The lowest storey of the chambers was five cubits, the middle six, and the third seven cubits wide. This difference of the width arose from the circum stance that the external walls of the temple were so thick that they were made to recede one cubit after an elevation of five feet, so that the scarcement in the wall of the temple gave a firrn support to the beams which supported the second storey, without being inserted into the wall of the sanctuary ; which insertion was perhaps avoided not merely for archi. tectural reasons, but also because it appeared to be irreverent. The third storey was supported like wise by a similar scarcement, which afforded a still wider space for the chamber of the third storey. These observations will render intelligible the fol lowing Biblical statements And against the wall of the bouse he built storeys round about, both of the temple and of the oracle : and he made cham bers round about : the nethermost storey was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad : for without in the wall of the house Ile made narrowed rests narrowings or rebatements) round about, so thaq-the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. The house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither : so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building. The door of the middle storey was in the ri,ght side of the house : and they went up with winding stairs into the middle storey, and out of the middle into the third. So hc built the house, and finished it ; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high : and they rested on the house with timber of cedar ' (1 Kings vi. 7).
From this description it may be inferred that the entrance to these storeys was from without ; but some architects have supposed that it was from within ; which arrangement seems to be against the general aim of impressing the Israelitish wor shippers with sacred awe by the seclusion of their sanctuary.
In reference to the windows, it should be ob served that they served chiefly for ventilation, since the light within the temple was obtained from the sacred candlesticks. It seems from the de scriptions of the temple to be certain that the 1'31, oracle, or holy of holies, was an adytunt without windows. To this fact Solomon seems to refer vvhen he spake, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness ' (1 Kings viii. t2).
The -on, oracle, had perhaps no other opening, besides the entrance, which was, as we may infer from the prophetic visions of Ezekiel (which pro bably correspond with the historic temple of Solo mon) six cubits wide.
From Kings vii. to we learn that the private dwellings of Solomon were built of massive stone. We hence infer that the framework of the temple also consisted of the same material. The temple was, however, wainscotted with cedar wood, which was covered with gold. The boards within the temple were ornamented by beautiful carvings re presenting cherubim, palms, and flowers. The ceiling of the temple was supported by beams of cedar wood (comp. ERES ; Pliny, Hist. Nat. xvi. 69). The wall which separated the holy from the holy of holies probably consisted not of stone, but of beams of cedar. It seems, further, that the par titions partly consisted of an opts reticulatunt; so that the incense could spread from the holy to the most holy. This we infer from t Kings vi. : So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold : and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle ; and he overlaid it with gold.' The floor of the temple was throughout of cedar, but boarded over with planks of fir (t Kings vi. 15). The doors of the oracle were composed of
olive-tree ; but the doors of the outer temple had posts of olive-tree and leaves of fir (i Kings vi. 3 I, seq.) Both doors, as well that which led into the temple as that which led from the holy to the holy of holies, had folding leaves, which, however, seem to have been usually kept open, the aperture being closed by a suspended curtain—a contrivance still seen at the church-doors in Italy, where the church doors usually stand open, but the doorways can be passed only by moving aside a heavy curtain. From 2 Chron. 5 it appears that the greater house was also ceiled with fir. It is stated in ver. 9, that the weight of the nails employed in the tem ple was fifty shekels of gold.' And also that Solo mon overlaid the upper chambers with gold.' The lintel and side posts of the oracle seem to have circumscribed a space which contained one fifth of the whole area of the partition ; and the posts of the door of the temple one-fourth of the area of the wall in which they were placed. Thus we understand the passage Kings vi. 31-35, which also states that the door was covered with carved work overlaid with gold.
Within the holy of holies stood only the ark of .he covenant ; but within the holy were ten golden ::andlesticks and the altar of incense (comp. the >eparate articles).
The teinple was surrounded by an inner court, which in Chronicles is called the Court of the Priests, and in Jeremiah the Upper Court. This again was surrounded by a wall consisting of cedar beams placed on a stone foundation (1 Kings vi. 36) : And he built the inner court with three rows pf hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.' This inclosure, according to Josephus viii. 3. 9), was three cubits high. Besides this inner court, there is mentioned a Great Court (2 Chron. iv.
: Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.' It seems that this was called the Outward Court (comp. Ezek. xiv. 17). This court was also more especi ally called the court of the Lord's house (Jer. xix. 12 ; XXVi. 2). These courts were surrounded by spacious buildings, which, however, according to Josephus (De Bell. 7-zid. v. 5. 1), seem to have been partly added at a period later than that of Solomon. For instance (2 Kings xv. 35), Jotham is said to have built the higher gate of the house of the Lord. In Jer. xxvi. to, and xxxvi. to, there is mentioned a New gate (comp. also Ezek. xl. 5-47 ; xlii. 1-14). But this prophetic vision is not strictly historical, although it may serve to illustrate history (comp. also Joseph. Antiq.viii. 3. 9). The third entry into the house of the Lord, mentioned in Jer. xxxviii. 14, does not seem to indicate that there were three courts, but appears to mean that the entry into the outer court was called the first, that into the inner court the second, and the door of the sanctuary the third. It is likely that these courts were quadrilateral. In the divisions of Ezekiel they form a square of four hundred cubits. The inner court contained towards the east the altar of burnt-offering, the brazen sea, and ten brazen lavers ; and it seems that the sanctuary did not stand in the centre of the inner court, but more towards the west. From these descriptions we learn that the temple of Solomon was not distin guished by mag,nitude, but by good architectural proportions, beauty of workmanship, and costliness of materials. Many of our churches have an ex ternal form not unlike that of the temple of Solo mon. In fact, this temple seems to have been the pattern of our church buildings, to which the chief addition has been the Gothic arch. Among others, the Roman Catholic church at Dresden is supposed to bear much resemblance to the temple of Solomon.