' in the Bible, he is referred to as Hurum, the widow's son.)" He was "skilled to work in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him. Cunning, a man richly endowed by Nature in wisdom and knowledge, he was preeminently fitted for this almost supernatural task. With him were associated the trained and "cunning" men of David, who had "trained workmen in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber." 1 Kings 7: 13-14.

Solomon numbered the strangers that were in the land of Israel, there were 70,000 Entered Apprentices in the rock quarries, 80,000 Fellowcrafts who quarried rock out of the mountains and cut and polished them into perfect ashlars, and 30,000 who cut wood out of Lebanon. Additionally, there were 3300 overseers of the work and 550 chief overseers, making a combined labor force of 183,850. 2 Chron. 2: 17-18.

Solomon having married a daughter of Egypt's king, and thus cemented his alliance with that powerful monarch, and having, at the same time, a workable trade pact with the Phoenicians, drew from these nations skilled workmen to assist his already well-trained and formidable force. In addition, nearly all the neighboring nations as well as those of more distant realms were drawn upon for builders and artisans skilled in wood, metal, and stonework. 1 Kings 5: 18.

Construction of the Temple These plans of King Solomon’s Temple are the result of an effort to reproduce a beautiful dignified and artistic building conforming to the specifications found in the bible. According to tradition, in all these preparatory undertakings a space of about three years was occupied; and now the process of the erection of the great building began, under the direction of skilled Phoenician builders and workmen, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign.

The building followed the Phoenician model, which makes the Bible's description an important source for

historians regarding the lay-out of Phoenician temples, and vice versa. David provided Solomon with a large amount of gold and silver with which to build the temple. The Biblical account reports that this


amounted to 100,000 talents (3,000 tons) of gold (an amount exceeding the current annual global production and 1,000,000 talents (30,000 tons) of silver.

According to biblical tradition, many thousands of laborers and skilled artisans were employed in the work. Stones prepared in the quarries underneath the city (1 Kings 5:17, 18) of huge dimension were gradually placed on the massive walls, and closely fitted together without any mortar between, till the whole structure was completed.


Kings Chapter 6 Dimensions of the Temple (1 Kings 6)

The house which king Solomon built for the Lord o Length: threescore cubits (60 cubits-125

ft. counting 25 in. as a cubit) o Width: twenty cubits (20 cubits-41 ft. 8

in) o Height: thirty cubits (30 cubits-62 1/5 ft)

Porches and outside rooms o The porch before the temple of the

house Twenty cubits was the length

thereof, according to the breadth of the house (20 cubits - 41 ft. 8 in. long, or all the way in front of the temple)

o Ten cubits was the width before the house (10 cubits - 20 ft. 10 in. Wide)

And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

o He built chambers or rooms around the temple on the outside walls of the 2 sides and the end. They were 10 ft. 5 in. in height

The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

o The rooms were 10 ft. 5 in. high: 12 ft. 6 in. wide: and 14 ft. 7 in. long, with pillars for the ceiling beams so they would not rest on the wall.

What is a cubit? o An ancient unit of linear measure, originally equal to the length of the forearm from the

tip of the middle finger to the elbow, or about 17 to 22 inches (43 to 56 centimeters).


The Temple stone was immediately at hand in the hills round about Jerusalem and even in the city itself. The stone was quarried and prepared by masons from Tyre and Byblos. The workmen prepared

the rough ashlars in the quarries, and then carried them up to a place close to the building site where more skilled and expert craftsmen gave them their fine finish with the result that they were perfect ashlars. These stones were the famous white limestone, which was so easily worked and carved. There was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in the process of being built. The blocks of white limestone slotted perfectly together in their placement.

The Biblical text makes it clear that Solomon received aid from Hiram, King of Tyre, in the construction of his buildings. As the Hebrews were an agricultural people, this aid

probably involved not only material (cedar-wood, etc.), but architectural direction and skilled craftsmen. Among the details from Tyre were the two pillars Boaz and Jachin.

The Two Pillars About 3000 B.C. the Egyptians had opened up copper mines in the Sinai Peninsula, so the Phoenicians were very familiar with its practical uses. They had discovered that by refining copper and tin together, they could get bronze. The Jordan Valley was some 60 miles N.E. of Jerusalem. The pillars were at least 30 ft. high, each nearly 20 ft around. Each pillar was adorned with chapiters of cast bronze formed in the shape of lilies, which had a thickness of almost three inches. Each chapiter was about 7 1/2ft high. A network of seven interwoven chains decorated the chapiters. Hiram Abiff made pomegranates in two rows above

the bowl-shaped part next to the network. The pomegranates totaled two hundred for each pillar. These pillars were cast in bronze in the clay grounds of the Jordan, formed hollow and made of molten brass. The reason for them being hollow was to store the ‘ancient records' and the ‘valuable writings' pertaining to the historic past of the Jewish people. Boaz, the left-hand pillar, stood to the south representing the land of Judah and signifying ‘in strength'; Jachin stood to the north representing the land of Israel, signifying ‘God will establish'. These two great bronze shafts, standing in relief, formed an important feature in the architecture of the Temple. Each one was "thirty-five cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference" (70 feet high and 24 feet in circumference). They were highly ornamented by a network of brass, overhung with wreaths of bronze pomegranates, each row containing one hundred. Upon the pillars and the top of the chapiters were pommels (great bowls or vessels for oil) over which were hung, festoon-wise, wreaths of pomegranates, interspersed here and there with lily work. They bore the names of Jachin and Boaz and were placed in front of the porch leading to the Sanctuary. 2 Chron. 3:15; 1 Kings 7: 15-22; 2 Chron. 4: 12-13.


