The Real Temple of Doom
Chapter 5
The Message of the Covenant
The Real Temple of Doom
Jeremiah 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying: 'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are these.' (JPS)
Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the Lord: the heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; where is the house that ye may build unto Me? And where is the place that may be My resting-place? (JPS)
1 Kings 6:11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: 12 'As for this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute Mine ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with thee, which I spoke unto David thy father; 13 in that I will dwell therein among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.' (JPS)
Solomon’s Temple
Solomon’s Temple was one of the most famous edifices that the world has ever seen. It was dedicated in about 967 BC and had a fairly short life for a landmark of its magnitude when compared with many other ancient buildings of great importance. Today, there is scarcely a trace of it and its precise position is not known for certain. It is known within a few hundred yards where it was, but there is not enough of it remaining to determine exactly how it was situated. This is somewhat unusual considering that there are many ruins of other important structures as old or older throughout the world. Certainly, this is no accident.
Many people have wondered why this temple was called Solomon’s Temple and not YHWH’s Temple or something of that nature. As it turns out, there is a very good reason for that and Solomon’s Temple should indeed be called Solomon’s Temple and not the temple of the
Jeremiah 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying: 'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are these.' (JPS)
The story of the construction of Solomon’s Temple begins during the time of King David. Looking at 1 Chronicles 28, one will notice that the Spirit of the
David Gives the Plans for the Temple to Solomon
1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts; if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever. 10 Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.' 11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch of the temple, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper rooms thereof, and of the inner chambers thereof, and of the place of the ark-cover; 12 and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, for the courts of the house of the Lord, and for all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the hallowed things; 13 also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord: 14 of gold by weight for the vessels of gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; of silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service; 15 by weight also for the candlesticks of gold, and for the lamps thereof, of gold, by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof; and for the candlesticks of silver, silver by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick; 16 and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver; 17 and the flesh-hooks, and the basins, and the jars, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl; 18 and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 'All this do I give thee in writing, as the Lord hath made me wise by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.' 20 And David said to Solomon his son: 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it; fear not, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, is with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord be finished. 21 And, behold, there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God; and there shall be with thee in all manner of work every willing man that hath skill, for any manner of service; also the captains and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.' (JPS)
When one looks at all of this in detail and compares it with what is recorded about the temple that Solomon actually built (2 Chronicles 3:2 et seq.), it becomes evident that Solomon’s Temple, furnishings and instruments were not constructed according to the specifications that David left for them. That is to say, they were not constructed according to the instructions that
1 Chronicles 28:19 All this [said David,] in writing, by the Lord's hand upon me, instructing as to all the works of the pattern. (Darby)
For example, the walls in Solomon’s Temple were overlaid completely with gold while the plans of the
1 Chronicles 29:3 Moreover also, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, 4 even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, wherewith to overlay the walls of the houses; 5 of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. Who then offereth willingly to consecrate himself this day unto the Lord?'
(JPS) (Emphasis added)
Solomon’s Temple
2 Chronicles 3:4 And the porch which was in front was twenty cubits in length, in front of the house broadways, and the height was a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. 5 And the greater house he boarded with cypress-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set on it palm-trees and chains. 6 And he overlaid the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. 7 And he covered the house, the beams, the threshold, and its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls. 8 And he made the house of the most holy place, the length of which was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits; and he covered it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. 9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he covered the upper chambers with gold. (Darby) (Emphasis added)
Perhaps this why it is noted that no accounting was made for silver in Solomon’s day.
2 Chronicles 9:20 And all king Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Obviously Solomon did not overlay any walls with silver and the utensils and furnishings of the temple were not necessarily made out of the specified materials either. Some of these items were also supposed to be made of silver, but there is no mention of anything actually being made of silver. There is not one thing that was made of silver, but the plans called for “gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver.” Not only is this evident, but also, many items were physically different than the specifications called for. Actually, it will soon become clear that Solomon made many modifications to the temple and its furnishings and vessels. There wasn’t much of the
Exodus 25:8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
David’s Provisions
1 Chronicles 22:3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the couplings; and brass in abundance without weight; 4 and cedar-trees without number; for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought cedar-trees in abundance to David. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Solomon’s Nails
2 Chronicles 3:9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Getting Around to it
In the accounts about King David’s preparation for building the temple, one will notice that preparations were more than adequate for construction to begin immediately before Solomon became the king. In fact, David thought that construction would begin immediately.
1 Chronicles 22:15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in any manner of work; 16 of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and the Lord be with thee. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
In the narrative about the actual construction of the temple, one will notice that there seems to have been some lack of promptness in beginning construction - at least as compared to the vision of David.
1 Kings 6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father; for which provision had been made in the Place of David, in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
King David Prepares to Build
David bequeathed very large amounts of materials for the construction of the temple, its furnishings and instruments. It is evident that he left more than enough material to build the temple. David also left many completed things that were dedicated for the temple and some of these may have been acquired in military conquests. It is probable that David made some of the temple items before the word of the L-rd came to him that he was not to build the temple. In fact, it is conceivable that he may even have laid the foundation before he turned the task over to Solomon. We do know that he began preparing materials such as quarrying stones before he was told not to build a temple. Notwithstanding the provisions of David, Solomon made absolutely all of the things that were actually used in the temple. The fact that the items made by the Israelites in the wilderness still existed and apparently were not used is probably not insignificant either. In 2 Chronicles 5:1 and 1 Kings 7:51, we see that when Solomon finished with the temple, he brought all of the items that David had dedicated for the temple and placed them in the treasuries. In slightly different words, it would be fair to say that he put them in storage.
2 Chronicles 5:1 Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had hallowed; even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God. (JPS)
(Emphasis added)
Solomon Acquires Materials for the Temple
Before Solomon began building the temple, he made agreements with Hiram King of Tyre to secure materials and craftsmen for the project. The primary account of this is found in 1 Kings 5.
1 Kings 5:16 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: (JPS)
1 Kings 5:19 And, behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke unto David my father, saying: Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build the house for My name. 20 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar-trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants; and I will give thee hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt say; for thou knowest that there is not among us any that hath skill to hew timber like unto the Zidonians.' (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
1 Kings 5:24 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of cypress according to all his desire. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
(These verses are not numbered the same in most translations.)
If one looks a little further back in the scripture, they will notice that David had acquired more than enough materials for the construction of the temple and its furnishings before his death (1 Chronicles chapters 22, 28, 29). The question is, what happened to them?
1 Chronicles 22:1 Then David said: 'This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel.' 2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. 3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the couplings; and brass in abundance without weight; 4 and cedar-trees without number; for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought cedar-trees in abundance to David. 5 And David said: 'Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries; I will therefore make preparation for him.' So David prepared abundantly before his death. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
1 Chronicles 28:2 Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said: 'Hear me, my brethren, and my people; as for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
1 Chronicles 28:2 And king David stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people! I had in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I have prepared to build. (Darby) (Emphasis Added)
It is clear that David had prepared the materials for the temple before his death and had nearly everything ready before passing the scepter to Solomon. About the only thing that David did not do was assemble the materials into a temple. While David was not allowed to actually build the temple, evidently he was allowed to get everything ready for its construction. The inventory of items that David left to build the temple included so much cedar that it could not be quantified as well as vast amounts of large high-quality dressed stones. Nevertheless, David does tell Solomon that he could add to the materials if he wished. In addition to materials, David also completed some of the furnishings before his death, but not all of them.
Since it is known that David provided more than enough materials to build the temple, what happened to them and why did Solomon have to acquire so much more material? After all, it is clear that Solomon is acquiring all of the materials for the temple again.
Materials for Solomon’s Palaces
What happened to the materials for the temple? Solomon used them to build his palaces. Supplies provided by King David that were not used for Solomon’s own purposes were later placed in the temple treasuries. Solomon also acquired other precious metals in addition to stone and cedar. Observe that the gold that David left for the temple was the gold of Ophir, while the gold Solomon actually used in the temple was the gold of Parvaim. Perhaps the clearest indication in the Tanakh that Solomon used the temple materials to build his palaces is found in 1 Kings 7. This passage gives some description of the stones that Solomon used to build his own houses.What happened to the materials for the temple? Solomon used them to build his palaces. Supplies provided by King David that were not used for Solomon’s own purposes were later placed in the temple treasuries. Solomon also acquired other precious metals in addition to stone and cedar. Observe that the gold that David left for the temple was the gold of Ophir, while the gold Solomon actually used in the temple was the gold of Parvaim. Perhaps the clearest indication in the Tanakh that Solomon used the temple materials to build his palaces is found in 1 Kings 7. This passage gives some description of the stones that Solomon used to build his own houses.
