Temple Construction Begins

1And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in the mount of Amoria, where the Lord appeared to his father David, in the place which David had prepared in the threshing-floor of Orna the Jebusite. 2And he began to build in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

Dimensions and Materials

3And thus Solomon began to build the house of God: the length in cubits—even the first measurement from end to end, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. 4And the portico in front of the house, its length in front of the breadth of the house was twenty cubits, and its height a hundred and twenty cubits: and he gilded it within with pure gold. 5And he lined the great house with cedar wood, and gilded it with pure gold, and carved upon it palm-trees and chains. 6And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty; and he gilded it with gold of the gold from Pharuim. 7And he gilded the house, and its inner walls, and the door-posts, and the roofs, and the doors with gold; and he carved cherubs on the walls.

8And he built the holy of holies, its length was according to the front of the other house, the breadth of the house was twenty cubits, and the length twenty cubits: and he gilded it with pure gold for cherubs, to the amount of six hundred talents. 9And the weight of the nails, even the weight of each was fifty shekels of gold: and he gilded the upper chamber with gold.

10And he made two cherubs in the most holy house, wood-work, and he gilded them with gold.

The Cherubim

11And the wings of the cherubs were twenty cubits in length: and one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house: and the other wing of five cubits touched the wing of the other cherub. 13And the wings of these cherubs expanded were of the length of twenty cubits: and they stood upon their feet, and their faces were toward the house.

The Veil and Pillars

14And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and wove cherubs in it.

15Also he made in front of the house two pillars, in height thirty-five cubits, and their chapters of five cubits. 16And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17And he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left: and he called the name of the one on the right hand 'Stability,' and the name of the one on the left 'Strength.'