King Solomon began construction of the Temple about the year 957 B.C. during the 4th year of his reign. The Temple was built due east and west and was surrounded with high walls built of stone and timber. A vast retaining outer wall spanned 750 ft X 500 ft. Inside this was an inner court which extended from the Temple about 209 ft on all sides. The method used to build the walls was to place 3 rows of stone and follow that up with a row of interlocking cedar beams. This provided a sort of elasticity as a safeguard against the earth tremors which were prevalent in that area. For seven years Jerusalem was filled with busy workers engaged in leveling the chosen site, building vast retaining walls, laying broad foundations, shaping the heavy timbers brought from the Lebanon forests, and erecting the magnificent sanctuary. At the same time, the manufacture of the furnishings for the Temple was steadily progressing under the leadership of Hiram Abiff. At the S.E. corner of the Temple, Hiram Abiff had fashioned a huge ‘bowl' called a ‘molten sea'. This huge tank was about 15 ft. in diameter. It stood about 7 ½ ft. high and the circumference was about 45 ft. holding about 10,000 gals of water. All round the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of bronze gourds, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. It is thought to have represented a ‘sacred lake' which had great cleansing powers. The great bowl was for the High Priests to cleanse themselves. It was made of molten bronze and a hands breadth in thickness. It was supported by 12 bronze bulls arranged in four groups of three, each group facing a different direction with the heads facing outwards.

To the left and in front of Boaz was a great altar for burnt offerings. Mounted on four stages, each one smaller than the one below it, the altar was made of bronze and the stages were of stone. It was 30 ft. square and stood about 15 ft. high. When an animal was to become a burnt offering, it was slaughtered, skinned, and cut up. The priest laid his hand on the head of the animal as it was being slaughtered, emblematically transferring the sins and transgressions of the people into the innocent animal. The blood was drained into a container; the intestines and shanks were washed, then the body, head and all were burned on the altar. Only the most perfect specimens qualified for sacrificial rites, thus the reason for generally selecting lambs.


All round the altar were bronze carts, totaling 10. These carts were about 6 ft. long X 6 ft. wide X 4 ½ ft. high. They were set on 4 bronze wheels with bronze axles. The wheels were about 26 inches high shaped like chariot wheels. A circular band, about 9 inches in width was placed around the top of the cart. The side panels, as well as the supports placed at each corner of the cart were all decorated in carved relief with figures of bulls, lions, palm trees and cherubim. Each cart had a basin set upon the band which was about 6 ft. in diameter and held about 211 gals of water. These were used to cleanse the animals intended as sacrifices. 5 carts were on the S. side and 5 on the N. side. The overseer of all this work was Hiram Abiff. All around the outside of the building there were ‘side chambers' or ‘side rooms'. These were arranged in 3 levels which were divided into 90 rooms, with 30 on each level. Each level measured about 10 ft. high. The wall on each floor was thinner than the one below it so that the rooms could rest on the wall without having their beams built

into the wall. The entrance to the lowest level was on the south side of the Temple with stairs leading up to the 2nd and 3rd levels. Access was gained to the Middle Chamber by a winding stairway in the southeast corner of the building. No access to the Temple could be gained from these levels. The Temple followed the traditional Phoenician design: an outer hallway, a central open courtyard, and an inner Holy of Holies or sanctum sanctorum.


Once past the 2 great pillars, the vestibule opened into a vast main sanctuary, lit by small windows. A double door of olive and pine wood, covered in gold and decorated with carved figures of gourds, cherubim, palm trees and open flowers led into the sanctuary. This sanctuary was approximately 46 ft. long X 30 ft. wide. The stone walls were covered with cedar panels, as was the whole interior of the sanctuary. Even the roofs were covered in cedar. The floor was covered in cypress wood and the whole structure was then overlaid with fine gold, carved with designs of palm trees and chain patterns. The gold came

from southern Arabia, the land of the legendary Queen of Sheba. All of the furnishings in here were of the finest gold which included: the altar and the tables for the

show bread offered to God; the lamp stands and the lamps of fine gold that were to b urn in front of the Holy of Holies; the flower decorations; the lamps and the tongs; the lamp snuffers; the bowls; the dishes for incense and the pans used for carrying live coals. All these objects were made of pure gold. On the walls also, the workers carved designs of winged creatures (cherubim). These creatures are described in the Book of Ezekiel. Directly in front of the double doors leading into the ‘Holy of Holies' stood the altar. This altar was 7 ½ ft. long, 7 ½ ft. wide, and 4 ½ ft. high. It was made of acacia wood and 4 horns projected from the upper 4 corners. All was overlaid with gold. The Holy of Holies' or inner sanctuary was a curtained inner chamber. A perfect cube, the ‘Holy of Holies' measured thirty feet long, wide and high and was raised 10 ft. above the temple floor. A double door which spanned 10 ft. 8 in. led to this inner sanctuary; it was made of olive wood and gilded with gold, carved with figures of gourds, flowers, palm trees, and cherubim. These doors occupied 1/4 of the wall.


The top of the doorway was formed into a pointed arch. The curtains or veils were of the finest silk cloth brightly colored in hyacinth blue, purple and scarlet. The Phoenicians were famous for their colored dyes, especially purple. They obtained the purple ink from a marine snail (murex) found on their coast. Other shades of ink were obtained from other species of marine snails common throughout the Mediterranean. The silk for the veils came from their trading with tribes to the East, possibly India. They were embroidered with figures of cherubim. The reason for the color scheme of the veil was symbolic. In Jewish tradition, blue represented the heavens, while red or crimson represented the earth. Purple, a combination of the two colors, represents a meeting of the heavens and the earth. The floor, four walls and ceiling were completely lined with pure gold. Herein was kept the Ark of the Covenant which sat in a recessed area just large enough to contain the Ark. Above the Ark, King Solomon had caused two cherubim of gigantic size to be made. They stood over 20 ft. high and were

made of olive wood; both were of the same size and shape. They were placed side by side, so that 2 of their outstretched wings touched each other in the middle of the room, and the other 2 wings touched the walls. The two winged creatures were covered with gold and faced the doorway to the “Holy of Holies”. Herein, also, were kept other tokens of the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt and their sojourn in the Sinai wilderness.


Completion

At length, in the autumn of the eleventh year of his reign, seven and a half years after it had been begun, the temple was completed. For thirteen years there it stood, on the summit of Moriah, silent and unused. The reasons for this strange delay in its consecration are unknown. At the close of these thirteen years preparations for the dedication of the temple were made. The Temple remained empty for only eleven months, until the month of Tishri in the year following its completion. Thus the Temple was dedicated at the autumnal new-year festival.