Solomon’s Palace
1 Kings 7:1 And Solomon was thirteen years building his own house; and he finished all his house.
1 Kings 7:9 All these [buildings] were of costly stones, hewn stones, according to the measures, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation to the coping, and on the outside as far as the great court. 10 And the foundations were of costly stones, great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, hewn stones, according to the measures, and cedar. 12 And the great court round about had three rows of hewn stones, and a row of cedar-beams; and so it was for the inner court of the house of the Lord, and the porch of the house. (Darby) (Emphasis Added)
1 Kings 7:1 And Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
1 Kings 7:9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside unto the great court. 10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, after the measure of hewn stones, and cedar-wood. 12 And the great court round about had three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams, like as the inner court of the house of the Lord, and the court of the porch of the house. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
When one considers carefully the previous passage, there is the interesting phrase in the Darby translation of 1 Kings 7:12 “and so it was for the inner court of the house of the Lord.” While this could mean that this feature was similar to the same feature in house of the
1 Kings 5:31 And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stone. 32 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house. (JPS)
(Emphasis added)
(In most English translations, this passage is located in verses 5:17-18 where chapter 5 ends.)
1 Chronicles 29:1 And David the king said unto all the congregation: 'Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God. 2 Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Historical evidence apart from the Tanakh supports that the temple materials were used in Solomon’s palaces. The Levites maintained many records and some of these documents are known as Mishnah. There are Mishnah from the time of Solomon’s Temple containing details about the building and the stones of its foundation.
Mishnah
Some readers will benefit from a brief explanation of what Mishnah are. The word Mishnah means records and they were passed on by oral tradition. Mishnah comprised part of the Torah as opposed to the Miqra which are the written records of the Torah. The Torah can generally be considered to be the first five books of the Bible written by Moses. In addition to that, there was an oral Torah that was never written down until about the 2nd century AD. In Jewish parlance, it is said that there are two Torahs, the written and the oral. Mishnah are generally considered to be independent of scripture as opposed to Midrash which are connected to scripture. The whole body of Jewish scriptural exegesis is Midrash and that term also designates a method of interpretation of scripture. The midrashic method of interpretation is supposed to employ scripture to interpret scripture. Therefore, the term has a slightly more-narrow meaning than exegesis.
Material Evidence
The following Mishnah provides additional evidence that the stones that King David prepared for the temple ended up in Solomon’s palaces. This conclusion is based upon the fact that stones of enormous size were quarried for the temple; nevertheless, the only scriptural note of such stones occurs in relation to Solomon’s palaces. Stones of these exact dimensions are noted in the Biblical narratives as being used in palaces, not temples. Both the excerpt of this Mishnah and the Bible note stones of ten cubits. The point is, they were probably supposed to be used in the temple, but were not. This conjecture about the stones must be considered in relation to the whole body of evidence presented about the temple in connection with the words of Ezekiel. When considering all of the details of the temple together with the words of Ezekiel, it will be much clearer that these stones were misappropriated.
Emeq HaMelekh - Mishnah 5
By Rabbi Naftali Hertz
The length of one Margalit (pearl? gem? building stone?) was 10 cubits. David prepared all of these for the Great House (Temple), for Shlomo, his son.
(English Translation of "Emeq HaMelekh" [Literally: Valley of the King] By Rabbi Naftali Ben Ya'acov Elchanon 5408 (1648 c.e.))
In the information from Emeq HaMelekh - Mishnah 5 above, we see that David prepared the building stones for “for Shlomo, his son.” While it is probably obvious, note that Shlomo is a variant of Solomon.
More Cedar
David had stockpiled so many cedar logs for building the temple that they could not be counted (1 Chronicles 22:4), yet Solomon tells Hiram he needs vast quantities of logs to build the temple. Solomon also gets craftsmen from Hiram, principally Huram-Abi, although David had provided for the craftsmen as well. In fact, David notes that Solomon will not need to get any additional craftsmen.
1 Chronicles 22: 3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the couplings; and brass in abundance without weight; 4 and cedar-trees without number; for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought cedar-trees in abundance to David. (JPS) (Emphasis Added)
1 Chronicles 22:15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in any manner of work; 16 of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.' 17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son: (JPS)
Recall that
1 Kings 5:12 The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty. (RSV) (Emphasis added)
1 Kings 5:26 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
(Verses are sometimes in different orders in different translations)
It is unlikely that the peoples of Tyre were employed without an agreement of some kind. In the contemporary vernacular sense, Hiram King of Tyre was apparently acting as a general contractor.
Exodus 34:11 Observe thou that which I am commanding thee this day; behold, I am driving out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest they be for a snare in the midst of thee. 13 But ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and ye shall cut down their Asherim. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Notice that Exodus 34:13 does not say to have these peoples build altars and pillars for the Israelites.
The following passage of 1 Chronicles 22:15 reflects the words of David instructing Solomon about the preparations he made for the temple according to what
1 Chronicles 22:15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all men that are skilful in any manner of work. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Exodus 31:1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 3 and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to devise skilful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5 and in cutting of stones for setting, and in carving of wood, to work in all manner of workmanship. 6 And I, behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee: 7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the ark-cover that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the Tent; 8 and the table and its vessels, and the pure candlestick with all its vessels, and the altar of incense; 9 and the altar of burnt-offering with all its vessels, and the laver and its base; 10 and the plaited garments, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office; 11 and the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place; according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.' (JPS) (Emphasis added)
David appointed 24,000 Levites to supervise the construction of the temple (1 Chronicles 23:4 below), but there is no mention of Solomon using any Levites for anything related to the construction of the temple. In addition, recall that no foreigner was to enter the sanctuary - not even those that lived among the Israelites. It would be difficult to build a sanctuary without ever entering it.
1 Chronicles 23:1 Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. 3 And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. 4 Of these, twenty and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were officers and judges. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Looking at 1 Chronicles 28 below, notice that the Spirit of the
David Gives the Plans for the Temple to Solomon
1 Chronicles 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch of the temple, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper rooms thereof, and of the inner chambers thereof, and of the place of the ark-cover; 12 and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, for the courts of the house of the Lord, and for all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the hallowed things; 13 also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord: 14 of gold by weight for the vessels of gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; of silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service; 15 by weight also for the candlesticks of gold, and for the lamps thereof, of gold, by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof; and for the candlesticks of silver, silver by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick; 16 and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver; 17 and the flesh-hooks, and the basins, and the jars, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl; 18 and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 'All this do I give thee in writing, as the Lord hath made me wise by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.' 20 And David said to Solomon his son: 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it; fear not, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, is with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord be finished. 21 And, behold, there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God; and there shall be with thee in all manner of work every willing man that hath skill, for any manner of service; also the captains and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.' (JPS) (Emphasis added)
The Craftsmen
Solomon obtained craftsmen from Hiram King of Tyre although David had provided all of the craftsmen needed before his death. It is important to remember that the Israelites were given special skill at Horeb to build the tent Tabernacle in the days of Moses. It is apparent that Solomon changed the design of the temple substantially from the plans that David left and obtaining craftsmen from Tyre played a big part in this.
Tyre was a principal city in the area known as Phoenicia. The Phoenicians were in the land before the Israelites and the reason that
Ezra 4:1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple unto the Lord, the God of Israel; 2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' houses, and said unto them: 'Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.' 3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, said unto them: 'Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.' (JPS) (Emphasis added)
The Phoenicians had ancient religious traditions and constructed many temples to various deities. Most Phoenician temples incorporated design similarities and, oddly enough, the same features are evident in Solomon’s Temple. One of the more prominent deities of Phoenicia was Baal and Solomon’s Temple is nearly identical to the Phoenician temples built for that deity. Contemporary archeologists have examined several Phoenician temples that are nearly identical to the description of Solomon’s Temple. Since there are many distinctions between the
Made With Hands
One may wish to ponder at this point that
Acts 7:48 But the Most High dwells not in [places] made with hands; as says the prophet, (Darby) (Emphasis added)
This is an interesting point when one considers that the Most High did indeed literally dwell in the tent tabernacle made at Horeb. We do know that the tent was built by Bezalel and Oholiab, but the narrative does not specifically state that they built it by hand. We do know that G-d instilled in these craftsmen special skill and it is conceivable that He gave them special monkey feet so that they could build it with their toes, but this seems improbable. Therefore, it seems much more likely that the use of the word “hands” here must be imbued with a meaning other than the most natural meaning of the hand of the human body.
