TEMPLE, SOLOMON'S. For 447 years after the Hebrews had entered the land of Canaan they continued to worship at the tabernacle which had been framed for their use in the Wilderness. 1Tanensactaj The incongruity of a settled people having only a tent for the celebra tion of their splendid ritual service first occurred to the mind of David. It appeared unseemly to him that the Ark of God ahould still "dwell between curtains," while he abode himself in " a house of cedar," and he therefore proposed to build a temple in which the worship of God might be more becomingly conducted (1 Chron., xvii. 1). The prophet Nathan was however commissioned to inform him that having been engaged in constant warfare, and shed much human blood, he could not be allowed to execute the design he had formed, which was to be reserved for the peaceful reign of his son Solomon. This undertaking was however a principal subject of David's thought and care during the remainder of his reign; and to it he appropriated a large propor tips of the immense treasure which his many victories produced. He may bo said to have provided all, or nearly all, the materials before his death; consisting of large but variously estimated quantities of gold and silver, brass and iron, stone and timber. He also secured the services of skilful mechanics and artificere for every branch of the work, and furnished the design, plan, and site of the building ; so that more of the credit of this work seems due to David than to Solomon (1 Chron., xxi. ; xxii.; xxviii. 11-19).
The foundation of the Temple was laid in me. 1012,being the fourth year of Solomon's reign ; and in seven years and a half it was com pleted. During this time 183,600 persons were employed on the work. Of Jews there were 30,000 serving by rotation of 10,000 monthly ; and of Csnaanites there were 153,600, of whom 70,000 were labourers, 80,000 hewers of wood and stone, and 3600 overseers of the others. To save the labour of carriage, the parts were all prepared for WO at a distance from the site of the building, and when they were brought together, the structure was reared without the sound of hammers, axes, or tools of iron (1 Kings, vi. 7).
The site of Solomon's Temple was the summit of Mount Moriah, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem stood. This eminence rose to no great height within the city, but was high and steep above the valley of the Kedron, which it overlooked. It faced the Mount of Olives. The ;Mosque of Omar now occupies the same site ; and the imposing figure which it makes in every view of Jerusalem shows that a more advantageous situation could not have been chosen. The top of the hill was levelled, and the sides banked up to afford a sufficient area. This area was divided Into two (but in Herod's temple three) courts, in the outermost of which stood the people. It was separated by a low wall (or, as some think, by a latticed fence or trellis) from the inner court, called the Court of the Priests, iu which was the great altar of burnt offerings, and where the priests and Levites officiated in view of the people, and in front of the holy house, or proper temple. The proper temple, as previously indicated, was an oblong building. It was 70 cubits in length, 20 In width, and 30 in height : this last was however only the elevation of the house or holy place, for the innermost sanctuary was but 20 cubits high (1 Kings, vi. 20); and although the porch (promos) is said, in 1 Chron., iii. 4, to have been 120 cubits high, or four times the height of the main building, the numbers in that text are now generally admitted to be corrupted : 20 cubits, which we find in the ancient versions, is probably the true number ; being the same height as the sanctuary. The porch covered the breadth of the building 20 cubits, and was 10 cubits deep : the holy place was 40 cubits long by 20 wide; the sanctuary was a perfect square of 20 cubits. The building fronted the east. Along the north and south sides, and the west end of the structure, was an upper story, or gallery of wood, and certain buildings called "side chambers," in three stories, each five cubits high. This made 15 cubits of total elevation, which was not more than half the height of the main building, In whose wall'', above, there was there fore room for the splayed windows which gave light to the temple.