Ark of the Covenant

During the construction of Solomon's Temple, a special inner room, named Holy of Holies, was prepared to receive and house the Ark (1 Kings 6:19); and when the Temple was dedicated, the Ark—containing the original tablets of the Ten Commandments—was placed therein (1 Kings 8:6-9). When the priests emerged from the holy place after placing the Ark there, the Temple was filled with a cloud, "for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14).

Although King David erected another Tabernacle at Jerusalem for the reception of the Ark of the Covenant,

the original Tabernacle of Israel remained at Gibeon until the days of King Solomon, together with the brazen altar used for sacrificial offerings. The layout and furnishings of the Tabernacle and its surrounding court were replicated in lavish detail and supplemented in the temple constructed by King Solomon at Jerusalem.

According to biblical tradition, the Ark of 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 a platform which had been erected for him, in the sight of all the people, and lifting up his hands to heaven poured out his heart to God in prayer (1 Kings 8; 2 Chr. 6, 7).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon%27s_Temple

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_of_Holies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablets_of_Stone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments


The feast of dedication, which lasted seven days, followed by the feast of tabernacles, marked a new era in the history of Israel. On the eighth day of the feast of tabernacles, Solomon dismissed the vast

assemblage of the people.

Itemized Descriptions and Surrounding Structures

1. The Debir: the oracle or Most Holy Place (1 Kings 6:19; 8:6), called also the "inner house" (6:27), and the "Holy of 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 of the temple is that its floor was elevated, like the cella of 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 of 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 on either side and met in the center of the room. There was a two-leaved door between it and the holy place overlaid with gold (2 Chr. 4:22); also a veil of 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 of 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 of the same width and height as the Holy of Holies, but 40 cubits in length. Its walls were lined with cedar, on which were carved figures of cherubim, palm-trees, and open flowers, which were overlaid with gold. Chains of gold further marked it off from the Holy of Holies. The floor of the Temple was of fir-wood overlaid with gold. The door-posts, of olive-wood, supported folding-doors of fir. The doors of the Holy of Holies were of olive-wood. On both sets of doors were carved cherubim, palm-trees, and flowers, all being overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:15)

3. The Ulam: the porch or entrance before the temple on the east (1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chr. 3:4; 9:7). This was 20 cubits long (corresponding to the width of the Temple) and 10 cubits deep (1 Kings 6:3). 2 Chr. 3:4 adds the curious statement (probably corrupted from the statement of the depth of the porch) that this porch was 120 cubits high, which would make it a regular tower. The description does not specify whether a 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 of carved lilies, 5 cubits high.

4. The chambers, which were built about the temple on the southern, western, and northern sides (1 Kings 6:5-10). These formed a part of the building and were used for storage. They were probably one story high at first; two more may have been added late.

5. The court of the priests (2 Chr. 4:9), called the "inner court" (1 Kings 6:36), which was separated from the space beyond by a wall of three courses of hewn stone, surmounted by cedar beams (1 Kings 4:36).

6. The great court, which surrounded the whole temple (2 Chr. 4:9). Here the people assembled to worship God (Jeremiah 19:14; 26:2).Hiram, King of Tyre, the friend of David, gave Solomon cedar, algum and fir trees according to all Solomon's needs, also great stones (granite), costly stones (marbles), and hewed stones, shaped for pillars and squared by stone squarer’s during the course of the construction of the Temple, King Hiram and King Solomon caused periodical trips to be made to Ophir for gold, algum trees, and precious stones to add to the apparently inexhaustible store. "King David rejoiced with great joy." Hiram, King of Tyre, "blessed the Lord God of Israel that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the King a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding that might build a house for the Lord." Architecture of the Temple The assemblage of the world's architectural genius at Jerusalem, and the amassed store of materials of gold, silver, brass, iron, granite, and marble, together with the precious stones and costly woods and fabrics brought from foreign shores, resulted in a structure distinctive in design, gigantic in proportions, and glorious in embellishments, the like of which Israel and the people of that day had never before seen, and which will never again be equaled, much less excelled. The Temple and the Palace together, as a unit, consisted of a series of terraces round about Mount Moriah, the highest point of which was crowned by the Great Porch, with the Holy and the Most Holy Place.


The second highest terrace, surrounding the Mount, was an oblong or rectangle, 1,600 feet long and 800 feet wide, having a retaining wall rising from the base of the Mount to a height of from 80 to 240 feet as

conditions required for support, for defense, and to produce a uniform raised level about the Mount. Within this first enclosure the architects provided homes for the porters and singers, as well as havens for the worshipers. The upper terrace was 800 feet long and 400 feet wide, surrounded by a retaining wall of great stone.

The eastern half of this second enclosed terrace or court was embellished by three rows of hewed stones or pillars, roundabout, forming a colonnade and supporting an entablature of cedar beams and costly stones. The Covert for the King was located on the north side and was of solid brass. In the western half of this oblong enclosure, and on the north side, was the Court for the women, surrounded

Some certain and some tentative identifications #1 - The Lord's Temple built by Solomon #2 - The Gate to the inner Temple Court #3 - The outer Temple Court #4 - Likely Edifice of the House of Treasures #5 - The House of Pharaoh's Daughter #6 - The Porch of Judgment #7 - Solomon's Palace #8 - The House of the Forest of Lebanon #9 - Possible site of the Porch of Pillars to the Temple and Citadel coming from the Palace of Solomon and the House of the Forest of Lebanon.


by high walls and enclosing a series of chambers suitably arranged. To the south was the Court of the Priests, containing the chambers for those who were actively engaged in the Temple services. In the center of the western half of the great court was the inner court, 400 feet by 200 feet in size, in the form of a rectangle, surrounded by a cloistered colonnade of three rows of pillars supporting a beautiful entablature of cedar beams and costly stones. The only entrance to the inner court was through the Great Gate on the eastern side. In the center of the eastern half of the inner court stood the Great Altar of Burnt-offering. In the southeast corner was the Molten Sea, and on the north and south sides, five on each side, were the Lavers. The western square of the inner court contained the House, or Holy and Most Holy Places, surrounded by a series of chambers. The approach to these sacred precincts was through the Great Porch, rising to a height of 240 feet.