It so happens that the word “hand” is one of the handiest words in English with as many as 18 different uses of the term listed in some dictionaries. Therefore, one would want to choose a more logical application of the term such as a “hired hand” to fit the context in order to ferret out what this means. Since the temple was supposed to have been built by the Hebrews themselves and King Solomon used hired persons of Tyre to do the work, this would obviously provide one real good possibility for the correct application of this term.
In this sense, one would want to consider the sense of an agrarian culture where the members of a family do the work on a farm or ranch. In this case, if the family members do the work, no one is considered a hand. However, if someone from outside the family is hired to help with the work, that person is considered a hand, a hired hand. Since the Hebrews are all considered brothers through Jacob, none of them would be a hand in the since of a hired hand even though they might be paid for their work since they all should have a share in the family’s wealth. In ancient Israel, this went by tribes.
Israeli Cubits
In some English translations of the Bible such as the New International Version, there is a note in 2 Chronicles 3:3 that the foundations of the temple were laid out using the cubit of the old standard. This does not appear in all English translations of the Bible, but it is in the original text. The 1917 English translation by the Jewish Publication Society includes the notation that the cubit “after the ancient measure’ was used and the verse is included below. The 1985 edition of the JPS Tanakh renders this phrase “by the former measure.”
2 Chronicles 3:3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the ancient measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
In this version of the Tanakh, the phrase of special interest is “after the ancient measure.” In contemporary English, this would read something like “after the old standard” and this detail is interesting on many different levels. In fact, it may have multiple meanings because there are other peculiarities about the units from this time. In this version of the Tanakh, the phrase of special interest is “after the ancient measure.” In contemporary English, this would read something like “after the old standard” and this detail is interesting on many different levels. In fact, it may have multiple meanings because there are other peculiarities about the units from this time.
The cubit was a unit of linear measure used widely throughout the ancient world including Egypt. The Hebrews were in Egypt a long time before their journey to the land of Canaan and Egypt was the source of the cubit that they used at Horeb as they built the first Tabernacle under the direction of Moses. This can be determined with certainty because of the units that are used to divide the cubit. At Horeb, one will notice that dimensions are sometimes given in spans and handbreadths.
While some experts on antiquity believe that the Hebrew cubit was based upon the Babylonian cubit, spans and handbreadths are units of the Egyptian system and not the Babylonian system. Therefore, it is clear that at the time of Moses, the Israelites used the Egyptian system of measure for determining length. It is known that there was no purely Hebrew cubit at that time.
Some experts believe that the cubit used during the construction of Solomon’s Temple was based upon Babylonian standards. This idea is plausible since there was interaction between the two cultures by this time. However, it is noted that the cubit used in the construction of the temple was after the ancient standard and this must mean the Egyptian cubit. This can be determined because the dimensions of some of the items are given in handbreadths and handbreadths are not part of the Babylonian system.
The Babylonian cubit was actually known as the kus and it was divided into the foot which was 2/3 of a cubit. The shusi was 1/30 of a cubit and this increment comprised the smaller named units of the kus. The shusi was roughly equivalent to the digit or finger in the Egyptian standard.
There were at least two versions of Babylonian cubits of two different sizes. The earlier cubit was shorter than the later standard. In the case of the Babylonian cubit, it was enlarged from a cubit of 27 units to a cubit of 30 units so that it would harmonize with the Babylonian sexagesimal number system. Sexagesimal means a number system based on 60. 30 is also much easier to reconcile than 27 in most cases because it has many more factors. The key to determining with confidence exactly which cubits were used lies in the difference between the earlier Babylonian cubit and the later standard. In the case of the Babylonian standards, the difference was three units or shusi. It is known from Ezekiel that the exact difference between the cubits used was one handbreadth and one handbreadth is four digits. Therefore, this refers to an Egyptian standard or a standard based upon the Egyptian system because three digits are not a handbreadth and we know that the difference between the old and new standards must be 4 digits.
Under the Egyptian system, there were two different lengths of cubits. The shorter cubit appeared first and it became known as the common cubit after the longer cubit came into use. The longer cubit was known as the royal cubit and this embodies part of the significant difference between the two cubits. At this level, the real key to the difference is the distinction between the common and the royal - or stating this slightly differently, the difference between the common and the holy.
Ezekiel 43:13 And these are the measures of the altar by cubits--the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth: the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
There is a great deal of significance to using the cubit of the old standard and it goes far beyond simply using the wrong size. The key to understanding this is not to be found in the accounts about the construction of the temple, but rather, in the words of Ezekiel. One will notice in the specifications for Ezekiel’s temple the clear message of the
Despite the obvious significance of using the common cubit instead of the royal cubit, there is also another level of distinction between the two cubits. The common cubit is divided into 24 parts and the royal cubit is divided into 28 parts. This came about because the basic cubit, the length of someone’s arm from the elbow to the fingertip, is comprised of six handbreadths. While the length of a cubit varies between individuals, the ratio of handbreadths remains nearly the same. Handbreadths are further divided into fingers or digits and the thumb is not included in the handbreadth. A royal cubit was one handbreadth longer, so it was seven handbreadths. Talmudic tradition from antiquity supports that cubits were divided into 6 handbreadths (Baba Batra 14a).
Part of the significance of this is in the difference between six and seven as the numbers are used symbolically in the Bible. Seven is a very significant number in the Bible and it denotes divine perfection, that which is holy and also completion. The number six is also of great significance and it represents the number of man, the struggle between good and evil and opposition to
Ezekiel 43:10 Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure accurately. 11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof, and write it in their sight; that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. 12 This is the law of the house: upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. 13 And these are the measures of the altar by cubits--the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth: the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Obviously, from the previous passage, there must have been something wrong with some temple somewhere and that temple was Solomon’s Temple.
Other Considerations
As a side note, in most cases it is counterproductive to convert the units of measure used in the original text of the Bible into other units because in so doing one destroys any clear symbolism or other information that could be determined from the information as it was originally presented. In the case of studying this material, it is possible to clearly determine that the cubits used at Horeb were Egyptian cubits because of the smaller units like the span and handbreadth that are used to measure various items. These smaller units were part of the Egyptian system and not part of the Babylonian system. If one used a translation where these units had been converted into some other system of measure, it would be nearly impossible to determine these types of details. Furthermore, it is clear from prophetic scripture that at some point in the near future, mankind will again be using cubits as the standard measure.
It is apparent that the number six is endemic to Solomon and his temple. Many of the features of the building were divisible by six and Jewish records indicate that there were 36,000 blocks of stone used in the foundations. Some of the possible factors of 36,000 are 6, 60 and 600. The exact same numeric values are included in the overall dimensions of the temple that are given as 60 cubits by 20 cubits by 30 cubits. This amounts to 36,000 cubic cubits. Apparently, just about every aspect and feature of Solomon’s Temple carries this same numeric symbolism, just as his palace did.
No Sound of an Iron Tool
There is an exceedingly curious point about the construction of the temple noted in 1 Kings 6:7.
1 Kings 6:7 For the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
There are several aspects about the fact that no iron tool was heard while the temple was being built that are extremely peculiar and this singular detail raises several questions. Why was no iron tool heard during the construction of the temple? Who were the craftsmen that built the temple without iron tools? What tools were used if not tools made from iron?
Some have taken this avoidance of iron tools to be because of the prohibition in Exodus 20 against using an iron tool, but after careful consideration, one must conclude that it was due to other factors.
Exodus 20:22 And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
(This verse appears as Exodus 20:25 in many English translations.)
If one considers what Exodus 20 actually says very carefully, it is evident that it does not say an iron tool, but rather, it is a prohibition against using any tool whatsoever. The verse prohibits the use of hewn stone on an altar and therefore the use of any kind of tool is forbidden, not just iron tools. The only way that one could comply with this directive is to use stones in their natural state without dressing them in any way. Since the stones for the temple were dressed at the quarry, they certainly were not produced in compliance with the mandate of Exodus 20.
Therefore, this regulation only applies to altars made of stone. Recall all of the items made using tools at Horeb including the Ark. The two cherubim at either end of the ark were made of hammered work; therefore, they had been hammered with a hammer. The altar of burnt offering made at Horeb was made of acacia wood overlaid with bronze. Therefore, it was subjected to tools; however, it was not made of stone. Furthermore, recall that the censors of Korah and his band had been hammered flat and used to cover the altar after they were smitten for their uprising. This indicates that Exodus 20 only applies to stone altars.
