1 Kings Chapter 6

Solomon Builds the Temple

¹ In the 480^th year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, the second month (Ziv), he started building Yahveh’s Temple. ² It was 90 x 30 x 45ft high. ³ The vestibule across the nave was 30ft long—equal to the Temple’s width—and 15ft deep. ⁴ He made recessed frames for the windows. ⁵ He also built a three-story structure against the walls of the Temple, going around the nave and inner sanctuary, and made side rooms around the outside. ⁶ The first story was 7½ft wide, the middle one 9ft, and the third 10½ft; because on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the Temple all the way around so the beams didn’t insert into the Temple walls. ⁷ While the Temple was being built, the stones were prepared at the quarry. There wasn’t any sound of hammer, axe, or iron tool on site. ⁸ The entry for the lowest side room was on the right side of the Temple. People could go up winding stairs to the middle and third stories. ⁹ He built the Temple and finished it with beams and cedar planks ¹⁰ in addition to the three stories, each 7½ft high, resting against the Temple on cedar timbers.       1 Kg 6:1-10

¹¹ A message from Yahveh came to Solomon,

¹² “As to this Temple you’re building, if you follow my statutes, carry out my ordinances, and keep my commandments, I’ll keep the promise with you that I made to your father. ¹³ I’ll live among the Israelites and not abandon my people.”

¹⁴ Solomon finished building the Temple.

            ¹⁵ He paneled the inside of the walls with cedar boards from floor to ceiling and overlaid the floor with cypress boards. ¹⁶ Inside the back of the Temple, he separated off the inner sanctuary 30ft deep, the Holy of Holies. ¹⁷ The nave in front of it was 60ft long. ¹⁸ The cedar all over the inside of the temple was decorated with carved shapes of gourds and open flowers. No stone was showing. ¹⁹ He prepared the inner sanctuary for the Ark of Yahveh’s Covenant, ²⁰ 30 x 30 x 30ft high and overlaid with pure gold. He overlaid the altar with cedar. ²¹ He drew gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlaid the rest of the interior with gold. ²² He overlaid the whole Temple with gold as well as the altar by the inner sanctuary.        1 Kg 6:11-22

^23-26 In the inner sanctuary he made 2 identical cherubs out of olive wood, each 15ft tall ²⁴ with wings 7½ft long and their tips 15ft apart. ²⁷ He placed the cherubs in the middle of the inner room with their wings spread out so the wing of one touched one wall, the wing of the other touched the opposite wall, and their other wings touched in the center of the Temple. ²⁸ He overlaid them with gold.  

²⁹ He carved cherubs, palm trees, and open flowers on the walls of the inner and outer sanctuaries, ³⁰ and overlaid both floors with gold. ^31-32 The entrance to the inner sanctuary was 2 doors out of olive wood with a lintel and 5-sided doorposts, with carved cherubs, palm trees, and open flowers on them; and overlaid them with gold. ³³ For the entrance to the nave, he made 4-sided doorposts out of olive wood ³⁴ and 2 doors of cypress wood. Both leaves of both doors folded in on pivots. ³⁵ He carved cherubs, palm trees, and open flowers on them; and overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work. ³⁶ He built the wall of the inner court with 3 courses of cut stone capped by a layer of cedar beams. 

³⁷ In the fourth year, the month Ziv, the foundation of Yahveh’s Temple was in place. ³⁸ In the eleventh year, eighth month (Bul), it was finished as designed. It took 7 years to build.