Outline Studies in the Old Testament for Bible Teachers

by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

ELEVENTH STUDY

The Temple on Mount Moriah

The most famous of all the buildings erected by Sol´o-mon, though by no means the largest, was the temple. It is so frequently mentioned in the Bible, and was so closely connected with the religious and secular history, both in the Old Testament and the New, that a detailed study of it is needed.

I. The Three Temples. All these stood in succession upon the same site, and were arranged upon the same general plan.

1. Sol´o-mon's Temple. Built about B. C. 970, and standing until B. C. 587, when it was destroyed by the Bab-y-lo´ni-ans (2 Kings 25. 8, 9).

2. Ze-rub´ba-bel's Temple. After lying desolate more than fifty years the second temple was begun about B. C. 534, under Ze-rub´ba-bel, the ruler of the exiles returned from Bab´y-lon (Ezra 3. 8). This temple was far inferior in splendor to the first, but soon became the object of pilgrimage to Jews from all lands and the center of Jew´ish national and religious life.

3. Her´od's Temple. The second temple having become dilapidated, Her´od the Great undertook its restoration on a magnificent scale. The work was begun about B. C. 20 and was not completed until A. D. 64. In the lifetime of Je´sus it was not yet finished (John 2. 20). This temple was destroyed by the Ro´mans under Ti´tus, A. D. 70. Its site is now occupied partially by the Dome of the Rock, miscalled the Mosque of O´mar, in Je-ru´sa-lem.

II. The Situation. The city of Je-ru´sa-lem stood upon hills separated by three valleys radiating in a fanlike order, from a point at the southeast. Northward runs the valley of the Kid´ron; northwest the valley of the Ty-ro´pœ-on, now almost obliterated; almost westward, with a curve northward, the valley of Hin´nom. Between the valley of the Kid´ron and the valley of the Ty-ro´pœ-on were two hills—on the north Mount Mo-ri´ah, and a little to the south a spur of lower elevation known as O´phel. On Mount Mo-ri´ah stood the temple, on O´phel the buildings of Sol´o-mon's palace. Later the temple area was enlarged to include both these hills. West of Mo-ri´ah, across the Ty-ro´pœ-on valley, was Mount Zi´on, upon which the principal part of the city stood.

III. The House of the Lord. This was a building not large, but magnificent and costly; made of stone and cedar, and decorated lavishly with gold and precious stones. It consisted of four parts:

1. The Porch, a lofty tower facing the east. Two pillars, either in the tower at the entrance or standing apart before it, are named (1 Kings 7. 21). The interior dimensions of the porch were about 30 feet from north to south, and 15 feet east and west[14] (1 Kings 6. 3).

2. The Holy Place was west of the porch, and was a chamber 60 feet long by 30 wide, and perhaps 30 feet high. In it stood, on the north, the table for "the showbread"—that is, the twelve loaves shown before the Lord; on the south, the golden candlestick, or lampstand[15]; and at the western end the golden altar of incense.

3. The Holy of Holies, or "the oracle" (1 Kings 6. 19, 20), was a cube, each dimension being 30 feet. It had no windows, but received a dim light through the veil which separated it from the adjoining room. This place was entered by the high priest only, and on but one day in the year, the day of atonement. The only article of furniture in the room was the Ark of the Covenant, containing the two stone tables of the law. The Ark doubtless was destroyed with the first temple, and in the second and third temples its place was indicated by a marble block, upon which the blood was sprinkled.

4. The Chambers were rooms for the priests, situated around the house, with entrance from without. They were in three stories, and were set apart for the residence of the priests while employed in the services of the temple. Each priest served two weeks in the year; not, however, two weeks in succession, but six months apart, and lived at his home for the rest of the time. In similar chambers around the old tabernacle E´li and Sam´u-el slept (1 Sam. 3. 2, 3).

IV. The Court of the Priests was an open, unroofed quadrangle surrounding the House of the Lord, but mainly in front, toward the east. It was about 200 feet wide, north and south, by 275 feet long, east and west, a few feet lower in elevation than the floor of the temple proper. Here stood the great Altar of Burnt Offering, upon which the daily sacrifice was offered, its site now shown under the Dome of the Rock; and near the door to the house the Laver for washing the sacrifices. Sol´o-mon built also a great "Sea," or reservoir of water, standing on the backs of twelve oxen, all of "brass," probably copper (1 Kings 7. 23-26). This was broken up by the Bab-y-lo´ni-ans, B. C. 587 (2 Kings 25. 13), and was not replaced in the later temples.

