What was Solomon’s temple / the first temple?

Answer

The crowning achievement of King Solomon’s reign was the construction of a magnificent temple in Jerusalem, commonly known as Solomon’s Temple or the First Temple. Solomon’s father, King David, had desired to build a grand temple for God a generation earlier, as a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant, which housed the Ten Commandments. However, God had prohibited him from doing so: “You will not build a house for my name because you are a man of war and have shed blood” «but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. », (1 Chronicles 28:3). Subsequently, Solomon initiated the construction of the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David «Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. », (2 Chronicles 3:1). This permanent temple would replace the portable tabernacle that had been used during the time of wandering in the wilderness.

If Solomon reigned from 970 to 930 BC, then he commenced the construction of the temple in 966 BC. An intriguing detail about the temple’s construction was the absence of noise during the building process. All the materials were prepared off-site before being brought to the construction site. The house was built using stones that were prepared at the quarry, and no hammer, axe, or any iron tool was heard during the construction «And 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. », (1 Kings 6:7). The Bible’s description of Solomon’s temple indicates that the interior ceiling measured 180 feet in length, 90 feet in width, and 50 feet in height. The tallest point of the temple constructed by King Solomon stood at 120 cubits (approximately 20 stories or about 207 feet) high. First Kings 6:1–38 and chapters 7—8 detail the building and dedication of Solomon’s temple.

Until the initial temple was demolished by the Babylonians around four hundred years later, in 586 BC, sacrifices were the primary form of divine worship conducted there. Seventy years after, a second temple was finished on the same location, and sacrifices were reinstated. The book of Ezra documents the construction of the second temple. In the first century, Herod extensively expanded and enhanced this temple, which was later known as Herod’s temple. It was demolished by the Romans in AD 70, during the siege of Jerusalem. Today, only a small section of the retaining wall remains, famously referred to as “The Wailing Wall.”