At the heart of ancient Jerusalem stood a grand temple, the epicenter of Hebrew life. This temple had quite the origin story! First up was the temple crafted by King Solomon. This wasn't just any building; it was specially designed to house the Ark of the Covenant. The construction of Solomon’s Temple was an enormous project that took seven years and involved over 150,000 workers! It was made from the finest materials, including cedar wood from Lebanon and gold that covered many parts of the temple, making it shimmer in the sunlight.
Solomon’s Temple wasn’t just known for its beauty—it was also the place where God's Appointed Times, like the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), were honored and celebrated. The temple could fit thousands of Israelites who gathered for these annual Feasts. However, the Babylonians were not fans of the Israelites. The Babylonian army captured Jerusalem, stole its precious items, and left it in ruins. Solomon's grand temple was destroyed during the Babylonian invasion.
But the Israelites weren't ones to be kept down for long. They rallied and built a second, magnificent temple! With a touch of renovation from Nehemiah and a grand expansion under King Herod, this place was ready for some major events. Knowing that Feasts like the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, Shavu’ot (Pentecost), and Sukkot would attract large crowds of pilgrims from all over Asia Minor, the king expanded the Temple Mount. The scale of the project was immense; imagine a space that could fit twenty-four football fields! It took 10,000 men ten years just to build the retaining walls! Fun fact: one of the stones in the wall was so big, it weighed over 500 tons—about the size of 80 elephants!
Read Leviticus 1, 1 Kings 6, Hebrews 9 and John 2. Can you answer the questions below?
- What was Herod's Temple primarily built for?
- Which part of Herod's Temple was considered the most sacred?
- Why did King Herod decide to rebuild and enhance the temple?
- Apart from praying, what other activities happened around Herod's Temple?
- How long did it take to complete the main parts of Herod's Temple?
