1Kings 7

Solomon Builds His Palace

7Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.H8010H1129H1004H7969H6240H8141H3615H10042One of Solomon's buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high

. There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars.H1129H1004H3293H3844H753H3967H520H7341H2572H520H6967H7970H520H702H2905H730H5982H730H3773H59823The hall had a cedar roof. Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms

, arranged in three tiers of fifteen each.H5603H730H4605H6763H705H2568H5982H6240H29054On each end of the long hall were three rows of windows facing each other.H8261H7969H2905H4237H4237H7969H64715All the doorways and doorposts

had rectangular frames and were arranged in sets of three, facing each other.H6607H4201H7251H8260H4237H4136H4237H7969H64716Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars, which was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide

. There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars.H6213H197H5982H753H2572H520H7341H7970H520H197H6440H5982H56467Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling

.H6213H197H3678H8199H197H4941H5603H730H7172H71728Solomon's living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married.H1004H3427H312H2691H1004H197H4639H8010H6213H1004H6547H1323H3947H1979From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides.H3368H68H4060H1496H1641H4050H1004H2351H4527H2947H2351H1419H269110Some of the huge foundation stones were 15 feet long, and some were 12 feet

long.H3245H3368H68H1419H68H68H6235H520H68H8083H52011The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used.H4605H3368H68H4060H1496H73012The walls of the great courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone, just like the walls of the inner courtyard of the LORD's Temple with its entry room.H1419H2691H5439H7969H2905H1496H2905H730H3773H6442H2691H1004H3068H197H1004

Furnishings for the Temple

13King Solomon then asked for a man named Huram

to come from Tyre.H4428H8010H7971H3947H2438H686514He was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon.H802H490H1121H4294H5321H1H376H6876H2790H5178H4390H2451H8394H1847H6213H4399H5178H935H4428H8010H6213H439915Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference

.H6696H8147H5982H5178H8083H6240H520H6967H5982H259H2339H8147H6240H520H5437H8145H543716For the tops of the pillars he cast bronze capitals, each 7 1/2 feet

tall.H6213H8147H3805H3332H5178H5414H7218H5982H6967H259H3805H2568H520H6967H8145H3805H2568H52017Each capital was decorated with seven sets of latticework and interwoven chains.H7638H7639H4639H1434H8333H4639H3805H7218H5982H7651H259H3805H7651H8145H380518He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars.H6213H5982H8147H2905H5439H259H7639H3680H3805H7218H7416H6213H8145H380519The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet

tall.H3805H7218H5982H7799H4639H197H702H52020The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework.H3805H8147H5982H4605H5980H990H5676H7639H7416H3967H2905H5439H8145H380521Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz

.H6965H5982H197H1964H6965H3233H5982H7121H8034H3199H6965H8042H5982H7121H8034H116222The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished.H7218H5982H7799H4639H4399H5982H855223Then Huram cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7 1/2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference

.H6213H3332H3220H6235H520H8193H8193H5696H5439H6967H2568H520H6957H6961H7970H520H5437H543924It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot

all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.H8193H5439H6497H5437H6235H520H5362H3220H5439H6497H3333H8147H2905H333225The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen

, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them.H5975H8147H6240H1241H7969H6437H6828H7969H6437H3220H7969H6437H5045H7969H6437H4217H3220H4605H268H100426The walls of the Sea were about three inches

thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons of water.H2947H5672H8193H4639H8193H3563H6525H7799H3557H505H132427Huram also made ten bronze water carts, each 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet tall

.H6213H6235H4350H5178H702H520H753H259H4350H702H520H7341H7969H520H696728They were constructed with side panels braced with crossbars.H4639H4350H4526H4526H794829Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations.H4526H7948H738H1241H3742H7948H3653H4605H738H1241H3914H4174H463930Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. There were supporting posts for the bronze basins at the corners of the carts; these supports were decorated on each side with carvings of wreaths.H259H4350H702H5178H212H5633H5178H702H6471H3802H3595H3802H3332H5676H376H391431The top of each cart had a rounded frame for the basin. It projected 1 1/2 feet

above the cart's top like a round pedestal, and its opening was 2 1/4 feet across; it was decorated on the outside with carvings of wreaths. The panels of the carts were square, not round.H6310H1004H3805H4605H520H6310H5696H4639H3653H520H2677H6310H4734H4526H7251H569632Under the panels were four wheels that were connected to axles that had been cast as one unit with the cart. The wheels were 2 1/4 feet in diameterH8478H4526H702H212H3027H212H4350H6967H259H212H520H2677H52033and were similar to chariot wheels. The axles, spokes, rims, and hubs were all cast from molten bronze.H4639H212H4639H4818H212H3027H1354H2839H2840H333234There were handles at each of the four corners of the carts, and these, too, were cast as one unit with the cart.H702H3802H702H6438H259H4350H3802H435035Around the top of each cart was a rim nine inches wide

. The corner supports and side panels were cast as one unit with the cart.H7218H4350H5696H5439H2677H520H6967H7218H4350H3027H452636Carvings of cherubim, lions, and palm trees decorated the panels and corner supports wherever there was room, and there were wreaths all around.H3871H3027H4526H6605H3742H738H8561H4626H376H3914H543937All ten water carts were the same size and were made alike, for each was cast from the same mold.H6213H6235H4350H259H4165H259H4060H259H709538Huram also made ten smaller bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons

of water.H6213H6235H3595H5178H259H3595H3557H705H1324H259H3595H702H520H259H6235H4350H259H359539He set five water carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple.H5414H2568H4350H3225H3802H1004H2568H8040H3802H1004H5414H3220H3233H3802H1004H6924H4136H504540He also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls. So at last Huram completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of the LORD.H2438H6213H3595H3257H4219H2438H3615H6213H4399H6213H4428H8010H1004H306841the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals;H8147H5982H1543H3805H7218H8147H5982H8147H7639H3680H8147H1543H3805H7218H598242the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars);H702H3967H7416H8147H7639H8147H2905H7416H259H7639H3680H8147H1543H3805H6440H598243the ten water carts holding the ten basins;H6235H4350H6235H3595H435044the Sea and the twelve oxen under it;H259H3220H8147H6240H1241H322045the ash buckets, the shovels, and the bowls. Huram made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the LORD, just as King Solomon had directed.H5518H3257H4219H3627H2438H6213H4428H8010H1004H3068H4178H517846The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan.H3603H3383H4428H3332H4568H127H5523H689147Solomon did not weigh all these things because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be measured.H8010H3240H3627H3966H3966H7230H4948H5178H271348Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the LORD: the gold altar; the gold table for the Bread of the Presence;H8010H6213H3627H1004H3068H4196H2091H7979H2091H3899H644049the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold;H4501H5462H2091H2568H3225H2568H8040H6440H1687H6525H5216H4457H209150the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, dishes, and incense burners—all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.H5592H4212H4219H3709H4289H5462H2091H6596H2091H1817H6442H1004H6944H6944H1817H1004H196451So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the LORD. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple.H7999H4399H4428H8010H6213H1004H3068H8010H935H1732H1H6944H3701H2091H3627H5414H214H1004H3068