These crowning terraces which supported the Temple and King Solomon's Palace or Citadel, including his house, the House of the Forest of Lebanon, the Queen's Palace, the Porch of Pillars, and kindred structures, were surrounded for the sake of security by a wall which began at the bottom of the Mount. Some of the sides of this wall were reared 280 feet in height before they attained the desired level, and these massive and curious bases, together with the super-structure, formed an impressive prospect, which was the marvel of all beholders. 2 Chron. 3: 4.

Approaching the Temple terraces from the southwest was a road leading through a gate into the great citadel, within the walls of which were the numerous buildings. The citadel was on an elevation just below that of the Temple, and visitors to the latter had to pass through the former. Here was the King's Palace, the House of the Forest of Lebanon, the Porch of Pillars, the Queen's Palace, the Tower of David, and the Palace of the Captain of the Host, the Palace of the High Priest, and the Judgment Seat or Throne. Within this same enclosure were to be found the homes of the Royal Harem, and of the immediate official family and attendants. Here also were the Royal Gardens in which were to be found a great variety of trees and beautiful shrubbery, and enclosures for wild and domestic animals and birds. The King's Palace, the House of the Forest of Lebanon, and the other royal buildings were of a size and magnificence such as Israel had never seen before, and was prized because they reflected the high political rank of the nation, as the Temple reflected the glory of its religious institutions. The road from the southwest gate ran diagonally northeastward to a central square which was dominated by the Tower of David. At the south of the square was the Court of Guards, at the west of the Queen's Palace, and at the east the Palace of King Solomon.


Conceptions of Surrounding Structures:

The Interior of King Solomon's Palace - Banquet Scene - Solomon's Temple and Citadel. Visit of the Queen of Sheba/Shwa/Thebes - 1.Kings 10 - Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

House of Pharaoh's Daughter - King Solomon's wife or Queen - King Solomon's Citadel. Song of Solomon - Abishag the Shulamite.

http://www.specialtyinterests.net/david_abishag.html


Porch of Pillars of King Solomon's Temple and Citadel. 1.Kings 7:6-21. When the priests on the feast days slowly made their way up the steps to the Sanctuary, they would sing the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-136). This porch measured 50 x 30 cubits, 1.Kings 7:6.

Porch of Judgment of King Solomon's Temple and Citadel. 1.Kings 7:7

http://www.specialtyinterests.net/psalms.html#120

http://www.specialtyinterests.net/psalms.html#120


House of the Forest of Lebanon King Solomon's Temple and Citadel. 1.Kings 7:2. This building measured 100 x 50 x 30 cubits, 1.Ki. 7:2. [1 royal, Egyptian cubit = 20.623 inches; 2062 inches = 171.8 feet long; or in metrics, 1 cubit = 52.4 cm; 5240 cm = 52.4 meters long.]

The Gate to the Inner Court - King Solomon's Temple. Ezekiel 40:23-32


The Great Porch of the Temple - King Solomon's Temple. - 1.Kings 6:3; 7:12 The Psalmist's `Songs of Degrees' were sung by the officiating priests as they solemnly climbed up these stairs to the sanctuary on certain Feast days in the Jewish year, . Another song was addressed to be sung to the great God of Peace, Psalm 72.

The Judgment Seat

All the Art Work of Solomon's Temple.


The Treasure Room This room occupied the space above the Holy and Most Holy Places, extending the entire length of the House. It was "sixty cubit s long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high" (120 feet by 40 by 20). Here were stored the many things King David had dedicated to the Lord. Here also were the silver and gold vessels and instruments, and all the dedicated things such as gifts from allied kings, princes, potentates, and all other important personages. It was also the royal treasury where Solomon deposited and from whence he disbursed all things of value. 1 Kings 6: 2.

The Great Porch


The Destruction of King Solomon’s Temple

The city served as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel, and became the capital of the Judah, which was less powerful of the two kingdoms after the division of the country into two kingdoms, after the death of Solomon. It remained the centre of Judaite cultic life until the city was captured by the Babylonians in 586 BC and, at the order of King Nebuchadnezzar II, the city was torched, the Temple razed, and the people taken into exile to Babylon (2 Kings 25: 8-9). Jewish tradition holds this incident to be the first exile of the Jewish nation.

The Roman general, Pompey, captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C. Nine years later, Crassus; a Roman consul plundered the temple. In 37 B.C. King Herod captured Jerusalem and in 20 B.C. he began the work of rebuilding of the Temple. It was not completed until 64 A.D. The Romans, under Titus, completely demolished Jerusalem along with the Second Temple in 70 A.D. Thus, the final chapter was written and history closed the King Solomon’s book for the final time. Today, hardly a fragment of this magnificent edifice remains except for a portion of the outer wall, known as the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem (The Second Temple also know as Herod’s Temple).

The Temple and Eternity King Solomon's Temple was the perfect architectural expression of the religious faith of a people. As such, it has never been equaled in the history of the world, much less excelled. Its actual life was short, but is influence has been incalculable. Built to endure for centuries, only a few years elapsed before it was desecrated and then completely destroyed by invading armies. Yet its fame did not die. The children of Israel, with fervid determination, rebuilt it twice, and twice more it was destroyed. The descendents of its builders were scattered far and wide over the face of the earth, but the traditions of their labor and their unity and their accomplishment have remained to inspire all subsequent ages, and the magnificence of the Temple they built is still acknowledged as the epitome of gorgeous architecture. To arrive at recorded Masonic history, we must leave the age of King Solomon and the builders of the temples at Jerusalem and continue on to what is today.


Archaeological evidence

Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar has conjectured that archaeological evidence supports the possible historical existence of Solomon's Temple. This evidence includes remains taken from refuse from an extensive construction project performed on the Temple Mount by the Islamic waqf in November 1999. The second was discovered in the summer of 2007, as archeologists overseeing construction at the site reported “evidence of human activity” most likely belonging to the first temple period. In January 2008 Israeli archaeologist Mazar publicized the Shelomit seal.

