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1. Solomon began to build the temple in the fourth year of his
reign, on the second month, which the Macedonians call
Artemisius, and the Hebrews Jur, five hundred and ninety-two
years after the Exodus out of Egypt; but one thousand and twenty
years from Abraham's coming out of Mesopotamia into Canaan, and
after the deluge one thousand four hundred and forty years; and
from Adam, the first man who was created, until Solomon built the
temple, there had passed in all three thousand one hundred and
two years. Now that year on which the temple began to be built
was already the eleventh year of the reign of Hiram; but from the
building of Tyre to the building of the temple, there had passed
two hundred and forty years.
2. Now, therefore, the king laid the foundations of the temple
very deep in the ground, and the materials were strong stones,
and such as would resist the force of time; these were to unite
themselves with the earth, and become a basis and a sure
foundation for that superstructure which was to be erected over
it; they were to be so strong, in order to sustain with ease
those vast superstructures and precious ornaments, whose own
weight was to be not less than the weight of those other high and
heavy buildings which the king designed to be very ornamental and
magnificent. They erected its entire body, quite up to the roof,
of white stone; its height was sixty cubits, and its length was
the same, and its breadth twenty. There was another building
erected over it, equal to it in its measures; so that the entire
altitude of the temple was a hundred and twenty cubits. Its front
was to the east. As to the porch, they built it before the
temple; its length was twenty cubits, and it was so ordered that
it might agree with the breadth of the house; and it had twelve
cubits in latitude, and its height was raised as high as a
hundred and twenty cubits. He also built round about the temple
thirty small rooms, which might include the whole temple, by
their closeness one to another, and by their number and outward
position round it. He also made passages through them, that they
might come into on through another. Every one of these rooms had
five cubits in breadth, and the same in length, but in height
twenty. Above these there were other rooms, and others above
them, equal, both in their measures and number; so that these
reached to a height equal to the lower part of the house; for the
upper part had no buildings about it. The roof that was over the
house was of cedar; and truly every one of these rooms had a roof
of their own, that was not connected with the other rooms; but
for the other parts, there was a covered roof common to them all,
and built with very long beams, that passed through the rest, and
rough the whole building, that so the middle walls, being
strengthened by the same beams of timber, might be thereby made
firmer: but as for that part of the roof that was under the
beams, it was made of the same materials, and was all made
smooth, and had ornaments proper for roofs, and plates of gold
nailed upon them. And as he enclosed the walls with boards of
cedar, so he fixed on them plates of gold, which had sculptures
upon them; so that the whole temple shined, and dazzled the eyes
of such as entered, by the splendor of the gold that was on every
side of them, Now the whole structure of the temple was made with
great skill of polished stones, and those laid together so very
harmoniously and smoothly, that there appeared to the spectators
no sign of any hammer, or other instrument of architecture; but
as if, without any use of them, the entire materials had
naturally united themselves together, that the agreement of one
part with another seemed rather to have been natural, than to
have arisen from the force of tools upon them. The king also had
a fine contrivance for an ascent to the upper room over the
temple, and that was by steps in the thickness of its wall; for
it had no large door on the east end, as the lower house had, but
the entrances were by the sides, through very small doors. He
also overlaid the temple, both within and without, with boards of
cedar, that were kept close together by thick chains, so that
this contrivance was in the nature of a support and a strength to
the building.
3. Now when the king had divided the temple into two parts, he
made the inner house of twenty cubits [every way], to be the most
secret chamber, but he appointed that of forty cubits to be the
sanctuary; and when he had cut a door-place out of the wall, he
put therein doors of Cedar, and overlaid them with a great deal
of gold, that had sculptures upon it. He also had veils of blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and the brightest and softest linen,
with the most curious flowers wrought upon them, which were to be
drawn before those doors. He also dedicated for the most secret
place, whose breadth was twenty cubits, and length the same, two
cherubims of solid gold; the height of each of them was five
cubits they had each of them two wings stretched out as far
as five cubits; wherefore Solomon set them up not far from each
other, that with one wing they might touch the southern wall of
the secret place, and with another the northern: their other
wings, which joined to each other, were a covering to the ark,
which was set between them; but nobody can tell, or even
conjecture, what was the shape of these cherubims. He also laid
the floor of the temple with plates of gold; and he added doors
to the gate of the temple, agreeable to the measure of the height
of the wall, but in breadth twenty cubits, and on them he glued
gold plates. And, to say all in one word, he left no part of the
temple, neither internal nor external, but what was covered with
gold. He also had curtains drawn over these doors in like manner
as they were drawn over the inner doors of the most holy place;
but the porch of the temple had nothing of that sort.
4. Now Solomon sent for an artificer out of Tyre, whose name was
Hiram; he was by birth of the tribe of Naphtali, on the mother's
side, (for she was of that tribe,) but his father was Ur, of the
stock of the Israelites. This man was skillful in all sorts of
work; but his chief skill lay in working in gold, and silver, and
brass; by whom were made all the mechanical works about the
temple, according to the will of Solomon. Moreover, this Hiram
made two [hollow] pillars, whose outsides were of brass, and the
thickness of the brass was four fingers' breadth, and the height
of the pillars was eighteen cubits and their circumference twelve
cubits; but there was cast with each of their chapiters lily-work
that stood upon the pillar, and it was elevated five cubits,
round about which there was net-work interwoven with small palms,
made of brass, and covered the lily-work. To this also were hung
two hundred pomegranates, in two rows. The one of these pillars
he set at the entrance of the porch on the right hand, and called
it Jachin and the other at the left hand, and called it Booz.
