Hiram the Artisan (הִירָם, hiram). A skilled craftsman and metalworker from Tyre. Assisted in building the Solomonic temple. Responsible for the decoration of the temple and the pillars Jachin and Boaz (1 Kgs 7:13–47).

The accounts of the temple building in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles vary, making full identification of Hiram the Artisan and his role in the building difficult. The differences affect the identification of Hiram in three ways:

1. The individual responsible for bringing him to work on the temple

a. First Kings 7:13 indicates that Solomon brought Hiram

b. Second Chronicles 2:13 indicates that Hiram, king of Tyre sent Hiram.

2. The extent to which he was responsible for decorating the temple

a. First Kings 7:14 indicates that Hiram was a bronze-smith

b. Second Chronicles 2:14 portrays Hiram as a versatile artisan skillful in extensive craftwork

3. The tribal identity of his mother

a. First Kings 7:14 indicates that his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali

b. Second Chronicles 2:14 indicates that she was from the tribe of Dan.

While Hiram’s father was Tyrian, the tribe of his mother, a widow, is debated. If Hiram’s mother is from the tribe of Dan, his parentage shows a close relationship between the Tyrians and Danites. Katzenstein argues that this relationship is demonstrated by the Danites having worked as “seasonal workers” in the ports of Tyre and Sidon (Katzenstein, The History of Tyre, 66–67). Dillard argues that if Hiram’s mother was from the tribe of Naphtali, the Chronicler may have intentionally changed his mother’s descent to compare Hiram to another Danite craftsman, Oholiab, who was responsible for the equipping of the tabernacle (Dillard, 2 Chronicles, 20). This may be the reason why the Chronicler refers to Hiram as “Huram-abim,” which makes Hiram’s connection to Oholiab more explicit. However, the element “–abi” could simply mean “Master,” so Huram-abi, “Master Huram” (compare 2 Chr 2:13 NEB).