Archaeologist discovers 'significant' part of Jerusalem city wall from 10th century BC

Article No. 1:

In February 2010 Eilat Mazar announced the discovery of what she believes to be a 10th-century city wall, Jerusalem. According to Mazar, "It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel" and "It means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction." The 10th century is the period the Bible describes as the reign of King Solomon.

The 10th-century city wall is an ancient fortification re-excavated in 2010 in the City of David by archaeologist Eilat Mazar who believes that it dates to the late 10th-century BCE.

Although consensus on the dating of the wall has not been reached by the archaeological community, Mazar maintains that, "It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," and "It means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction." The 10th century is the period the Bible describes as the reign of King Solomon.

A section of wall 79 meters (259 ft) long and 6 meters (20 ft) high has been uncovered. The discoveries include an inner gatehouse, a "royal structure" and a corner tower with a base measuring 23 meters (75 ft) by 18 meters (59 ft) from which watchmen could keep watch on the Kidron Valley. According to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th-century_city_wall,_Jerusalem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th-century_city_wall,_Jerusalem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_David

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_David

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat_Mazar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat_Mazar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidron_Valley


Mazar, the built structures are similar to the First Temple era fortifications of Megiddo, Beersheba and Ashdod. Mazar told reporters that "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site," enable her to "postulate, with a great degree of assurance" that the wall dates from the late 10th-century BCE.

Mazar told reporters that "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate, with a great degree of assurance, that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the tenth century BCE."

Broken potters in the "royal structure" enabled archaeologists to date the building. One storage jar bears an inscription in Hebrew. Mazar told the Jerusalem Post that "The jars that were found are the largest ever found in Jerusalem," and "the inscription found on one of them shows that it belonged to a government official, apparently the person responsible for overseeing the provision of baked goods to the royal court."

The wall has been excavated twice before. Once in the 1860s and again in the 1980s. Ms Mazar claimed her dig was the first complete excavation, as well as the first to turn up strong evidence for the wall's age. In 1867 Charles Warren conducted an underground survey in the area, describing the outline of a large tower but without attributing it to the era of Solomon.

According to 1 Kings 3:1, King Solomon built "the wall of Jerusalem round about."

The dig is joint project of Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, with funding provided by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megiddo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beersheba

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashdod

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Solomon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Post

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_University

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Antiquities_Authority

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Nature_and_Parks_Authority

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Nature_and_Parks_Authority


Article No. 2:

By Mail Foreign Service Last updated at 5:01 PM on 22nd February 2010

Part of an ancient city wall of Jerusalem from the 10th century BC - possibly built by King Solomon - has been revealed in archaeological excavations.

The section – 70 yards long and six yards high – was found in an area known as the Ophel, between the city of David and the southern wall of the First Temple.

Uncovered in the city wall complex are: an inner gatehouse for access into the royal quarter of the city, a royal structure adjacent to the gatehouse, and a corner tower that overlooks a substantial section of the adjacent Kidron valley.

Findings: Israeli archaeologist Dr Eilat Mazar shows an aerial view of a new excavation site outside the old city walls in Jerusalem Israeli archaeologist Dr Eilat Mazar, who was leading the three-month excavation, said the 3,000-year-old findings support the biblical narrative about the era.

If correct, it would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications.

It is a key point of dispute among scholars, because it would match the Bible's account that the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem around that time.

While some Holy Land archaeologists support that version of history - including Mazar - others believe David's monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Mail+Foreign+Service


Speaking today, Mazar called her find 'the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel'.

She added: 'A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate with a great degree of assurance that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the 10th century BCE.

Significant: The newly excavated fortifications outside the Old City walls

‘It means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction.’

Based on what she believes to be the age of the fortifications and their location, she suggested it was built by Solomon, David's son, and mentioned in the Book of Kings.

The findings are located just outside the present-day walls of Jerusalem's Old City, next to the holy compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

According to the Old Testament, it was Solomon who built the first Jewish Temple on the site. Archaeologists have excavated the fortifications in the past, first in the 1860s and most recently in the 1980s.


But Mazar claimed her dig was the first complete excavation and the first to turn up strong evidence for the wall's age: a large number of pottery shards, which archaeologists often use to figure out the age of findings.

Archeologist Eilat Mazar, centre, who is leading the excavation, hailed the findings as the 'most significant we have from First Temple days'

The funding for the project was provided by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman, a New York couple interested in Biblical Archeology.

Article No. 3:

Ancient stone fortifications that were recently uncovered outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City date back some 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about the era, according to archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who spoke to a group of reporters at the site on Monday. If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century BCE.


A 3,000-year-old defensive wall possibly built by King Solomon has been unearthed in Jerusalem, according to the Israeli archaeologist who led the excavation. The discovery appears to validate a Bible passage, she says. The tenth-century B.C. wall is 230 feet (70 meters) long and about 6 meters (20 feet) tall. It stands along what was then the edge of Jerusalem—between the Temple Mount, still Jerusalem's paramount landmark, and the ancient City of David, today a modern-day Arab neighborhood called Silwan. The stone barrier is part of a defensive complex that includes a gatehouse, an adjacent building, and a guard tower, which has been only partially excavated, according to Eilat Mazar, who led the dig for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Over the years, the structures have been partially demolished—their building materials scavenged for later structures—and what remained was buried under rubble, Mazar said. The Bible's First Book of Kings—widely believed to have been written centuries after the time period in question—says Solomon, king of Israel, built a defensive wall in Jerusalem. The new discovery is the first archaeological evidence of this structure, Mazar says. "It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," Mazar said on Monday. "And it means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction." The section of the city wall revealed, which is 70 meters long and six meters high, is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the southern wall of the Temple Mount. An inner gatehouse for access into the royal quarter of the city was uncovered in the city wall complex, along with a royal structure adjacent to the gatehouse and a corner tower that overlooks a substantial section of the adjacent Kidron Valley. The excavations in the Ophel area were carried out over a three-month period under the auspices of Hebrew University and with funding provided by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman, a New York couple interested in biblical archeology. The excavations were carried out in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Company for the Development of East Jerusalem. Archeology students


