The surroundings of the temple -- description of Jerusalem at the time of solomon -- the palace of solomon

-- Solomon's fortified cities -- external relations of the kingdom -- internal state -- trade -- wealth --

luxury -- the visit of the queen of Sheba.

1 KINGS 9, 10.; 2 CHRONICLES 7:11-9:28

WE have now reached the period of Solomon's greatest worldly splendor, which, as alas! so often, marks

also that of spiritual decay. The building of the Temple was not the first, nor yet t he last, of his architectural

undertakings. Mount Moriah was too small to hold on its summit the Temple itself, even without its courts

and other buildings. Accordingly, as we learn from Josephus (Ant. 15. 11, 3), extensive substructures had to

be reared. Thus, the level of the Temple -mount was enlarged both east and west, in order to obtain a

sufficient area for the extensive buildings upon it. These rose terrace upon terrace -each court higher than

the other, and the Sanctuary itself higher than its court s. We are probably correct in the supposition that the

modern Mosque of Omar occupies the very site of the ancient Temple of Solomon, and that over the

celebrated rock in it - according to Jewish tradition, the very spot where Abraham offered up Isaac - the

great altar of burnt-offering had risen. Before the building of the Sanctuary itself could have been

commenced, the massive substructures of the Temple must have been at least partially completed, although

these and the outbuildings were probably continued during many years, perhaps many reigns, after the

completion of the Temple.

The same remarks apply to another structure connected with the Temple, called "Parbar" (1 Chronicles

26:18). As already explained, the outer court of the Temple had four massive gates (1 Chronicles 26:13-16), of

which the western -most opened upon "Parbar" or "Parvarim" (perhaps "colonnade"). This seems to have

been an annex to the western side of the Temple, fitted up as chambers, stables for sacrificial animals, etc. (2

Kings 23:11, where our Authorized Version wrongly renders "Parvarim" by "suburbs"). From Parbar steps

led down to the Tyropoeon, or deep valley which intersected the city east and west.

Although anything like an attempt at detailed description would here be out of place, it seems desirable, in

order to realize the whole circumstances, to give at least a brief sketch of Jerusalem, as Solomon found, and

as he left it. Speaking generally, Jerusalem was built on the two opposite hills (east and west), between

which the Tyropoeon runs south-east and then south. The eastern hill is about 100 feet lower than the

western. Its northern summit is Mount Moriah, which slopes down into Ophel (about 50 feet lower),

afterwards the suburb of the priests. Some modem writers have regarded this as the ancient fort of the

Jebusites, and as the site of the "City of David," the original Mount Zion. Although this is opposed to the

common traditional view, which regards the western hill as Mount Zion, the arguments in favor of

identifying it with the eastern hill seem very strong. These it would, of course, be impossible here to detail.

But we may say that the history of David's purchase of the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite (2 Samuel

24:16-24; 1 Chronicles 21:15-25)conveys these two facts, that the Jebusites had settlements on the western

hill, and that David's palace (which, as we know, was in the City of David) was close by, only a little lower

than Mount Moriah, since David so clearly saw from his palace the destroying Angel over the threshing-

floor of Ornan. All this agrees with the idea, that the original stronghold of the Jebusites was on the slopes

of Moriah and Ophel, and that David built his palace in that neighborhood, below the summit of Moriah.138

Lastly, if the term "Mount Zion" included Moriah, we can understand the peculiar sacredness which

throughout Holy Scripture attaches to that name. Be this as it may, the regular quarter of the Jebusites was

on the western hill, towards the slope of the Tyropoeon, while the Jewish Benjamite quarter (the Upper City)

was on the higher terrace above it (eastwards). Fort Millo was on the north-eastern angle of the Western

City. Here King David had continued the wall, which had formerly enclosed the western hill northward and

westward, drawing it eastward, so as to make (the western) Jerusalem a complete fortress (2 Samuel 5:9; 1

Chronicles 11:8). On the opposite (eastern) side of the Tyropoeon was the equally fortified (later) Ophel.