V. Around the Court of the Priests was another and larger corridor, the Court of Is´ra-el, or "the men's court." In the later temples this was 320 by 240 feet in dimensions, 26 feet wide on the north and south, 24 feet wide on the east and west. The size of this court in Sol´o-mon's temple is not given, but was probably the same as in later times. This was the standing place of the worshipers (exclusively men) as they witnessed the service.

VI. These were the only courts around the first temple, as the space to the south of the last-named court was occupied by Sol´o-mon's palaces, from which a magnificent flight of steps ascended to the temple area (1 Kings 10. 5). After these buildings were destroyed the latest temple, that of Her´od, included their site in additional courts and buildings for the worship. East of the Court of Is´ra-el, and a little lower, stood the Court of the Women, 200 feet square, having a lattice gallery on the western side, from which the women could look on the services of the altar. This court was also called "the Treasury" (John 8. 20) from the gift boxes fastened upon the wall (Mark 12. 41, 42). In each corner of this court was a room said to be 60 feet square, with an open roof.

VII. Around all these buildings and courts, with Her´od's temple, but not with Sol´o-mon's, was the Court of the Gen´tiles, an irregular quadrangle of about 1,000 feet on each side (north 990, east 1,000, south 960, west 1,060). The wall on the east was surmounted by a double row of columns, and called Sol´o-mon's Porch (John 10. 23; Acts 3. 12). The "Beautiful Gate" was from the Court of the Gen´tiles to the eastern side of the Court of the Women (Acts 3. 1), through which the people passed on their way to the public worship. The narrow corridor extending entirely around the Court of the Women and the Court of Is´ra-el was called "Chel"—that is, the sacred inclosure—and no one except an Is´ra-el-ite was permitted to enter it. The Court of the Gen´tiles was not regarded by the Jews as sacred, since foreigners were allowed within it, and in its area had grown up a market for the sale of animals for sacrifice and tables for the exchanging of foreign money. Twice this court was purged of these desecrations by Je´sus (John 2. 13-17; Matt. 21. 12, 13).

The principal access to the temple in the time of Christ was a bridge over the Ty-ro´pœ-on valley from Mount Zi´on. Of this bridge a fragment of one arch still remains, known as "Rob´in-son's Arch."

The immediate surroundings of the temple, in the New Testament period, were the following: 1. On the north stood the Castle or Tower of An-to´ni-a, erected by the Ro´mans for the control of the temple area. 2. On the east was the valley of the Kid´ron. 3. On the south and west lay the curving valley of the Ty-ro´pœ-on.

Blackboard Outline

I.	Thr. Tem. 1. Sol. 970-587. 2. Zer. 534. 3. Her. B. C. 20. A. D. 70.
II.	Situa. Vall. Kid. Tyr. Hin. Mts. Mor. Oph. Zi.
III.	Hou. Lor. 1. Por. 30x15. 2. H. P. 30x60. 3. H. H. 30x30. 4. Chamb.
IV.	Cou. Pri. 200x275. Alt. Lav. "Sea."
V.	Cou. Isr. 240x320.
VI.	Cou. Wom. 200x200. "Treas." Rooms.
VII.	Cou. Gen. 1,000. "Chel." Market. Bridge.

Hints to the Teacher and the Class

Let each pupil in turn draw on the blackboard one of the departments or courts of the temple, state its dimensions, and explain its uses.

Let a pupil recite the history of each temple.

Let one pupil state in what parts of the temple Je´sus walked and taught, and another events in the life of Saint Paul connected with the temple.

Review Questions

Who built the first temple, how long did it stand, and by whom was it destroyed? Who built the second temple, and at what time? Who built the third temple? When was it begun, finished, and destroyed? What building now stands on the site of the temple? Between what three valleys was Je-ru´sa-lem situated? Give a description of each valley. Where were Mo-ri´ah, O´phel, and Zi´on located? Into what four parts was the "House of the Lord," or temple proper, divided? What were the dimensions and what was the location of the Porch? Describe the Holy Place and its contents. Describe the Holy of Holies. What took the place of the Ark in the later temples? What were the Chambers, and where were they situated? Where was the Court of the Priests? What were its dimensions? What stood in this court? Where was the Court of Is´ra-el? What were its dimensions and uses? What stood outside the Court of Is´ra-el adjoining Sol´o-mon's temple? Where was the Court of the Women in the latest temple? Describe this court and its uses? What was the exterior court to the temple in the time of Christ? What were the dimensions of this court? Where was the "Beautiful Gate"? Where was the "Chel"? Where was Sol´o-mon's Porch? How was this court used by the Jews? What did Je´sus do in this court? What was the principal means of access to the temple? What were the immediate surroundings of the temple?

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