from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as volunteer students from the Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond, Oklahoma and hired workers all participated in the excavation work. "The city wall that has been uncovered testifies to a ruling presence," Mazar said. "Its strength and form of construction indicate a high level of engineering, and the city wall is at the eastern end of the Ophel area in a high, strategic location atop the western slope of the Kidron Valley. "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate, with a great degree of assurance, that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the tenth century BCE," she continued. "This is the first time that a structure from that time has been found that may correlate with written descriptions of Solomon's building in Jerusalem," she added. "The Bible tells us that Solomon built - with the assistance of the Phoenicians, who were outstanding builders - the Temple and his new palace and surrounded them with a city, most probably connected to the more ancient wall of the City of David." Mazar specifically cited the third chapter of Kings I, which includes the words "until he [Solomon] had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about." The six-meter-high gatehouse of the uncovered city wall complex is built in a style typical of those from the period of the First Temple, like Megiddo, Beersheba and Ashdod. It has a symmetrical plan of four identical small rooms, two on each side of the main passageway. A large, adjacent tower also stood at the site, covering an area of 24 by 18 meters, where it served as a watchtower to protect entry to the city. Today the tower is located under the nearby road and still needs to be excavated. Pottery shards discovered within the fill of the lowest floor of the royal building near the gatehouse also testify to the 10th-century-BCE dating of the complex. On the floor, excavators found remnants of large storage jars that survived destruction by fire and that were found in rooms that apparently served


as storage areas on the ground floor of the building. One of the jars shows a partial inscription in ancient Hebrew indicating it belonged to a high-level government official. "The jars that were found are the largest ever found in Jerusalem," said Mazar, adding that "the inscription found on one of them shows that it belonged to a government official, apparently the person responsible for overseeing the provision of baked goods to the royal court." In addition to the pottery shards, cult figurines were also found in the area, as were seal impressions on jar handles with the word "to the king," testifying to their usage within the monarchy. Also found were seal impressions (bullae) with Hebrew names, indicating the royal nature of the structure.

Today’s Virtue

When the Lord told Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice "on one of the mountains I will tell thee of" (Gen. 22:3). It was Mount Moriah. This is the spot where today the Dome of the Rock, and King Solomon’s Temple what is believed, stands today. God instructed King David to buy the threshing floor, the present Temple site, for the place of sacrifice in Jerusalem (II Sam. 24:18-25; I Chron. 21:18-30. David gave the Temple pattern (which incorporated the Tabernacle ordinances given Moses in the wilderness) to Solomon (I Chron. 28:11-21). King David gave of his personal wealth comparable to $100,835,000 (before inflation).

Dome of the Rock Mount Moriah (Temple Mount)


Looking down from this image, this is the sacred rock that is the focus and namesake of the Dome of the Rock. Jews believe that it was on this rock that Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, and this stone may have once stood in Solomon's Temple.

King David had the desire to build the temple but God chose his son King Solomon who completed it in about 960 B.C. (2 Sam. 7:1-17; 1 King, 6:1-38). It was a magnificent temple.

Dome of the Rock and Dome of the Chain


The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of an ancient man-made platform known as the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 CE (Common Era, abbreviated as CE, is a designation for the calendar system most commonly used in the Western world)

The Dome of the Chain is a small dome next to the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was built around the same time as its famous neighbor, but its purpose is not entirely clear.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-dome-of-the-rock.htm

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem.htm



Other interesting pictures of the Dome of the Rock Interior



Observed and photographed by RWB Keith Newton, 8th Masonic District

Models of the Temple Late in the 17th century there were several attempts to create models of King Solomon's Temple. Some of them attracted wide notice in England at just the time the operative Masonic craft was being gradually transformed into what we know as speculative Freemasonry. Gottfried Hensel, rector of Hirschberg in Germany, made a model. Rabbi Jacob Jehuda Leon was displaying one in England in 1675. A little later, Gerhard Schott was building his in Hamburg. This one was still being shown in London in 1725, eight years after the first Grand Lodge was organized.

It is especially evident that King Solomon's Temple, since it was attracting so much attention in the world at large and among the class of men who became speculative Masons, most in the 17th century have been one of the outstanding legends of the Craft.

Early in the 18th century (1717), four old Lodges in London met together to form the first Grand Lodge and Freemasonry was well on its way toward becoming the organized fraternity which we know today. Probably as early as 1720 or 1730, George Payne, John T. Desaguliers, and their associates had developed a ritual of three degrees, with the legend of King Solomon's Temple holding the central position. This legend, of which there were possible suggestions in the earliest manuscripts, had grown to be one of the dominant themes in Masonry.


A photograph of Gerhard Schott’s erected model located at Pickaway Lodge No. 23 in Circleville, OH

Other Modern assemblies of the temple The masons are master craftsmen and the building was built entirely with on-hand funds and donations- no loans were made for the construction. The design commission was awarded to the New York architectural firm of Helmle and Corbett. Designed in the classical style, the entrance is Doric, while the interior of the main hall (Memorial Hall) is Composite. The tower sections are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The tower is capped with an Egyptian pyramid, and capped with a flame-like finial, as homage to the lighthouse of Alexandria.

George Washington Masonic Memorial


“Let there be light!”


Attachment 1

1000 BC 1000 BC - The Templars had been headquartered in the Holy Land after the first Crusade in on top of the Temple Mount, site of King Solomon's Temple, built in 1000 BC. The Freemasons built their ritual around the story of the construction of King Solomon's Temple, so ...The Templars had been headquartered in the Holy Land after the first Crusade in on top of the Temple Mount, site of King Solomon's Temple, built in 1000 BC. The Freemasons built their ritual around the story of the construction of King Solomon's Temple, so they had to be both Templars as well as Jews.

960 BC 960 BC - Now you can see the inside of the Old Testament Temple that was built by King Solomon in 960 BC.

957 BC 957 BC - King Solomon's Temple was 120 ft. long and 40 ft. wide and it was completed in 957 BC.(?) Temple of Edfu is 450 ft. long and 150 ft. wide and it was built around 1300 BC. It has two tall obelisks at the Porch. King Solomon's Temple had two pillars at the Porch. The right pillar was "Jachin", which means: "to establish" and the left one was "Boaz", which means: "in strength”. Later, during King Solomon's reign, the First Temple was established in 957 BC. Prayer continued to be spontaneous and personal for the average person. During particularly tough times, when a person wanted to make extra effort in prayer, he could go to the Temple and pray.

