1 Kings 7

Solomon’s Palace Complex

7Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction. ^w2He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ^xIt was 150 feet ^ylong, 75 feet ^zwide, and 45 feet ^ahigh on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. ³It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on 45 pillars, 15 per row. ⁴There were three rows of window frames, facing each other ^bin three tiers. ^cd5All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other ^ein three tiers. ^f6He made the hall of pillars 75 feet ^glong and 45 feet ^hwide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars ⁱwas in front of them. ⁷He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge ^j—the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. ^k8Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife. ^lm

⁹All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. ¹⁰The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet ⁿlong. ¹¹Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. ¹²Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams. ^o

¹³King Solomon had Hiram ^pqbrought from Tyre. ¹⁴He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill, ^runderstanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work. ^s

The Bronze Pillars

¹⁵He cast two hollow bronze pillars: ^teach 27 feet ^uhigh and 18 feet ^vin circumference. ^wx16He also made two capitals ^yof cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7½ feet ^zwas the height of the first capital, and 7½ feet ^awas also the height of the second capital. ¹⁷The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths ^bmade of chainwork—seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

¹⁸He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital. ¹⁹And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet ^chigh. ²⁰The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and 200 pomegranates ^dwere in rows encircling each ^ecapital. ²¹He set up the pillars at the portico ^fof the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin; ^gthen he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. ^hi22The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed. ^j

The Reservoir

²³He made the cast metal reservoir, ^kl15 feet ^mfrom brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet ⁿhigh and 45 feet ^oin circumference. ²⁴Ornamental gourds ^pencircled it below the brim, 10 every half yard, ^qcompletely encircling the reservoir. ^rThe gourds were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast. ²⁵It stood on 12 oxen, ^sthree facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. ²⁶The reservoir was three inches ^tthick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held 11,000 gallons. ^u

The Bronze Water Carts

²⁷Then he made 10 bronze water carts. ^vwEach water cart was six feet ^xlong, six feet ^ywide, and 4½ feet ^zhigh. ²⁸This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces, ²⁹and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim. ^aOn the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging ^bwork. ³⁰Each cart ^chad four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath. ³¹And the water cart’s opening inside the crown on top was 18 inches ^dwide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal 27 inches ^ewide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round. ³²There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was 27 inches ^ftall. ³³The wheels’ design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. ³⁴Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart. ³⁵At the top of the cart was a band nine inches ^ghigh encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it. ³⁶He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees ^hon the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths. ³⁷In this way he made the 10 water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.

Bronze Basins and Other Utensils

³⁸Then he made 10 bronze basins ⁱ—each basin holding 220 gallons ^jand each was six feet ^kwide—one basin for each of the 10 water carts. ³⁹He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the reservoir near the right side of the temple toward the southeast. ^l40Then Hiram made ^mthe basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins.

Completion of the Bronze Works

So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord’s temple: ⁴¹two pillars; ⁿbowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; ^o42the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars ^p); ⁴³the 10 water carts; ^qthe 10 basins on the water carts; ^r44the reservoir; ^sthe 12 oxen underneath the reservoir; ^t45and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins. ^uAll the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord’s temple were made of burnished bronze. ⁴⁶The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth ^vand Zarethan. ^w47Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. ^x

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

⁴⁸Solomon also made all the equipment in the Lord’s temple: the gold altar; the gold table that the bread of the Presence was placed on; ^y49the pure gold lampstands in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left; ^zthe gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; ⁵⁰the pure gold ceremonial bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles, ^aand firepans; ^band the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the most holy place) and for the doors of the temple sanctuary.

⁵¹So all the work King Solomon did in the Lord’s temple was completed. ^cThen Solomon brought in the consecrated things of his father David ^d—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. ^e