5. Solomon also cast a brazen sea, whose figure was that of a
hemisphere. This brazen vessel was called a sea for its
largeness, for the laver was ten feet in diameter, and cast of
the thickness of a palm. Its middle part rested on a short pillar
that had ten spirals round it, and that pillar was ten cubits in
diameter. There stood round about it twelve oxen, that looked to
the four winds of heaven, three to each wind, having their hinder
parts depressed, that so the hemispherical vessel might rest upon
them, which itself was also depressed round about inwardly. Now
this sea contained three thousand baths.
6. He also made ten brazen bases for so many quadrangular lavers;
the length of every one of these bases was five cubits, and the
breadth four cubits, and the height six cubits. This vessel was
partly turned, and was thus contrived: There were four small
quadrangular pillars that stood one at each corner; these had the
sides of the base fitted to them on each quarter; they were
parted into three parts; every interval had a border fitted to
support [the laver]; upon which was engraven, in one place a
lion, and in another place a bull, and an eagle. The small
pillars had the same animals engraven that were engraven on the
sides. The whole work was elevated, and stood upon four wheels,
which were also cast, which had also naves and felloes, and were
a foot and a half in diameter. Any one who saw the spokes of the
wheels, how exactly they were turned, and united to the sides of
the bases, and with what harmony they agreed to the felloes,
would wonder at them. However, their structure was this: Certain
shoulders of hands stretched out held the corners above, upon
which rested a short spiral pillar, that lay under the hollow
part of the laver, resting upon the fore part of the eagle and
the lion, which were adapted to them, insomuch that those who
viewed them would think they were of one piece: between these
were engravings of palm trees. This was the construction of the
ten bases. He also made ten large round brass vessels, which were
the lavers themselves, each of which contained forty baths;
for it had its height four cubits, and its edges were as much
distant from each other. He also placed these lavers upon the ten
bases that were called Mechonoth; and he set five of the lavers
on the left side of the temple which was that side towards
the north wind, and as many on the right side, towards the south,
but looking towards the east; the same [eastern] way he also set
the sea Now he appointed the sea to be for washing the hands and
the feet of the priests, when they entered into the temple and
were to ascend the altar, but the lavers to cleanse the entrails
of the beasts that were to be burnt-offerings, with their feet
also.
7. He also made a brazen altar, whose length was twenty cubits,
and its breadth the same, and its height ten, for the
burnt-offerings. He also made all its vessels of brass, the pots,
and the shovels, and the basons; and besides these, the snuffers
and the tongs, and all its other vessels, he made of brass, and
such brass as was in splendor and beauty like gold. The king also
dedicated a great number of tables, but one that was large and
made of gold, upon which they set the loaves of God; and he made
ten thousand more that resembled them, but were done after
another manner, upon which lay the vials and the cups; those of
gold were twenty thousand, those of silver were forty thousand.
He also made ten thousand candlesticks, according to the command
of Moses, one of which he dedicated for the temple, that it might
burn in the day time, according to the law; and one table with
loaves upon it, on the north side of the temple, over against the
candlestick; for this he set on the south side, but the golden
altar stood between them. All these vessels were contained in
that part of the holy house, which was forty cubits long, and
were before the veil of that most secret place wherein the ark
was to be set.
8. The king also made pouring vessels, in number eighty thousand,
and a hundred thousand golden vials, and twice as many silver
vials: of golden dishes, in order therein to offer kneaded fine
flour at the altar, there were eighty thousand, and twice as many
of silver. Of large basons also, wherein they mixed fine flour
with oil, sixty thousand of gold, and twice as many of silver. Of
the measures like those which Moses called the Hin and the
Assaron, (a tenth deal,) there were twenty thousand of gold, and
twice as many of silver. The golden censers, in which they
carried the incense to the altar, were twenty thousand; the other
censers, in which they carried fire from the great altar to the
little altar, within the temple, were fifty thousand. The
sacerdotal garments which belonged to the high priest, with the
long robes, and the oracle, and the precious stones, were a
thousand. But the crown upon which Moses wrote [the name of
God],]was only one, and hath remained to this very day. He also
made ten thousand sacerdotal garments of fine linen, with purple
girdles for every priest; and two hundred thousand trumpets,
according to the command of Moses; also two hundred thousand
garments of fine linen for the singers, that were Levites. And he
made musical instruments, and such as were invented for singing
of hymns, called ,Nablee and Cindree, [psalteries and harps,]
which were made of electrum, [the finest brass,] forty thousand.
9. Solomon made all these things for the honor of God, with great
variety and magnificence, sparing no cost, but using all possible
liberality in adorning the temple; and these things he dedicated
to the treasures of God. He also placed a partition round about
the temple, which in our tongue we call Gison, but it is called
Thrigcos by the Greeks, and he raised it up to the height of
three cubits; and it was for the exclusion of the multitude from
coming into the temple, and showing that it was a place that was
free and open only for the priests. He also built beyond this
court a temple, whose figure was that of a quadrangle, and
erected for it great and broad cloisters; this was entered into
by very high gates, each of which had its front exposed to one of
the [four] winds, and were shut by golden doors. Into this temple
all the people entered that were distinguished from the rest by
being pure and observant of the laws. But he made that temple
which was beyond this a wonderful one indeed, and such as exceeds
all description in words; nay, if I may so say, is hardly
believed upon sight; for when he had filled up great valleys with
earth, which, on account of their immense depth, could not be
looked on, when you bended down to see them, without pain, and
had elevated the ground four hundred cubits, he made it to be on
a level with the top of the mountain, on which the temple was
built, and by this means the outmost temple, which was exposed to
the air, was even with the temple itself. He encompassed this
also with a building of a double row of cloisters, which stood on
high upon pillars of native stone, while the roofs were of cedar,
and were polished in a manner proper for such high roofs; but he
made all the doors of this temple of silver.
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