950 BC 950 BC - The area around the altar came to be called the "sanctuary," and that terminology does not apply to Christian churches alone: King Solomon's temple, built in about 950 BC, had a sanctuary ("Holy of Holies") where the tabernacle ("Ark of the Covenant") was, and the term applies to the corresponding part of any house of worship. In most modern synagogues, the main room for prayer is known as the sanctuary, to contrast it with smaller rooms dedicated to various other services

925 BC 925 BC - He has spent more than 25 years researching biblical history and is planning to excavate the site, where he has detected the contours of an Egyptian temple he believes has been built over the burial site. Sanders believe that the ark was seized by Egyptian King Shishak when Solomon's temple was plundered in 925 BC, in the first of a series of raids on Jerusalem by the Egyptians.

850 BC 850 BC - Some say the secret society dates back to the building of King Solomon's temple in 850 BC Others say the society owes its genesis to the Knights Templar, guardians of the Holy Grail. Often traced back to the stonemason guilds of the Middle Ages, freemasons were supposedly to be found among all the great minds of the Renaissance, including Da Vinci. Regardless, the movement really took off in the 1700s, when anyone who was anyone was a freemason-from George IV and Mozart

587 BC 587 BC - But there was always a part of the story of the Ark that saddened Mary. The Ark was the most treasured possession of the Israelites, and was kept in the sanctuary of King Solomon's Temple. At the fall of Jerusalem, in 587 BC, the Ark disappeared from history, hidden in a cave by the Prophet Jeremiah, who declared: "The place shall be unknown till God gather together the congregation of the people and receive them to mercy" (2 Machabees 2:7).


586 BC 586 BC - In 586 BC, King Solomon's Temple was razed by Nebuchadnezzar. A second Temple was erected by Jews returning from the Babylonian exile in the 5th century BC, and was rebuilt and greatly enlarged by King Herod. 586 BC - Jews believe the structure, built on the site of the biblical tale of Abraham and his son Isaac and destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, was located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Samaritans are convinced it stood here on Mount Gerizim near the Palestinian city of Nablus in what is now the West Bank

586 BC 586 BC - The Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia in 586 BC. The archeologist dug out cities and ruins of the ancient civilizations, but they didn't find the ruins of King Solomon's Temple in spite of fact, that they knew that the Temple location was on Mt. Moriah, and that it was built on very hard rock, and that the foundations were very deep in the ground

19 BC 19 BC - He said coins and pottery found in the quarry confirmed the stone was used during the period of Herod's expansion of the Temple Mount in 19 BC. However researchers said the strongest evidence was found wedged in one of the huge cuts in the white limestone: an iron stake used to split stone. It was apparently improperly used, accidentally lodged in the stone, and forgotten

70 AD 70 AD - The Temple Mount, the buildings and the Temple itself were completely destroyed by the Roman legions in 70 CE. The lower part of the Temple Mount walls was preserved and its remains are still standing. Long sections of the southern wall of the Temple Mount and its southwestern corner were exposed during the 1970s, furnishing a comprehensive picture of the monumental Herodian walls surrounding the Temple Mount.


Attachment 2 Mount Moriah, Site of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

By Lambert Dolphin


Topographic Map of Jerusalem Contour Interval is 10 meters

Even prior to the conquest of the city of Jebus - which became the City of David, (1 Chronicles 11:4) - we know of the existence of Jerusalem from the record of Abraham's visit to Melchizedek there, recorded in Genesis Chapter 14. Although the original inhabitants were descendants of Noah's son Caanan, Melchizedek was both a priest and a king of "God Most High," in Jerusalem about 4 millennia ago. Melchizedek (his name means "king of righteousness") was a man to whom Abraham paid tithes, and he is a "type" of Jesus Christ as the believer's Great High Priest, (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5-7). Jerusalem does not lie on any important trade routes nor is there any natural reason why this city should be one of the most important places in the world for more than four thousand years. Jerusalem lies at the crest of a low range of hills which are a barrier to winter rains from the Mediterranean Sea which is only 30 miles to the West. Immediately to the East, annual rainfall drops nearly to zero in the Judean Wilderness. The elevation to the East also drops rapidly to the Dead Sea, falling to 1290 feet below sea level, in less than 15 miles as the crow flies. Jerusalem's importance as a site chosen by God for His special purposes dates from the call of God to Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, in the city of Jebus, as recorded in Genesis 22. (This important event in the life of Abraham is known to the Jews as "the Akeda" or "the binding of Isaac.")

"After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your


hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice." So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-Sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-Sheba.

The topographic map shows that Mount Moriah is not a single peak, but an elongated ridge which commences to rise at its Southern end at the junction of the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys, at the original City of David, (elevation approximately 600 meters). The ridge then climbs in elevation to a maximum of 777 meters just Northeast of the present Damascus Gate of the Old City. The Temple Mount, prominent in most photos of Jerusalem occupies an area of about 45 acres. However the elevation of the bedrock outcropping on the Temple Mount within the Dome of the Rock Moslem shrine is only 741 meters. A distinctly separate "mountain" is Mount Zion (elevation 772 meters) which lies about 600 meters to the West. In ancient times a deep valley, the Tyropean Valley, or Valley of the Cheesemakers, separated Mt. Zion from Mt. Moriah. Today many layers of ruined city and rubble from Jerusalem's many destructions completely fills this valley. In fact at the Western Wall, the Kotel, or Jewish prayer plaza, about half of the old wall of the Temple Mount lies below the present ground level. (Sometimes Scripture calls all of Jerusalem "Zion" or "Mt. Zion"). Outside the present old city walls, the traditional tomb of David and site of the Upper Room are located on present-day Mt. Zion, as well as the Church of the Domition and the Institute of Holy Land Studies. East of Mt. Moriah a few hundred meters is the Mount of Olives which is about 100 meters higher than the high points of Mt. Zion or Mt. Moriah. Jesus ascended to heaven from the summit of the Mt. of Olives according to Acts 1:1-12 and will make his triumphant return to earth from the same location, according to Zechariah 14:4. At the Western base of the Mount of Olives just above the Kidron Brook is the Garden of Gethsamene. This was not only the place of Jesus' arrest and final prayers, it was a popular spot where he and his disciples often met and slept. There is some archaeological evidence to suppose that the place of the crucifixion of Jesus was at the summit of Mt. Moriah, probably near the present-day Damascus Gate and the Garden Tomb which would of course be a literal fulfillment of Abraham's offering of Isaac when God said, "On the mount of the Lord it [the final offering for sin] will be provided." Late in his reign as King of Jerusalem David erred grievously in the sight of the Lord by ordering a census.


