Building the First Temple

Solomon’s temple was built on Mount Moriah, the location where Abraham had come to sacrifice Isaac 1,200 years earlier and where David had met the Lord during a time of judgment on Israel. Moses built a tabernacle in the wilderness after the Israelites left Egypt but this “glorified tent” wasn’t a fixed structure.

King David wanted to build the temple but that responsibility fell to Solomon, who decided to build it in an unusual way. Gathering the construction materials took four years, and assembling the prefabricated pieces took another seven years, during which time the sound of hammers, axes, and other tools of iron were not heard. The dedication of the temple was an impressive event as thousands of animals were sacrificed over seven days with singers and musicians in abundance. The dedication feast lasted another seven days.

Solomon also built a palace, a summer house and a special house for his pagan Egyptian wife. The Lord warned Solomon that the Promised Land would be lost and the beautiful temple would be destroyed if the Israelites became idolatrous. No one in Israel, including Solomon, paid any attention to the warning because they figured God was sentimental and would never let that happen.