Antiquities of the Jews — Book 8, Chapter 3

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, 7
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 through 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 8
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 9
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; 10 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 11 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. 12