(I Chronicles 21, 2 Samuel 24). As part of his repentance before the Lord, David purchased a large piece of property owned by a Jebusite man named Ornan (or Araunah) for 600 shekels of gold. David's purchase of Ornan's property seems to have included an additional 50 shekels of silver for the purchase threshing floor proper, and oxen for sacrifice. David then erected an altar there and offered sacrifices there. It was David's intent to build a temple to the Lord on this property, on Mt. Moriah, however God chose Solomon for this task instead, after allowing David to amass the material resources that would be required. (I Chronicles 22, 1 Kings 5). Our knowledge of the topography of present-day Jerusalem is due to a careful survey of Israel by the Palestine Exploration Society in 1868-1881. Cisterns and sub-surface rooms under the Temple Mount were also more accessible then and were mapped by Sir Charles Warren.


Attachment 3 Freemasonry Timeline: Freemasonry history as backed by solid empirical evidence has been traced back to 1390 as illustrated by the following timeline: 1390. The year when the Regius Manuscripts, the oldest authenticated Masonic documents, was written. The Masonic phrase “So Mote it be” originated from this document.

1450. The year when the Cooke Manuscript was written by a Speculative Mason. This document of immense Masonic significance was the source of many important Masonic usages including Andersen’s Constitutions written in 1723, and references to the seven liberal arts and sciences, and King Solomon’s Temple. It consists of 100 manuscripts known collectively as The Old Charges.


1473. The London Company of Freemasons was granted its coat and arms. 1583. Appointment of William Schaw by King James IV as a Master of the Work and Warden General. He issued the Schaw Statutes which spelled out the duties owed by members to their Lodges. His second Statute issued in 1599 included requiring all Lodges to keep written records, meeting at specific times, and testing members in the Art of Memory. Schaw is regarded as the founder of modern Freemasonry.


1600. The first recorded Masonic initiation was that of John Boswell in the Lodge of Edinburgh. 1717. Four London lodges formed the Premier Grand Lodge of England on June 24 --- the feast day of St. John the Baptist. 1730. Masonic ritual was widely published for the first time by Prichard in his Masonry Dissected. The words “hele”, “conceal” and “points of fellowship” were first published in 1696 in the Edinburgh Register House Manuscript; the square, compass and bible in 1710 in the Dumfries Manuscript No. 4; and the Five Noble Orders of Architecture and Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth in 1724.

1731. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, the first American Grand Lodge, was given its Constitution. 1738. First Papal Bull banning Freemasonry was issued by Pope Clement 12. 1751. The Antients followed the “Grand Lodge of All England Held at York” in breaking away from the Premiere Grand Lodge of England (i.e. the Moderns) and established The Grand Lodge of England. The main reasons cited for the split was the drastic changes made to the ritual and passwords supposedly to prevent their abuse by immigrant Freemasons from Ireland and Scotland, and the creation of a third degree. A Second Papal Bull banning Freemasonry was issued at this time. 1777. The motto “Vide Aude Tace” first appeared in a Masonic calendar.


1813. The Antients and Modern Freemasons were reunited under the United Grand Lodge of England on December 27, the feast day of St. John the Evangelist. 1877. Split between the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Orient de France. The main reasons cited for the split were when the Grand Orient de France started accepting atheists and recognized women masonry as co-masonry 1884. Third Papal Bull banning Freemasonry was issued. All the 3 Papal Bulls issued banning Freemasonry were rescinded by the Vatican in 1974. FOOTNOTE: The images used in this article were downloaded from the following sources: a portion of the Regis Manuscript from the web site of the Brattleboro Lodge No. 102; portions of the Cooke Manuscript and Prichard's Masonry Dissected from the web site of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon; and a portion of the Schaw Statutes from The Masonic Trowel. Almost all information in this article is from the web site of the Old Epsomian Lodge. Any errors in the interpretation of their work are the Blog Administrator’s alone.

http://www.brattleborolodge102.org/

http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/

http://www.themasonictrowel.com/index.htm

http://www.oelodge.uklinux.net/


Sources

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/solomon.html http://www.biblebible.com/freebible/index.html http://www.freemasoninformation.com/ http://www.masonicdictionary.com/ http://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/index.html http://www.themasonictrowel.com/Articles/Symbolism/the_temple_files/king_solomon_temple.htm http://msana.com/ http://www.masonicworld.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon%27s_Temple http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon's_Temple http://phoenicia.org/temple.html http://www.templemount.org/solomon.html http://www.cswnet.com/~duxrow/Temple.htm http://www.crystalinks.com/solomonstemple.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ncfoa7j1E BOOKS

1. Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 2002, Part 1 and Part 2, Albert G. Mackey and H. L. Haywood 2. Masonic Bible, 1988, Yellow Springs Lodge No. 421, King James Version, Pg. 70-72 3. The Great Light in Masonry Bible, 1957, pg. 4-32

Illustrations: 80

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/solomon.html

http://www.biblebible.com/freebible/index.html

http://www.freemasoninformation.com/

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/

http://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/index.html

http://www.themasonictrowel.com/Articles/Symbolism/the_temple_files/king_solomon_temple.htm

http://msana.com/

http://www.masonicworld.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon%27s_Temple

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon's_Temple

http://phoenicia.org/temple.html

http://www.templemount.org/solomon.html

http://www.cswnet.com/~duxrow/Temple.htm

http://www.crystalinks.com/solomonstemple.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ncfoa7j1E

Documents

Kings Solomon's Temple