First Glance

No architectural remains of Solomon’s Temple—destroyed by the Babylonians more than 2,500 years ago—have ever been recovered. But this has not discouraged archaeologists, historians, Bible scholars and artists who, for centuries, have attempted to reconstruct the tenth-century B.C. temple. Fortunately, 1 Kings 6–7 provides a careful description of the temple and of much of its lavish ornamentation. But the biblical text still leaves open many questions about the temple’s appearance. In pursuit of the answers, Victor Hurowitz culls information from ancient descriptions of temples and from archaeological remains of analogous Near Eastern temples, and takes us “Inside Solomon’s Temple.”