There is a definitive piece of evidence about the propriety of using dressed stone in the temple. King David, the man of
1 Chronicles 22:1 Then David said: 'This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel.' 2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
If King David intended for the temple to be built of hewn stone, then it is logical to conclude that it was acceptable to use hewn stone. If a stone has been hewn, it has been hewn, regardless of where it was done. The definition of the word hewn does necessarily mean that tools have been used on something. It makes no sense to hew a stone in the quarry, but not use iron tools on it at the temple site, in respect to Exodus 20. Furthermore, it is obvious that these stones were subjected to iron tools at the quarry because they are noted as being trimmed with saws, within and without.
Since they did use hewn stone to build Solomon’s Temple, stones that must necessarily have been subjected to iron since they were sawn, why was no iron tool heard in the temple while it was being built? Furthermore, it would be next to impossible to build a large masonry structure without using any tools on it as required by Exodus 20, at least in temporal and mortal terms.
No Iron
The problem with constructing a building in compliance with the prohibition in Exodus 20 is that all of the stones would have to be found and assembled into a structure without the use of any tools of any type. Stating this in slightly different words, these stones would have to be in their virgin state, stones not cut by hand. In a way, many readers have probably made something like the altar described in Exodus 20 by assembling a circle of stones around a campfire. The Israelites used stones of the type specified in Exodus 20 for building monuments after crossing the Jordan River in the days of Joshua.
Joshua 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke unto Joshua, saying: 2 'Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3 and command ye them, saying: Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood, twelve stones made ready, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place, where ye shall lodge this night.' 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man; 5 and Joshua said unto them: 'Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; 6 that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying: What mean ye by these stones? 7 then ye shall say unto them: Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.' 8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord spoke unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there unto this day. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Digression
It is probable that the stones set up at the camp near Jericho cannot be recognized today. However, if an archeologist were to look in the bed of the Jordan near Jericho for a monument made of twelve stones, it is probable that that monument is still there today. That would be about the only reason for doing such a thing - to testify several millennia later that the Israelites actually did cross the Jordan on dry ground. After all, Joshua must have built this monument in the bed of the Jordan while the waters were cut off.
Hewn Stone
Hewing stone is an enormous task all by itself and by definition requires the use of tools, at least under natural circumstances. The reason that it is done is because it greatly simplifies construction and makes a building much stronger. Dressing also has the potential to improve the aesthetic characteristics of a building a great deal. It produces pieces of uniform size and angle and this greatly simplifies any building project. Because the stone is dressed, it is possible to keep things level and plumb. If natural stones were used, every single piece has to be selected so that it fits its exact spot in all three planes. If one used stones that complied with the terms of Exodus 20, the planes are mostly not perpendicular, so this greatly complicates construction. It is important to remember that in keeping with Exodus 20, no trimming is possible.
The Shamir
Ancient legends maintain that Solomon obtained from special sources a special tool for cutting stone called the shamir. The lore contends that this was the reason that no iron tool could be heard at the temple site. Common reasoning maintains that this was due to the prohibition against iron tools in Exodus 20, but by this point, it is should be clear that this is not the case. This is because Exodus 20 is not a prohibition against iron tools, but any tool at all. If the Shamir were used to cut stone, it is by definition a tool, albeit an unusual one. Despite the fact that this special tool may have been used at the temple site, it is certain that the stones were dressed at the quarry. Therefore, they had necessarily had tools used on them. The Biblical narrative states that the stones had been trimmed with saws. It is reasonable to conclude that those saws contained iron.
Biblical narratives contend that the stones used to construct Solomon’s Temple were obtained in quarries. By definition, the process of quarrying involves digging down to the resource with tools and removing it with tools. At a quarry, it is necessary to reduce stone to smaller pieces with some type of tool because it is difficult to move when the whole piece is about the size of the planet earth. Stone quarries are usually located where there is a resource with desirable attributes.
For building stones, part of the process of recovery generally involves splitting. Splitting rock by hand can be done with wedges and hammers. Many minerals can be split along specific planes due to a characteristic known as cleavage, a property derived through the specific geometric molecular structure of a mineral. Some types of stone do not readily lend themselves to splitting and those types of materials were generally avoided for wide-scale use in ancient times. Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks were favored for building materials in ancient times because many varieties split easily. These types of rocks can be split along the layers that they were deposited in. Metamorphic rocks such as marble were prized building materials of the ancients. The narratives state that King David prepared marble for the temple in abundance before his death.
Today, some of the initial work of removing stone from a quarry can be done with heavy equipment and explosives. This is a much more satisfying approach to the whole problem. Nevertheless, explosives cannot be used to quarry many types of building stones like marble because it is too fragile. Explosives are excellent for producing gravel of almost any type of rock. In any event, explosives must be considered to be a type of tool when used in this way just as the Shamir must be considered to be a type of tool if it were used in this way. Exodus 20 does not allow any tools whatsoever.
While some aspects of the tale of the shamir seem to be little far-fetched, the following information is likely accurate because there is quite a bit of supporting information about many of these events from a variety of sources. There is evidence that Solomon conscripted the services of demons to build the temple, just as the following legend contends. Many Jewish sources also maintain that Solomon was an accomplished magician and there is quite a bit of evidence supporting that theory. In fact, using magic to do something is actually conscripting supernatural powers. Consider that the
A Marvel of Creation
The shamir was the seventh of the ten marvels created in the evening twilight of the first Friday (Ab. v. 6; comp. Pes. 54a; Sifre, Deut. 355; Mek., Beshallah, 5 [ed. Weiss, p. 59b; ed. Friedmann, p. 51a]), and it was followed, significantly enough, by the creation of writing, the stylus, and the two tables of stone. Its size was that of a grain of barley; it was created after the six days of creation. Nothing was sufficiently hard to withstand it; when it was placed on stones they split in the manner in which the leaves of a book open; and iron was broken by its mere presence. The shamir was wrapped for preservation in spongy balls of wool and laid in a leaden box filled with barley bran.
With the help of this stone Moses engraved the names of the twelve tribes on the breastplate of the high priest, first writing on the stones with ink and then holding the shamir over them, whereupon the writing sank into the stones. With its aid, moreover, Solomon built the Temple without using any tool of iron (comp. I Kings vi. 7; Ex. xx. 25; Tosef., Sotah, xv. 1 [ed. Zuckermandel, p. 321]; Sotah 48b; Yer. Sotah 24b). The shamir was expressly created for this latter purpose, since it ceased to exist after the destruction of the Temple (Sotah ix., 10; Tosef. xv. 1).
According to one legend, an eagle brought the shamir from paradise to Solomon at the latter's command (Yalk. ii. 182), while another tradition runs as follows: When Solomon asked the Rabbis how he could build the Temple without using tools of iron, they called his attention to the Shamir with which Moses had engraved the names of the tribes on the breastplate of the high priest, and advised him to command the demons under his sway to obtain it for him. Solomon accordingly summoned Asmodeus, the prince of the demons, who told him that the shamir had been placed not in his charge, but in that of the Prince of the Sea; the prince entrusted it only to the wood-grouse, in whose oath he confided. The wood-grouse used the shamir to cleave bare rocks so that he might plant seeds of trees in them and thus cause new vegetation to spring up; hence the bird was called the "rock-splitter." The shamir was taken from the wood-grouse by the following ruse: Its nest was found and its young covered with white glass. The bird then brought the shamir and put it on the glass, which broke; at that moment Solomon's emissary, who had concealed himself close by, frightened the bird so that it dropped the shamir, which was immediately seized and taken to Solomon. The wood-grouse killed itself because it had violated its oath (Git. 68a, b). (Jewish Encyclopedia)
The use of the shamir can in no way have anything to do with Exodus 20 because that precept forbids the use of any tool, not just a tool of iron. Furthermore, the verse applies to altars and it has been shown that it does not apply to stones used to make furnishings or buildings. It might, however, shed a great deal of light on many other aspects of Solomon’s building program. It might also shed a great deal of light on Solomon’s agenda in general.
Asmodeus
The following information is taken from the Jewish Encyclopedia in a treatise on Asmodeus and it contains some references to the construction of the temple. Asmodeus is thought to be the king of the demons.
In the Book of Tobit
Asmodeus first appears in the Book of Tobit. According to Tobit iii. 8, vi. 14, the evil spirit Asmodeus—"king of the demons," in the Hebrew and Chaldaic versions, is a later addition—fell in love with Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, and for that reason prevented her from having a husband. After killing seven men successively on the nights of their marriage to her, he was rendered harmless when Tobias married her, following the instructions given him by the angel Raphael. Asmodeus "fled into the utmost parts of Egypt and the angel [Raphael] bound him" (ib. iii. 8, vi. 14 et seq. viii. 2-4).
