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Solomon's Temple: the guided tour as text
The 3D lab's guided tour as a story you can read, stop by stop, with the scripture behind each one. It works on any device, without 3D.
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Mount Moriah
Stop 1 of 24
Mount Moriah
This is Mount Moriah, the Temple on its summit and the city below.
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Read 2 Chronicles 3:1; 2 Samuel 24:18–25
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Solomon's palace complex
South of the Temple, Solomon's palace courts step down the hill. Next we turn back to the house of the LORD.
And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.
Read 1 Kings 7:1–12
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Solomon's Temple
Here is the house of the LORD, sixty cubits long, facing east.
1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. 2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
Read 1 Kings 6:1–10
The inner court
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The inner court
You're looking over the inner court, walled with stone and cedar.
And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
Read 1 Kings 6:36; 1 Kings 7:12
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The bronze altar
The great bronze altar, twenty cubits square, stands before the house. Next: Solomon's platform.
Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.
Read 2 Chronicles 4:1; 1 Kings 8:62–64
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Solomon
On this bronze platform Solomon knelt to pray at the dedication.
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
Read 2 Chronicles 6:12–21; 1 Kings 8:22–30
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The bronze Sea
The Sea, a huge bronze basin on twelve oxen, stands to the south-east of the house. Next: the ten stands.
23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height 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 compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, 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 above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
Read 1 Kings 7:23–26; 2 Chronicles 4:2–6
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The ten bronze stands and basins
Ten bronze stands on wheels, five on each side, each carried a basin for washing. Next we look at the house from outside.
Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
Read 1 Kings 7:27–39; 2 Chronicles 4:6
The house from outside
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The side chambers
Three storeys of side chambers wrap the house; their outer wall is lifted off so you can see the ledges. Next: the windows.
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about: 6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
Read 1 Kings 6:5–10
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The windows
High up, above the chambers, narrow windows let light into the holy place.
And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
Read 1 Kings 6:4; 1 Kings 8:12
The porch
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The porch (ulam)
This is the porch across the front of the house, the way in.
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.
Read 1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chronicles 3:4
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Jachin
On the south side stands Jachin, eighteen cubits of cast bronze. Next: its partner, Boaz.
And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.
Read 1 Kings 7:15–22
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Boaz
On the north side stands Boaz.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17 And he reared 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.
Read 2 Chronicles 3:15–17; 2 Kings 25:13–17
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The capitals
Each capital is crowned with lily-work and rows of pomegranates. Next we come to the doors.
And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
Read 1 Kings 7:16–20; 1 Kings 7:41–42
The holy place
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The doors
These folding doors of cypress, carved and overlaid with gold, open into the holy place.
34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
Read 1 Kings 6:31–35
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The holy place (hekal)
You're inside the holy place, forty cubits long and lined with gold.
And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
Read 1 Kings 6:17; 1 Kings 7:48–50
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Cedar lining and carvings
Cedar boards carved with cherubim, palm trees and open flowers cover the stone, so no stone is seen. Next: the lampstands.
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. 30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
Read 1 Kings 6:15–18; Genesis 3:24
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The ten lampstands
Ten golden lampstands stand in two rows, five on each side.
And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,
Read 2 Chronicles 4:7; 2 Chronicles 4:20–21
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The ten tables
The tables for the bread of the Presence stand between the lampstands. Next: the altar of incense.
He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.
Read 2 Chronicles 4:8; 1 Kings 7:48
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The golden altar of incense
The golden altar of incense stands before the inner room.
20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. 22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
Read 1 Kings 6:20–22; Psalm 141:2
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The veil
The veil and the olive-wood doors close off the most holy place.
And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.
Read 2 Chronicles 3:14; Matthew 27:51
The most holy place
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The most holy place (debir)
This is the most holy place, a cube of twenty cubits overlaid with gold.
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
Read 1 Kings 6:19–20; 1 Kings 8:10–11
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The two great cherubim
Two great cherubim of olive wood, ten cubits tall, spread their wings wall to wall. Next: the ark beneath them.
10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. 11 And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.
Read 1 Kings 6:23–28
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The ark of the covenant
Under their wings rests the ark of the covenant. That's the end of the tour.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims. 7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
Read 1 Kings 8:6–11; 2 Samuel 7:12–13
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