1 Foi na primavera do quarto ano do reinado de Salomão que ele começou efectivamente a construção do templo; 480 anos depois do povo de Israel ter deixado a escravidão do Egipto.2 O templo tinha trinta metros de comprimento, dez de largura e quinze de altura.3 A fachada principal tinha um pórtico de dez metros de comprimento e cinco de fundo.4 Tinha janelas com grades.5 Fez também edificar compartimentos em todo o comprimento de ambos os lados do templo, contra as paredes exteriores. Estes quartos eram da altura de três andares, sendo o do primeiro piso de dois metros e meio de largura, o segundo piso de três metros e o de cima, três e meio. Os compartimentos estavam ligados à parede do templo por vigas que se prendiam a blocos no exterior da parede, portanto as vigas não estavam inseridas mesmo na parede.7 As pedras usadas na construção do templo foram assentes sem o ruído de martelo nem de qualquer outro instrumento semelhante.8 Para o andar inferior dos compartimentos laterais entrava-se pelo lado direito do templo, e havia umas escadas em caracol até ao segundo andar; um outro lanço de escadas levava até ao último piso, o terceiro.9 Acabada a edificação, Salomão mandou revesti-la toda, incluindo as traves e os pilares, com cedro.10 Tal como se disse, havia de cada lado da construção, encostado às paredes laterais, um anexo de quartos, ligado ao edifício com vigas de cedro. Cada andar desse anexo media dois metros e meio de altura.11 Então o Senhor deu a Salomão a seguinte mensagem respeitante ao templo que estava a construir: Se andares de acordo com a minha palavra e seguires os meus mandamentos e instruções, farei o que disse ao teu pai David: Viverei no meio do povo de Israel e nunca os desampararei.14 Por fim o templo ficou acabado. Todo o interior foi revestido de cedro, do chão ao tecto; o sobrado foi feito com pranchas de cipreste. Igual revestimento sofreu a câmara interior, no fundo do templo - o lugar santíssimo - também do chão ao tecto, com tábuas de cedro; só que estas tiveram de ser cortadas à medida do compartimento, portanto, tábuas de dez metros; para o resto do templo - para além do lugar santíssimo - empregaram-se tábuas de vinte metros. Por todo o edifício, o revestimento de cedro que cobria a pedra das paredes tinha incrustados botões de flores e flores abertas.19 O compartimento interior era onde estava a arca da aliança do Senhor. Este santuário interior tinha dez metros de comprimento, dez metros de largura e dez metros de altura. As paredes e o tecto eram cobertos de ouro puro. Salomão fez um altar de cedro para esta sala. Depois mandou revestir o resto do interior do templo com ouro puro, incluindo o altar de cedro; fez também umas cadeias de ouro para proteger a entrada do lugar santíssimo.23 Para o interior deste, fez as estátuas de dois querubins de madeira de oliveira, cada uma delas com cinco metros de altura. Foram postos lado a lado de tal forma que com as asas abertas, as do lado exterior tocassem em ambas as paredes laterais, e as do interior se tocassem uma à outra, no centro da peça; cada asa media portanto dois metros e meio e cada querubim, com as asas abertas atingia o dobro dessa medida - os dois anjos eram pois de medidas iguais. Estavam recobertos de ouro.29 Havia figuras de querubins, palmeiras, flores abertas incrustradas nas paredes do templo e do santuário interior; o chão de ambos os lugares também estava revestido de ouro.31 A entrada para o lugar santíssimo eram portas com cinco lados, de madeira de oliveira, tinham também querubins desenhados, palmeiras e flores abertas; e tudo recoberto de ouro.33 Mandou igualmente fazer ombreiras de madeira de oliveira para a entrada do templo.34 Colocaram-se duas portas duplas, feitas de madeira de cipreste; cada porta dobrava-se sobre si mesma. Também estas portas tinham os mesmos desenhos - querubins, palmeiras, flores abertas - todas revestidas cuidadosamente de ouro.36 As paredes do átrio interior tinham três fiadas de pedras lavradas intercaladas com uma de vigas de cedro.37 Os alicerces do templo foram postos no mês de Maio do quarto ano do reinado de Salomão, e todo o edifício ficou inteiramente completo, com todos os seus acabamentos, em Novembro do décimo primeiro ano do seu reinado. Levou portanto sete anos a construir.

1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length of it was sixty cubits, and the breadth of it twenty cubits, and the hight of it thirty cubits.3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length of it, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth of it, before the house.4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third;9 So he built the house and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spoke to David thy father:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knobs and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the hight of it, and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.23 And within the oracle he made two cherubim of olive tree, each ten cubits high.24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one size.26 The hight of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.27 And he set the cherubim within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.29 And he carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim, and palm trees, and open flowers, within and without.30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.31 And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side-posts were a fifth part of the wall.32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim, and palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm trees.33 So also he made for the door of the temple posts of olive tree a fourth part of the wall.34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.35 And he carved thereon cherubim, and palm trees, and open flowers; and covered them with gold, fitted upon the carved work.36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams.37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul (which is the eighth month) was the house finished throughout all its parts, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.