In the Testament of Solomon
Akin to this representation in Tobit is the description of Asmodeus in the Testament of Solomon, a pseudepigraphic work, the original portions of which date from the first century. Asmodeus answered King Solomon's question concerning his name and functions as follows: Test. of Solomon, transl. in "Jewish Quarterly Review," xi. 20.
"I am called Asmodeus among mortals, and my business is to plot against the newly wedded, so that they may not know one another. And I sever them utterly by many calamities; and I waste away the beauty of virgins and estrange their hearts. . . . I transport men into fits of madness and desire when they have wives of their own, so that they leave them and go off by night and day to others that belong to other men; with the result that they commit sin and fall into murderous deeds."
Solomon obtained the further information that it was the archangel Raphael who could render Asmodeus innocuous, and that the latter could be put to flight by smoke from a certain fish's gall (compare Tobit viii. 2). The king availed himself of this knowledge, and by means of the smoke from the liver and gall he frustrated the "unbearable malice" of this demon. Asmodeus then was compelled to help in the building of the Temple; and, fettered in chains, he worked clay with his reet, and drew water. Solomon would not give him his liberty "because that fierce demon Asmodeus knew even the future" (ib. p. 21).
In Haggadic Legend
Thus, in the Testament of Solomon, Asmodeus is connected on the one hand with the Asmodeus of Tobit, and possesses on the other many points of contact with the Ashmedai of rabbinical literature, especially in his relation to Solomon and the building of the Temple. The Haggadah relates that Solomon, when erecting the Temple, did not know how to get the blocks of marble into shape, since, according to the law (Ex. xx. 26), they might not be worked by an iron tool. The wise men advised him to obtain the "shamir" (), a worm whose mere touch could cleave rocks. But to obtain it was no slight task; for not even the demons, who knew so many secrets, knew where the shamir was to be found. They surmised, however, that Ashmedai, king of the demons, was in possession of the secret, and they told Solomon the name of the mountain on which Ashmedai dwelt and described his manner of life. On this mountain there was a well-head from which the arch-demon obtained his drinking-water. He closed it up daily with a large rock, and secured it in other ways before going to heaven, whither he went every day in order to take part in the discussions in the celestial house of study ("Metibta"). Thence he would presently descend again to the earth in order to be present—invisibly—at the debates in the earthly houses of learning. Then, after investigating the fastenings of the well, to ascertain if they had been tampered with, he drank of the water.
Benaiah Captures Ashmedai
Solomon sent his chief man Benaiah ben Jehoiadah to capture Ashmedai. For this purpose he provided him with a chain, a ring on which the Tetragrammaton was engraved, a bundle of wool, and a skin of wine. Benaiah drew off the water from the well through a hole that he bored, and, stopping up the source with the wool, filled the well with wine. When Ashmedai descended from heaven, to his astonishment he found wine instead of water in the well, although everything seemed untouched. At first he would not drink of it, and cited the Tanakh verses against wine (Prov. xx. 1, and Hosea iv. 11), in order to inspire himself with moral courage. At length Ashmedai succumbed to his consuming thirst, and drank until his senses were overpowered and he fell into a deep sleep. Benaiah then threw the chain about the demon's neck. Ashmedai on awaking tried to free himself, but Benaiah called to him: "The Name of thy Lord is upon thee."
Solomon Discovers the Whereabouts of the Shamir
…….Ashmedai, after several days of waiting, was led before Solomon, who told him that he wanted nothing of him but the shamir. Ashmedai thereupon informed the king where it could be obtained.
Excerpts of Elements of the Ashmedai-Solomon Legend
…….Similarly, Ashmedai's service in the construction of the Temple is probably an echo of the elaborate legend in the Testament of Solomon, according to which the demons were the chief laborers at the building of the Temple. This cycle of legends in the Testament of Solomon is the source also of the myth concerning the wonderful ring whose inscription tames the demons, as well as of the incident that by virtue of the ring the demons were forced to assist in erecting the Temple. (Test. Solomon v.; compare vi.: "Throw this ring at the chest of the demon and say to him, 'In the name of God, King Solomon calls thee hither.'")
Furthermore, it is improbable that the shamir legend was originally an element of the Ashmedai legend. The Testament of Solomon (ix.) narrates how a demon, forced by Solomon to hew stones for the Temple, was afraid of the iron instruments; and, as Conybeare rightly observes ("Jew. Quart. Rev." xi. 18), the fear of iron on the part of evil spirits is a feature common to both old and recent folk-lore. In the Talmud this fear is given a Jewish setting by connecting it with the legal precept against the use of iron tools, and by causing the demons to render the blocks of stone fit for use in the Temple structure without the use of iron.
The reason that no tool of iron was heard during the construction temple seems to have been due to the fact that the demons that Solomon conscripted for labor feared iron. There is no question that the silence of iron tools had nothing to do with Exodus 20 because that verse forbids the use of any tools whatsoever and this would also preclude their use at the quarry. Furthermore, it is very clear that the stones used in the temple were indeed hewn stone, trimmed with saws, so they had been subjected to iron tools. In the following passage, the king giving commands is Solomon and the house that this verse is speaking of is the house of the
1 Kings 5:31 And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stone. 32 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house. (JPS)
(Emphasis added)
(In most English translations, this passage is located in verses 5:17-18 where chapter 5 ends.)
Discrepant Quantities
Apart from the oddities about cubits that were examined earlier, there are other aspects of measure from Solomon’s Temple that are peculiar. This consists of the fact that many dimensions are given differently in Kings versus those given in Chronicles. For example, one will notice that the dimensions of the brazen pillars are given as eighteen cubits in Kings while Chronicles contends that the same objects are 35 cubits long. A similar anomaly exists concerning the capacity of the brazen sea. Kings states that it held 2000 baths while Chronicles maintains that it held 3000 baths. Many dimensions of the temple share this phenomenon.
The Brazen Pillars
1 Kings 7:15 Thus he fashioned the two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high each; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it about; and so the other pillar. 16 And he made two capitals of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
2 Chronicles 3:15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 And he made chains in the Sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17 And he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Jeremiah confirms that the pillars were actually 18 cubits high.
Jeremiah 52:21 And as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers; it was hollow. 22 And a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass; and the second pillar also had like unto these, and pomegranates. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Many have taken the discrepancy in the length of the brazen pillars to mean that the two pillars were combined end-to-end and one dimension is the length of both of them while the other is the length of them individually. This explanation leaves a remaining problem that 18 + 18 = 36 and not 35. The end-to-end theory leaves a difference of one cubit and since a cubit is a large unit in either the common or the royal standard, this would amount to a substantial error. Furthermore, this explanation does not work in all translations of the Tanakh because in some translations, the construction of the passage in Chronicles prevents the 35-cubit dimension from being construed as to apply to both pillars end-to-end. In addition to those considerations, and much more importantly, the end-to-end explanation does necessarily require that one has accepted that word of
Some hold that the word of
The Brazen Sea
1 Kings 7:23 And he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops which did compass it, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about; the knops were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26 And it was a hand-breadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held two thousand baths. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
2 Chronicles 4:2 Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward. 5 And it was a handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Formulating a plausible conclusion by means of Spirit-led deductive reasoning about the differences in the measurements of objects as presented between Kings and Chronicles, the most obvious and logical explanation for these discrepancies is simply that there were two or more different sizes of cubits and baths used at the time the temple was built. Not only does this explanation allow the Tanakh to be regarded as completely accurate, but also, it produces an explanation for the discrepancies that is heavily supported by additional scripture. Furthermore, it is very simple and logical.
There is a great deal of scripture from the prophets concerning someone using dishonest measures. If someone used deceptive measures and one measured the same thing with two or more of the different measures that existed, the specifications would therefore be different.
Hypothetical Case Study
For example, take the hypothetical case that a theoretical company allegedly sells bottles of ketchup that hold 30 units of that material. If it so happened that this company only filled the 30-unit bottles with 20 units of Ketchup, this could amount to a considerable improvement in the company’s profit outlook because every third bottle could be filled to the same level for free.
In the case of the 30-unit bottle only being filled with 20 units of ketchup, the bottles would only contain 2/3 or about 0.666% of the product the purchaser thought they were buying. Some picky consumers would notice that the bottle was only 0.666% full on the store shelf and pass it by. Those consumers that noticed that the bottles were only 2/3-full on the shelf would likely amount to a substantial portion of the market and this would cause an unfortunate decline in sales. If the bottles were made opaque, consumers would not be able to easily see that the bottle is only 0.666% full on the store shelf, but some would notice that the bottle is conspicuously lacking ketchup when they opened it. Unfortunately, this would result in some of them bringing the product back for a refund.
