The Bible Story Part 170

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And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

And G.o.d said unto him, "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like to thee, all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days."

And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

LORD OF THE LANDS.

_The Prosperity and the Wisdom of Solomon_.

And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore {456} measures of meal; ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the River Euphrates, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River Euphrates: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand hors.e.m.e.n. And those officers provided victual for King Solomon, and for all that came unto King Solomon's table, every man in his month: they let nothing be lacking.

Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they to the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

And G.o.d gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea sh.o.r.e.

And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; and his fame was in all the nations round about. And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all peoples to hear the {457} wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

THE TREATY WITH KING HIRAM.

_Cedars of Lebanon and Stones from the Quarries for the Temple_.

And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king instead of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, "Thou knowest how David my father could not build an house for the name of the Lord his G.o.d for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my G.o.d hath given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil happening. And, behold, I purpose to build an house for the name of the Lord my G.o.d, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, 'Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build the house for my name.' Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants; and I will give thee hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt say: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that has skill to hew timber like unto the Zidonians."

And it came to pa.s.s, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, "Blessed be the Lord this day, who hath given unto David a wise son over this great people."

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And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message which thou hast sent to me: I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea: and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household."

So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by turns: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And Solomon had three score and ten thousand that bore burdens, and fourscore thousand that were hewers in the mountains; besides Solomon's chief officers that were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which were overseers of the people that wrought in the work. And the king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with wrought stone. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

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THE LEBANON RANGE AND A GROVE OF CEDARS.

The grand mountain range called Lebanon, "white," from the snow which lies for seven months on its summits, is very often mentioned in the Old Testament. The highest summits are from five thousand five hundred to seven thousand feet.

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SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.

_The House of the Lord Is Built_.

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of G.o.d. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. And the porch that was before the house, the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

And the greater house he ceiled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought thereon palm trees and chains. And he adorned the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim on the walls.

And he made the most holy house; the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it {462} with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. And in the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work; and they overlaid them with gold. And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. And the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.

And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon. Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. And he made chains in the oracle, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. And he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

Moreover he made an altar of bra.s.s, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof. Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compa.s.s, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits compa.s.sed it round about.

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THE MOSQUE OF OMAR AND THE ANCIENT TEMPLE AREA

In the background is the Mosque of El Akoa and beyond are the Judaean hills, to the south and southeast

Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.

The Mohammedan Mosque of Omar now stands upon the old temple area.

It is a handsome octagonal building, standing on a platform near the center of the area, from which it is elevated by several steps. It is said to have been built in 636 by the Caliph Omar. In 1099, when the Crusaders captured Jerusalem, ten thousand Arabs were ma.s.sacred in this enclosure. In 1187 the Moslems, under Saladin, again took the city, and the mosque has been one of their most sacred places ever since.

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And under it were the images of oxen, which did compa.s.s it round about, for ten cubits, compa.s.sing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

And it was an handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.

He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to the burnt offering they washed in them: but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

And he made the ten candlesticks of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basins of gold.

Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with bra.s.s. And he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south.

And King Solomon made the two pillars, and the bowls, and the two capitals which were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals {466} that were on the top of the pillars; and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars. He made also the bases, and the lavers made he upon the bases; one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

The pots also, and the shovels, and the flesh-hooks, and all the vessels thereof, did King Solomon make for the house of the Lord of bright bra.s.s. In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the bra.s.s could not be found out.

And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of G.o.d, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon was the s...o...b..ead; and the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn according to the ordinance before the oracle, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold, and that perfect gold; and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the firepans, of pure gold: and as for the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple, were of gold.

Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of G.o.d.

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INTERIOR OF THE MOSQUE OF OMAR