Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-06-06
where WAS
SOL0M0N'S TEMPLE
LOCATED?

4 IUCAIEU! =
The most important temple of all
antiquity was that built by King
Solomon about the year 96s B.. c.. and
which was destroyed by Nebuchadnes-
sar in $50 B. c..
Through a motive Of pride David had
commanded the numbering of his peo-
pie in punishment Of which Zoe deci-
mated the Israelites by a pestilence.
One day the king saw near the thresh-
ing floor of Ornam the Jebusite angel
about to strike the people of the city.
whereupon David humbled himself be-
fore the Lord who forgave him and
stayed the plague.
The king hastened to purchase the
property of the Jebusite for so sicles
of silver and built an altar on the
threshing floor, upon which he offered
h~olocausts and peace offerings. This
hill. which is the Mount Moria of
Genesis, was ~thenceforth destined to
be the site of the Temple of jehovah,
for which David had already amassed
great treasures, but the building Of
which was reserved to Solomon.
AS hitherto the Hebrews had not
cultivated the arts, solomon addressed
himself to Hiram, king of Tyre, in
Phoenfcia, to obtain builders and skill
full workers IN stone. sbrass and the ce-
dar and cypress wood OF Lebanon.
After seven n a half years of toll
n king was able to dedicate solemnly
IN temple OF the true God. Near the
sacred precincts he afterwards, built
large buildings. among which the bible
makes special mention of the palace
of the king, that of the queen, Pha-
roah's daughter, the house of the for
est. the porch of the throne and that
of pillars.
No one has been able to determine
just where this Solomon's temple
stood. According to Jewish tradition,
1t IT. was erected on the highest point
quarters We're built south of his ex-
posure and on a lower level. 1t is gem
orally admitted that the sacred rock
in the center of the Mosque of Omar
formed the foundation OF the altar of
holocausts in the Temple of Jerusalem.
On this hill. according to ancient ira
d'tlon. Abraham made ready to sacri-
ice his son Isaac, and here. near the
thrcshing floor, which according to
custom was situated at the highest
point. David erected an altar to the
Lord. II this prominent rock is con-
:tantiy spared at the various rebuild
ings of the platform it must have been
because of Its associations. Moreover,
1t corresponds to all the requirements
OF Exodus for the altar of holocausts.
Some writer's have tried to minimize
Solomon's work as a builder and claim
his temple would not stand a moments
comparison with the smallest and hum
blest of the present day c%athedrals. In
significant In size 1t certainly was. but
1t u not be forgotten it's costly
~splendor, the remote age in which the
work was achieved and the truly stu
pendous construction which the design
required.
OF the external aspect OF the build
ing in Solcmon's day we know nothing.
We cannot even tell whether 1t had
One eve roof. or whether the HOLY of
Holes was like a lower chancei at
the end of 1t: nor whether the roof was
nat. or as the rabbits say. rigid; nor
stored chambers which surrounded it
was OF stone. or planked with cedar.
or Overlaid with plinths OF gold and
silver: nor whether. in any case. 1t
was ornamented with carvings or left
blank. nor whether the ~cornices only
the Assyrian rosettes. Nor do we
know with certainty whether 1t was
supported within by pillars.
On the important points as to the
site of h estemple the earliest authors
tiles are silent. 1t is practically ac-
knowiedged however. that the whole
complex OF buildings erected by Solo
mon stood along the crest OF the east
ern hill, crowned by III temple at the
highest point. This is undoubtedly the
site assigned to the temple by the old
est extant tradition. The alternative
view, associated in recent times with
Schick and Gender, which places the
most holy place, or inner shrine Of
the temple. over the Sakhra, has now
rev advocates. A third site, within
the present Haram era, but towards
its angle. favored by Fergu-
son, and others. is open to even more
serious objection, and has no promf-
nent advocate at the present time. II
VIII likely be known where
stood this most Famous temple OF all
In . Minute.