Refunds are not part of this program and would obviously undermine every objective of filling the bottles partially full. It would obviously be far more clever to also make a new bottle that is smaller because fewer people would notice that the bottle was actually smaller as long as it was filled to a reasonable level. This whole illusion could be enhanced considerably by changing the shape of the bottle so that it appears to be much larger than it really is. After all, few people are good judges of the volume of a container and this is especially true if it is an odd shape. It might also be useful to make the new bottle out of glass if the competition uses plastic because glass is much heavier and the walls are thicker. This new bottle could have extra-thick walls for that matter. To assist with the whole illusion that the bottle still holds 30 units of ketchup, some splashy phrase could be placed on the label inferring that the new bottle is bigger than the old one. It could also decry that the new bottle is a better value. This could be accomplished with wording something like
“NEW AND IMPROVED GIANT ECONOMY SIZE.”
While this would fool many consumers, in fact, the same volume of ketchup is much more expensive than it was before this product improvement began, but the new splashy label will not say exactly to whom these better economies applied. After all, false advertising is unscrupulous. If the company wanted to improve its market share instead of improving the individual profit-per-bottle sold, this innovation could come with some sort of hollow claim like
“50% MORE FREE.”
In the former case, to accomplish the true objective of magically improving the bottom line, it is necessary to make the individual units smaller because the clever “NEW AND IMPROVED” bottle will still be marked as holding 30 units while it really only holds 20 units by the true standard. Therefore, in reality this company has developed an entirely new unit of measure. It would obviously be counterproductive to also develop a new name for the new unit because most people would catch on to this detail very rapidly and it is usually required that the quantity be expressed in the units of the prevailing standard of measure. Furthermore, this bottle must compete with bottles of ketchup by less astute competitors so it needs to have the same size and units clearly marked on the label as their bottles do so that consumers will be able to compare. Never mind that consumers are now comparing apples with oranges, so to speak. Therefore, this new unit will have exactly the same name as the old unit even though it is actually smaller, and realistically, a different unit altogether. In fact, one might dub this the brazen unit. It naturally follows that if the exact same amount of ketchup was measured with both the old unit and the “NEW AND IMPROVED” unit, two completely different figures for the quantity will be the result.
For example, if one had a super-giant sized bottle of ketchup that held, say, 2000 units, and the contents of this same bottle was measured with the “NEW AND IMPROVED” unit, one then obtains a figure of 3000 units for the volume of this bottle. This is the true essence of “50% MORE FREE” in every respect. It is interesting that this new bottle of ketchup and the brazen sea from Solomon’s Temple share the same phenomena in their specifications. While we know that nothing of this sort could happen in contemporary societies, similar things have happened from time-to-time throughout history.
Hosea 12:7 [He is] a merchant, balances of deceit are in his hand; he loveth to oppress. (Darby)
Amos 8:4 Hear this, O ye that would swallow the needy, and destroy the poor of the land, 5 Saying: 'When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? and the sabbath, that we may set forth corn? making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances of deceit; 6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the corn?' 7 the Lord hath sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their works. (JPS)
Ezekiel 45:9 Thus saith theL-rd GOD: Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel; remove violence and spoil, and execute justice and righteousness; take away your exactions from My people, saith theL-rd GOD. 10 Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of a homer, and the ephah the tenth part of a homer; the measure thereof shall be after the homer. 12 And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, ten, and five shekels, shall be your maneh. 13 This is the offering that ye shall set apart: the sixth part of an ephah out of a homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah out of a homer of barley; 14 and the set portion of oil, the bath of oil, shall be the tithe of the bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer; for ten baths are a homer. (JPS)
Deuteronomy 25:13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, a great and a small. 14 Thou shalt not have in thy house diverse measures, a great and a small. 15 A perfect and just weight shalt thou have; a perfect and just measure shalt thou have; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 16 For all that do such things, even all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God. (JPS)
Leviticus 19:11 Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. (JPS)
Micah 6:10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 11 'Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?' (JPS)
Micah 6:10 Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the short ephah, [2] which is accursed? 11 Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? (NIV)
(Footnote for 6:10: An ephah was a dry measure.)
The Tanakh does make mention of dishonest weights and measures being used at some point in time in Israel. Dealing dishonestly was not exclusive to Solomon’s time nor is it peculiar to Israel or Jews. The French have developed a couple of widely coined phrases for describing the perils of trade. There is likely a higher incidence of this among merchants because they are constantly engaged in trade.
It is apparent that at least several kings of Israel dealt dishonestly. However, if there was a king that was particularly noted for being engaged in trade, it is conceivable that that king might be the subject of at least some of the prophecies involving dishonest weights and measures. It so happens that there is one king that was heavily involved in trade and there is a clear indication that his dealings were not absolutely honest.
1 Kings 9:10 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king's house-- 11 now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and cypress-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire--that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him: and they pleased him not. 13 And he said: 'What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother?' And they were called the land of Cabul, unto this day. (JPS)
(Emphasis added)
The name Cabul appearing in 1 Kings 9:13 means worthless. Obviously, Hiram felt that Solomon cheated him since he was exceedingly displeased with the worthless real estate that Solomon tendered as payment for all of the materials that Hiram had supplied for twenty years. This is a clear indication that Solomon did not deal honestly with Hiram, one of his closest business associates.
Other Aspects of the Dimensions of the Pillars
It is also worthwhile to consider the dimensions of the pillars at the symbolic level. One will notice that according to 1 Kings 7:15 they were actually 18 cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference, as corroborated by Jeremiah 52:21. If one considers these dimensions symbolically, it becomes apparent that the height of the pillars could be expressed as 6 + 6 + 6 as well as 18, not including the capitals. Obviously, their circumference can also be factored by 6.
The Gold of Parvaim
Perhaps the most obscure term in the entire Tanakh is found in 2 Chronicles 3:6 describing one attribute of Solomon’s Temple.
2 Chronicles 3:6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
The word Parvaim is a word whose meaning has been lost in antiquity. Nevertheless, for this investigation, this is exactly the type of detail that is of interest, but there are only scant details about the meaning of this word. Most experts contend that they do not know what Parvaim means and others simply take it to be a geographic area. There is support for that conclusion because it fits with the way the word is used. Since this is such a mysterious term, it is necessary to research obscure sources to find a meaning for it. Looking very deeply, there is a clear mention of Parvaim as a place in a very ancient book called The Genesis Apocryphon. According to this ancient scroll, Parvaim might not be just an ordinary place either, but a place of incredible distinction.
First, however, it is relevant to reiterate that although Solomon used the gold of Parvaim, King David left plenty of gold for the temple. However, the gold that King David left was the gold of Ophir, not Parvaim.
1 Chronicles 29:3 Moreover also, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, 4 even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, wherewith to overlay the walls of the houses; (JPS) (Emphasis added)
One can ascertain the general location of Parvaim from the Tanakh, but referencing some quasi-credible books greatly augments understanding. Some of this information can be pieced together from some manuscripts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls which are thought to date from at least 5 BC. In addition to this avenue of investigation, there is support for the conclusions presented in this book about these locations from accepted Tanakh scripture and the locations of other cities in close proximity to Parvaim that bolsters the exact conclusion of its whereabouts. The ancient lost texts merely augment a conclusion derived from acceptable scripture. Some of the ancient scrolls examined here were once thought to be relics of Christianity; however, since copies have surfaced that predate Christianity, it is a foregone conclusion that they must be of Jewish origin.
Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of a book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. 19 The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the neediest among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner ceaseth, and all they that watch for iniquity are cut off; 21 That make a man an offender by words, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nought. 22 Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale; 23 When he seeth his children, the work of My hands, in the midst of him, that they sanctify My name; yea, they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall stand in awe of the God of Israel. 24 They also that err in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmur shall learn instruction. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
In the case of The Genesis Apocryphon, as one of the Dead Sea Scrolls it was lost until very recently. There are also other collections of ancient books now known as the Pseudepigrapha and the Apocrypha. Pseudepigrapha loosely means “false writings” while Apocrypha loosely means “things hidden away.” There are two collections of apocryphal books, one that is considered more credible than the other known as The Deuterocanonical Apocrypha. The other collection is known simply as The Apocrypha. The etymology of the word “Apocrypha” reflects considerable modification to its definition over time and this factor alone casts considerable doubt on the authority of any canon of scripture. The Deuterocanonical Apocrypha collection was considered to be of Divine origin by the Roman Church. Some apocryphal books that are not part of the regular Bible today were used freely until about the 16th century AD when the collection was condensed into a uniform set of books for public distribution. In fact, several of these books were included in the original edition of The King James Bible and were included in the authoritative Septuagint collection of scripture. When the Bible was translated into Latin producing the Vulgate edition in the 5th century AD, Jerome the translator rejected some books upon his own authority because no Hebrew texts of those books could be found. However, this does not necessarily mean that no Hebrew texts ever existed and more recent discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls could be used by astute individuals to consider the canon more carefully. The standardization of the collection of books in various Bibles was accomplished through decrees known as Canons. The word “canon” is also applied to a list of books proclaimed to be the whole of Holy Scripture and decrees regulating various church dogma as well as the most solemn portion of a Mass and certain ranks of clergymen. Furthermore, some alleged saints have been canonized thereby producing a list of persons elected to salvation through the popular vote of men. Certainly one could purchase this designation for money. The list of canonized scripture was compiled by men and the word “canon” is not to be confused with the word “cannon,” a device used for shooting things full of holes.
