Topical Bible: Temple: Solomon's: Dimensions of

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The Temple of Solomon, also known as the First Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the central place of worship for the Israelites. Constructed under the reign of King Solomon, the temple was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, as a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant and a center for Israelite worship and sacrifices.

The dimensions and specifications of Solomon's Temple are detailed in the biblical texts, primarily in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. According to 1 Kings 6:2 , "The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high." A cubit is generally considered to be about 18 inches (45 centimeters), making the temple approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

The temple's structure was divided into several key areas, each with specific dimensions and purposes:

1. The Vestibule (Porch): The entrance to the temple featured a vestibule that extended across the width of the temple. 1 Kings 6:3 states, "The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple." This would make the vestibule approximately 30 feet wide and 15 feet deep.

2. The Holy Place: The main hall, or the Holy Place, was a significant area where priests conducted daily rituals. It measured forty cubits in length, as noted in 1 Kings 6:17 , "The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long." This translates to about 60 feet in length.

3. The Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies): The innermost sanctuary, known as the Most Holy Place, housed the Ark of the Covenant. According to 1 Kings 6:20 , "The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high." This cubic space measured approximately 30 feet in each dimension, emphasizing its sacred nature.

4. Side Chambers: Surrounding the temple were three levels of side chambers used for storage and other purposes. 1 Kings 6:5 describes these chambers: "Against the walls of the main hall and the inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms." These chambers were built in three accounts, each five cubits high, as detailed in 1 Kings 6:6 .

The temple's grandeur was further enhanced by its intricate decorations and use of precious materials. The interior was lined with cedar and overlaid with gold, as described in 1 Kings 6:21-22 : "So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. So he overlaid the whole interior with gold."

Solomon's Temple was not only a marvel of ancient architecture but also a symbol of Israel's covenant relationship with God. Its dimensions and design reflect the divine instructions given to Solomon, emphasizing the temple's role as a holy place set apart for worship and the presence of the Almighty.

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1 Kings 6:3
And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
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2 Chronicles 3:4
And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
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Library

The Cleansing of the Temple - the Sign,' which is not a Sign.
... its ruins we can still measure its dimensions, and trace ... 5. [1801] It is certain
that this Temple-market could ... the gate Shushan - as far as Solomon's Porch' (Dr ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v the cleansing of.htm

Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
... might, indeed, ask, by what right he assumes that the moral dimensions of our ... we
find but three centuries thus left us from the Exodus to Solomon's Temple. ...
/.../essays and reviews the education of the world/bunsens biblical researches.htm

The Holiness of God
... 2:2. No angel in heaven can take the just dimensions of God's ... be like the Egyptian
temples, beautified without merely, but like Solomon's temple, gold within ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/7 the holiness of god.htm

Books of the Hebrew Canon.
... Solomon's marriage (iii.1). Solomon's power (iv.24). ... Foundations of the Temple laid
(vi.1). Foundations of the Temple laid (vi.1"5). Dimensions of the ...
/.../chapter ii books of the.htm

A Little Sanctuary
... horns of the altar to escape from Solomon's armed men ... himself is our dwelling-place,
and our holy temple. ... the innermost room of all was of narrow dimensions. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/a little sanctuary.htm

A Discourse
... It is evident by the difference of their measures and dimensions. ... forest of Lebanon
was forty cubits more than was that called Solomon's temple: The breadth of ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse.htm

Christian Churches.
... of the old basilica and the building of the new."The vast dimensions of the ... to the
tradition that they once belonged to the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter iii christian churches.htm

The Unjust Steward - Dives and Lazarus - Jewish Agricultural Notes ...
... that Dives now limits his request to the humblest dimensions, asking only ... raised
by Thenius) about the capacity of the brazen sea' in Solomon's Temple (1 Kings ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xviii the unjust steward.htm

Heavenly Contemplation Assisted by Sensible Objects, and Guarded ...
... of waters, with its motions and dimensions; and the ... the ark, or at rebuilding the
temple; what will ... rent when the people rejoiced at Solomon's coronation; what ...
/.../the saints everlasting rest/chapter xv heavenly contemplation assisted.htm

A Book for Boys and Girls Or, Temporal Things Spritualized.
... O! there is none Its large dimensions can comprehend Should they dilate thereon
world ... [4] Advertised in the eighth edition of Solomon's Temple Spiritualized. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a book for boys and.htm