8. (a) How does Solomon go about building the temple? Describe some of its features. (b) What further building program does he carry out?

⁸ Solomon’s temple (5:1–10:29). Solomon recalls Jehovah’s words to his father, David: “Your son whom I shall put upon your throne in place of you, he is the one that will build the house to my name.” (5:5) Solomon therefore makes preparation for this. Hiram the king of Tyre assists by sending cedar and juniper logs from Lebanon and by providing skilled workers. These, together with Solomon’s conscripted workers, start work on the house of Jehovah in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, in the 480th year after the Israelites left Egypt. (6:1) No hammers, axes, or any tools of iron are used at the building site, as all the stones are prepared and fitted at the quarry before being brought to the temple site for assembly. The entire interior of the temple, first covered with cedar on the walls and juniper wood on the floor, is then beautifully overlaid with gold. Two figures of cherubs are made of oil-tree wood, each ten cubits (14.6 ft) [4.5 m] high and ten cubits from wingtip to wingtip, and these are placed in the innermost room. Other cherubs, along with palm-tree figures and blossoms, are engraved on the temple walls. At last, after more than seven years of work, the magnificent temple is completed. Solomon continues his building program: a house for himself, the House of the Forest of Lebanon, the Porch of Pillars, the Porch of the Throne, and a house for Pharaoh’s daughter. He also makes two great copper pillars for the porch of Jehovah’s house, the molten sea for the court, and the copper carriages, as well as copper basins and golden utensils.c

11. How extensive do Solomon’s riches and wisdom become?

¹¹ It has taken Solomon 20 years to complete the two houses, the house of Jehovah and the house of the king. Now he proceeds to build many cities throughout his domain, as well as ships for use in trading with distant lands.