For Christianity in the Roman church, the standardization of the collection of scripture or canon was part of the acts of the Council of Trent of 1546 and this orthodox church determined that The Deuterocanonical Apocrypha was indeed Divine scripture. At about the same time, during the Protestant Reformation, Protestants similarly standardized their collections of scripture, but rejected these apocryphal books as lacking Divine authority. This all occurred during perhaps the most tumultuous moment in church history, a period punctuated with bloody events such as the various Inquisitions. Furthermore, this period is the origin of the divisions of scripture into chapters and verses. Despite the functional utility of these devices it is an obvious point that these divisions are not of Divine authority since they occasionally diminish the meaning of the text. Furthermore, orthodox actually means conforming to mass opinion and the wisdom of that as a basis for reasoning is contraindicated by the entire history of the world. To wit: Gallileo Galilei, yet another testimony to the wisdom of the church fathers of the period where the canon was devised. There are several orthodox churches including the Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and Orthodox Judaism. The collections of the current Protestant Christian Old Testament and the Tanakh are similar although the books are arranged differently while the Catholic Old Testament is a slightly different collection. For those interested in Judaica, the whole question of canon is actually much more mysterious. It is not known for certain how or when the Jewish canon came about and recent authoritative rabbinical studies into that subject have tended to produce more questions than answers. Some speculate that the canon emerged during the Babylonian Captivity simply from the available books while other views abound. It is conspicuous in scripture that many books went missing during the time of the kings. In fact, this apparently included the entire Pentateuch or Chumash at one point.
2 Chronicles 34:14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
2 Chronicles 34:15 and Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe: 'I have found the book of the Law in the house of the Lord.' And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
2 Chronicles 34:30 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
In light of these types of considerations, it is possible that the formal Tanakh canon, known as the Protocanonical collection to introduce an additional level of complexity into the question of canon, simply was compiled from the only books available in Babylon. For readers that wish to conduct their own investigation into the Tanakh canon The Jewish Study Bible containing The New Jewish Publication Society Study Tanakh contains an excellent treatise on that subject. For all persuasions concerned, it is certain that valid books of scripture are missing from the canonized collections because there are several references to missing books in remaining accepted scripture. The author in no way suggests that any books not referenced in other scripture should be considered as valid; only that the books that are clearly referenced in other scripture were inadvertently omitted.
For example, there are books of the Apocrypha such as The Book of Jashar mentioned in 2 Samuel 1:18 that are also probably valid texts. In the case of The Book of Jashar, King David makes a direct reference to this book as does Joshua. One is affronted with a paradox between the canon and the Holy Scriptures.
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
2 Samuel1:17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 and said--To teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jashar: 19 Thy beauty, O Israel, upon thy high places is slain! How are the mighty fallen! (JPS) (Emphasis added)
The canons that emerged during this period were purportedly produced for valid reasons under the supervision of ostensibly competent scholars. Some might believe that the canons were the work of
Isaiah 40:13 Who hath meted out the spirit of the Lord? Or who was His counsellor that he might instruct Him? 14 With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of right, and taught Him knowledge, and made Him to know the way of discernment? (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Isaiah 29:9 Stupefy yourselves, and be stupid! Blind yourselves, and be blind! ye that are drunken, but not with wine, that stagger, but not with strong drink. 10 For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets, and your heads, the seers, hath He covered. 11 And the vision of all this is become unto you as the words of a writing that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying: 'Read this, I pray thee'; and he saith: 'I cannot, for it is sealed'; 12 and the writing is delivered to him that is not learned, saying: 'Read this, I pray thee'; and he saith: 'I am not learned.' 13 And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near, and with their mouth and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear of Me is a commandment of men learned by rote; 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the prudence of their prudent men shall be hid. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Since there have been several important discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls since the plethora of canons were devised, it is probable that the questions of canon should be reexamined. It should be noted that while it appears that some of the books that were once included as accepted scripture probably should not have been removed, some of them might be suspect. A superficial examination of some of these books reveals incongruence with accepted scripture while others appear to be plausible and do not conflict with accepted scripture. If a book conflicts with accepted scripture, it is no doubt of dubious nature. Furthermore, for the most part the existing canon is sufficient. Nevertheless, some of these books are most likely credible and it is probable that the canons should be reexamined despite the fact that it is a great deal of work.
Apart from that, a copy of The Book of Enoch was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls which are thought to date from about 150 BC to 5 BC. This book also can also be traced through the Ethiopian Church much further back than most apocryphal books. Nevertheless, several purportedly lucid theologians as of this writing - approximately sixty years after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947) - still maintain that The Book of Enoch was written after The Book of Jude that dates from between 70 and 80 AD. One would think that reality would present an obvious problem with that theory. Notwithstanding, the structure of the passage in The Book of Jude clearly corroborates the position that he is quoting from The Book of Enoch. In many translations, the passage clearly contains quotation marks. Since Enoch was not a contemporary of Jude, this leaves little doubt that that Jude was using a manuscript. Since Enoch was a scribe, it is reasonable to postulate that he must have written something. It is reasonable to at least consider The Book of Enoch as the work of Enoch since the text maintains that it was written by Enoch. The Book of Enoch contains apocalyptic information.
Notwithstanding, it might be best to avoid these works if there were any more reliable sources of supporting information. Nonetheless, some of the material referenced here is from a book quoted at length by the writers of accepted scripture. Since more sanctioned records are lacking, one must either ignore the question or utilize available resources to expand understanding. While some might be content to ignore questions, the purpose of this book is to produce answers. One might pause and reflect upon some of the possible variations of the word ignore to the grasp the full breadth of the wisdom and implications of that course of action. Therefore, in this case obscure references were used, so the reader must make his-or-her own determination as to the validity of the conclusions. Notwithstanding that set of concessions, the conclusions of this investigation are also supported by investigations in Tanakh scripture and all avenues of research led to the same destination.
The Genesis Apocryphon is also known as The Tales of the Patriarchs and this book is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Unfortunately, the edges of the scroll were eaten away over time and parts of the text are missing. This is denoted by dots in between phrases. In The Genesis Apocryphon, Parvaim is mentioned as a place where Methuselah went to visit Enoch. Enoch was Methuselah’s father and Methuselah’s son was Lamech. Lamech asked Methuselah to inquire of Enoch as to the nature of the child that his wife was carrying because Enoch was a prophet of the
Genesis 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begot Methuselah. 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him. 25 And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begot Lamech. 26 And Methuselah lived after he begot Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begot sons and daughters. 27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years; and he died. 28 And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begot a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying: 'This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh from the ground which the Lord hath cursed.' 30 And Lamech lived after he begot Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begot sons and daughters. 31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years; and he died. 32 And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (JPS)
The following passage is from The Genesis Apocryphon and Lamech is speaking:
I thought, in my heart, that the conception was the work of the Watchers the pregnancy of the Holy Ones and that it belonged to the Giants[2]... and my heart was upset by this... I, Lamech, turned to my wife Bitenosh and said... Swear to me by the Most High, Great Lord, King of the Universe[3]...the sons of heavens, that you will truthfully tell me everything, if... You will tell me without lies... Then Bitenosh, my wife spoke harshly and she cried... and said: Oh my brother and lord! Remember my pleasure... the time of love, gasping for breath. I will tell you everything truthfully... and then my heart began to ache... When Bitenosh realized my mood had changed...Then she withheld her anger and said to me: O my lord and brother! Remember my pleasure. I swear to you by the Great Holy One, the King of the heavens... That this seed, pregnancy, and planting of fruit comes from you and not a stranger, Watcher, or son of the heaven... Why is your expression changed and your spirit saddened... I speak honestly to you... Then I, Lamech, went to my father, Methuselah, and told him everything so that he would know the truth because he is well liked... and he is in well with the Holy Ones and they share everything with him. Methuselah went to Enoch to find the truth... he will. And he went to Parvaim, where Enoch lived... He said to Enoch: O my father and lord, to whom I... I tell you! Do not be angry because I came here to you... fear before you... (The Genesis Apocryphon) (Emphasis added)
The reason that Lamech went to see Methuselah and Methuselah went to Parvaim was because Lamech was concerned that the Watchers had impregnated his wife. The Watchers were the Sons of
This is about all of the pertinent information that can be gleaned from this particular scroll. However, it is possible to connect the information from The Genesis Apocryphon with information from The Book of Enoch, thereby producing startling information. The Book of Enoch is a partial narrative of Enoch’s life as the scribe of the Watchers. The Book of Enoch chapter 1 verses 3-9 is quoted at length in The Book of Jude verses 14-16.
