After King Solomon had reigned over Israel for four years, he started to build the temple. The temple was 60 cubits in length, 20 in width and 30 in height. Solomon had narrow windows built high up in the walls of the temple. The king also had a structure built around the temple.

The Temple’s Building Blocks

The temple was built with blocks that were dressed right at the quarry. The builders did not use any chisels, hammers, or other kinds of iron tools. He also had side rooms built that went along the temple. These walls were five cubits in height, and they were connected to the temple by cedar beams.

The Lord’s Promise

The Lord had told Solomon that if he followed all of God’s decrees and kept all of His commands, then the king would receive the promise that was made to David, his father. The Lord also told Solomon that he would not abandon the people of Israel. The king built the temple and followed all of God’s commands. Everything inside was mostly covered with cedar and no stones were seen.

The Temple’s Inner Sanctuary

King Solomon had the inner sanctuary prepared so the ark could be placed there. He had the inside of the temple covered with pure gold which included the inner sanctuary. The walls around the temple had open flowers, cherubim, and palm trees carved on them. The floors of the rooms were also covered in gold.

The Temple Doors

The entrance doors to the large, main hall were made from olive wood. Other doors were made from juniper wood. The doors had carved open flowers, cherubim, and palm trees on them. Then gold was overlaid into all of the carvings on the doors. The king had the inner courtyard built with stone and it was also trimmed with cedar beams. It took seven years to complete the construction of the temple.