Lecture 4

         After David, Solomon took over Jerusalem. It was under him that the first Temple was built. It was designed as a physical place for god to live, and for the Ark of the Covenant. There has been no archeological evidence found for Solomon’s temple but it could be due to the fact that Herod removed all remains of whatever was there prior to his own Temple. There were two parts mentioned of Solomon’s temple. There was a large front hall way area and in the back there was the holy room where the Ark of the Covenant would have been. He also set up columns named Boaz and Jachin at the front of the Great Hall. Although there is no physical evidence of Solomon’s temple, the description in the bible is almost identical to other palaces that were built during that time period. Many of them contained an inner shrine, a main hall, pillars, and side chambers just as Solomon’s Temple did. What did remain was the stepped stone structure (millo) that was the foundation to David’s palace possibly. After the reign of Solomon and David the Golden Age had come to an end. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided into North (Israel) and South (Judah). The king of Israel, Jeroboam built Bethel and Dan as alternative shrines to the Temple in Jerusalem.