Q. Where was it built?

A. On mount Moriah where Abraham had been commanded to offer up Isaac, and where the Lord had appeared to David, after the infliction of the pestilence. Q. What were its dimensions?

A. The length of what properly constituted the temple was sixty cubits; the breadth, twenty cubits; and the height, thirty cubits: but the buildings annexed to it were very extensive.*

Q. What was remarkable in the building of this structure?

:

A. "It 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."

Q. What part of it was designed for the ark of the

covenant?

A. The oracle, or most holy place, a chamber of

streams of excellent water diffuse on all sides a freshness and fertility, even in the most elevated regions: to these Solomon alludes, Song iv. 15. Vineyards, and plantations of mulberry, olive, and fig-trees, are also cultivated on terraces formed by walls, which support the earth from being washed away by the rains from the sides of the acclivities. The soil is excellent, producing abundance of corn, oil, and wine; which is as much celebrated now, as it was in the days of Hosea, xiv. 7. But the glory of Lebanon was its cedars, a few of which still adorn its summit, and flourish among the snow. See HORNE'S Introd. vol. iii. Part 1.

* Ezekiel has given a minute detail of the measurement of every part of the temple. xl. to xliii. 12, 17.

twenty cubits square, separated from the other part of the temple by a vail of curious and costly workmanship. Q. What did the oracle contain ?

A. Two cherubim made of olive tree, each ten feet high, whose wings, stretched out, measured each five cubits," so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house;" "and they stood on their feet, with their faces inward."

Q. To what special use was the oracle reserved ?

A. No person was ever allowed to enter it but the high priest; and he only once a year, to make atone ment for the sins of the people.*

Q. What did this exclusion indicate?

A. " That the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest."

Q. In what manner were the temple, and the holy place, ornamented ?

A. The doors and walls were carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and the whole of the building, including the carved work, and even the floors, was overlaid with gold.

Q. With what was the entrance of the porch of the temple adorned?

A. With two ornamented pillars of brass, which

* See the questions on the history of the Tabernacle, page

92 to 95.

Solomon called Jachin and Boaz.* Each of these was twelve cubits in circumference, and eighteen cubits high without the chapiters which were five cubits.

Q. What were the dimensions of the brasen altar? A. It was twenty cubits square, and ten cubits high. Q. What convenience was prepared for the ablution of the priests?

A. A large brasen reservoir, called a molten sea, which held three thousand baths.t It was five cubits in depth, and thirty in circumference; and it stood on twelve brasen oxen, three of which looked northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward.

Q. In what did the priests wash the different parts of the animals slain for sacrifice?

A. In brasen lavers, of which there were ten made for this purpose.

Q. What other furniture was made for the temple?

A. An altar of pure gold for incense, and a great variety of gold, silver, and brasen utensils of different kinds.

* Jachin, he established—Boaz, in strength, implying, according to the Rev. T. STACKHOUSE, that God alone was the support of the temple.

↑ A bath is estimated at seven gallons and four pints.

See 1 Kings v.-vii. 2 Chron. ii.-v. 10. The degree of credit to which the following account of the temple furniture, taken from Josephus, book viii. chap. 3. is entitled, may be ascertained by consulting the plain and concise statement of the sacred penmen. 10,000 gold tables, 10,000 candlesticks, 80,000 pouring vessels, 100,000 golden, and 200,000 silver vials, 80,000 golden and 160,000 silver dishes, 60,000 golden

Q. By whom was the curious wormanship of the gold, silver, and brasen furniture executed?

A. By Hiram, a Sidonian artist, famous in his own country for his skill and ingenuity.*

Q. What time was occupied in the undertaking?

A. Seven years and six months. It was begun in Zif, the second month of the fourth year of Solomon's reign, and finished in Bul, the eighth month of the eleventh year.

Q. When was it dedicated ?

A. M. 2999. A. In Ethanim, the seventh month of B. C. 1005. the following year,t at the feast of Tabernacles. On this occasion, Solomon, accompanied by the priests and Levites, the elders, the heads of the tribes, and a very great company of Israelites, brought up the ark to Jerusalem, and deposited it in the temple, in the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. The priests who performed this duty having withdrawn, the Levites-"arrayed in white linen, having cymbals, and psalteries, and harps," standing "at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets," lifted up their voice; and as

and 120,000 silver basons, 20,000 golden and 40,000 silver measures, 20,000 golden and 50,000 silver censers, 1000 garments for the high priest, 10,000 linen garments for the priests, 200,000 trumpets, 200,000 linen garments for the singers, and 40,000 musical instruments of brass.

* 2 Chron. ii. 13, 14.

It is supposed that this year was a Jubilee, and therefore most suitable for this great solemnity.

they praised the Lord saying, " For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever:" the glory of the Lord* filled the house, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud." And Solomon, kneeling down on a brasen scaffold before all the congregation, spread forth his hands towards heaven, and by solemn prayer dedicated the temple to the God of Israel:† after which he blessed the people.

Q. How was the divine favour manifested in answer to Solomon's prayer?

A. As soon as his prayer was ended, the fire of the Lord fell from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices: and when the Israelites saw it, they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshipped.

Q. What further assurance had Solomon that God had heard his prayer?

A. The Lord appeared to him a second time, and

The glory of this temple consisted in the ark and mercyseat, the manifestation of the divine presence in the most holy place, the sacred fire kindled from heaven, the Urim and Thummim, and the spirit of prophecy: all these were wanting in the second temple.

"According to the opinion of some writers, there were three temples, viz. the first, erected by Solomon; the second, by Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest; and the third, by Herod, a few years before the birth of Christ. But this opinion is, very properly, rejected by the Jews; who do not allow the third to be a new temple, but only the second temple rebuilt." -HORNE's Introd. vol. iii. Part 3.

+1 Kings viii. 1-64. 2 Chron. v. 2.-vii. 3.

1 Kings ix. 2-9.

Calmet and others place this vision soon after the dedication, as may indeed be inferred from v. 3.