Credibility
Since accepted scripture quotes The Book of Enoch, this casts a ray of undeniable credibility upon the book regardless of whether or not it was approved by canon. Despite the fact that some church bureaucrats have determined the book to be suspect, obviously
The Book of Enoch
Parable of Enoch on the Future Lot of the Wicked and the Righteous
Chapter I
1. The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed. 2 And he took up his parable and said--Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is for to come. 3 Concerning the elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them:
The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling, 4 And the eternal God will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai, And appear from His camp And appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens. 5 And all shall be smitten with fear, And the Watchers shall quake, And great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth. 6 And the high mountains shall be shaken, And the high hills shall be made low, And shall melt like wax before the flame. 7 And the earth shall be wholly rent in sunder, And all that is upon the earth shall perish, And there shall be a judgment upon all (men). 8 But with the righteous He will make peace. And will protect the elect, And mercy shall be upon them. And they shall all belong to God, And they shall be prospered, And they shall all be blessed. And He will help them all, And light shall appear unto them, And He will make peace with them. 9 And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones, To execute judgment upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness, which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. (Emphasis added)
(The Book of Enoch translated by R.H. Charles, London, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1917)
Jude 1:14 And Enoch, [the] seventh from Adam, prophesied also as to these, saying, Behold, [the] Lord has come amidst his holy myriads, 15 to execute judgment against all; and to convict all the ungodly of them of all their works of ungodliness, which they have wrought ungodlily, and of all the hard [things] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts; and their mouth speaks swelling words, admiring persons for the sake of profit. (Darby) (Emphasis added)
While the author must stop short of exactly saying this is a direct quote by Jude from the Book of Enoch, it seems highly probable. The factor that precludes stating this with absolute certainty is that different people translated these texts at different times so the wording is not exactly the same. Nevertheless, it appears that the thoughts of both passages are identical. The point of this examination is that at least some of The Book of Enoch is quite probably valid scripture. In addition, there are other parts of the Apocrypha such as The Book of Jashar mentioned in 2 Samuel 1:18 that are also probably valid texts. In the case of The Book of Jashar, King David makes a direct reference to this book. One would think that this would lend credibility to this book. Again, one is confronted with a paradox of canon and scripture.
2 Samuel 1:17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 and said--To teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jashar: 19 Thy beauty, O Israel, upon thy high places is slain! How are the mighty fallen! (JPS) (Emphasis added)
Location of Parvaim
Resuming with the main question, that being, where or what is Parvaim, the following information continues that investigation.
The Book of Enoch
Enoch 12:1 Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was 2 hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him. And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones. 3 And I Enoch was blessing the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and lo! the Watchers 4 called me - Enoch the scribe - and said to me: 'Enoch, thou scribe of righteousness, go, declare to the Watchers of the heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have done as the children of earth do, and have taken unto themselves 5 wives: "Ye have wrought great destruction on the earth: And ye shall have no peace nor forgiveness 6 of sin: and inasmuch as they delight themselves in their children, The murder of their beloved ones shall they see, and over the destruction of their children shall they lament, and shall make supplication unto eternity, but mercy and peace shall ye not attain."'
(The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament R.H. Charles; Oxford: The Clarendon Press) (Emphasis added)
If one connects the information from The Book of Enoch and the information from The Genesis Apocryphon, it becomes evident that Parvaim was the place where the Watchers dwelt after they were ejected from heaven. Therefore, extrapolating this to its ultimate conclusion, Parvaim - the dwelling place of fallen angels - is in the Nether World. Be aware that by definition the word “nether” means that which is situated below. Similarly, the word infernal has the same meaning.
Isaiah 57:9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thine ambassadors far off, even down to the nether-world. (JPS) (Emphasis added)
It seems that one would have to go a little out of the way to get gold from Parvaim. How one would get to, or return from Parvaim is something that the reader can ponder.
Legends of the Gold of Parvaim
There are several extraordinary legends of the Levites about the gold of Parvaim in the temple. In one of the legends, this gold was a magical material that grew and moved. Allegedly, the trees would bear golden fruit from time to time. Another legend maintains that this gold was the color of the blood of oxen. In many cases the gold of Parvaim has been thought to be fine gold and this would probably be true in any event.
One way of refining most elemental metals is to put them in fire. When they melt, most of the impurities float to the top. This material is something like scum on a pond in principle and it is frequently called dross. It can be easily skimmed off a crucible of molten metal. If this process is repeated many times, more and more impurities can be removed. Jewish legends maintain that some of the gold used in the temple or its fixtures was subjected to this process 1000 times. It seems that melting things might not be a problem at Parvaim.
While these aspects of Parvaim are interesting enough, there also is another level of significance to this word as it is used in the Tanakh. There are six words for gold in Hebrew and all of the other words that describe gold have been used before this one appears – at least according to the Jewish Encyclopedia in a treatise on metals. The author takes their word for this. In addition, the word appears in 2 Chronicles 3:6 and does not appear in scripture again. Superstitious types could contemplate any possible significance to the word’s appearing in verse 3:6.
2 Chronicles 3:6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. (JPS)
According to the same source, there is another word for gold that is peculiar to Solomon’s time and it is used only in connection with his throne. That word for gold and Solomon’s throne are examined in detail a special chapter. On a final note for this particular section, one may wish to consider the words of Solomon in the following passage from Ecclesiastes. Recall the special nature of Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. 11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all. (Darby) (Emphasis added)
Casting Brass
Between Succoth and Zarethan
Solomon had many items for the temple made of cast brass by a craftsman from Tyre named Hiram-Abi. This name also has the variant of Huram-Abi and there are additional variations of that name. Solomon had these items cast in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. The name Zarethan appears in Chronicles as a variation written Zeredah. It is unknown if there is any significance to this different name or if it is simply a variation.
1 Kings 7:46 In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. (JPS)
2 Chronicles 4:17 In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. (JPS)
The brass items are fascinating in and of themselves, but the location where they were made is extremely notable. Scripture indicates that the place where Hiram-Abi made these items was in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. Experts believe they know the approximate location of Succoth today, but the location of Zarethan has been a mystery. When studying these two cities, another mysterious locale named the City Adam also enters the picture. Many believe that Zarethan must be near Succoth and some experts have concluded that it is near the confluence of the Jordan and Jabbok rivers.
One would ordinarily think that the statement that these items were cast in the clay ground in the plain of the Jordan would mean that a foundry was located there and perhaps the clay was suitable for making molds. While that thinking is plausible, molds for casting metal are normally made mostly of sand. The name for the oldest and most common process for casting metal is “sand casting” for that reason.
There are additional mentions of Zarethan in scripture and if one looks at all instances of the name together it is possible to ascertain its general location. Zarethan is mentioned again in 1 Kings 4:12 and this verse gives its location relative to known places.
1 Kings 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; (JPS) (Emphasis added)
The location of Beth-shean is known with certainty because it still exits today. The name has the variations of Beth-Shan, Bethshan and Beth Shan. Several other places mentioned in this passage are also known today. When the narratives in Kings and Chronicles note that the items were cast in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan, this is evidently a very literal description of the location where these things were made. It is of great interest that 1 Kings 4:12 notes that Zarethan is beneath Jezreel. While one would ordinarily take this to mean south of Jezreel - apparently this is not the case. Evidently, this word was very carefully selected and it literally means that Zarethan is underneath Jezreel, to wit: “far underground.” Therefore, Zarethan is in the Netherworld or Sheol, in the clay ground beneath Jezreel and Succoth.
It is relevant to note, and also lends great credibility to the hypothesis