Solomon's Temple Constructed
- Dates
- 966–959 BC
1 Kings 6:1 outlines a specific beginning to the temple of Solomon being built, which places the Exodus around 1450 B.C. Some view the 480 years as a symbolic number of 12 generations of 25 yrs. each so they date the Exodus much later (1290 B.C.).
In detail
In 1 Kings 1 the time of Solomon's building of the temple is tied to when the Israelites left Egypt. This verse synchronizes the 480th year from the Exodus with the 4th year of Solomon's reign. This information is of prime importance, for upon it may be based the Hebrew chronological reckoning from Solomon back to Moses, and earlier. On the accuracy of the b.c. date assigned to the 4th year of Solomon depends the accuracy of all other dates based upon it.
There is no evidence for taking 480 as a round number or as 12 generations, and none for making it cover the time of the judges by totaling the years of all the judges and omitting the years of oppression or foreign rule. It should be noted that this chronological item, "in the four hundred and eightieth year," is given formally and categorically, without any hesitation or reserve, and with unusual precision precession. Not only the year of Solomon and of the Exodus era, but also the month, is given. It is evidently meant to be an exact synchronism, such as 2 Kings 18:9, 10 Jer. 25:1 etc.
Solomon's decision to build the Temple was not an arbitrary, self—devised act, nor was it prompted solely through the wish and will of his father David. The motive that prompted Solomon was not personal ambition, the love of glory or pomp, but the carrying out of the purpose of Heaven. The hour had clearly come for the house of the Lord to be built, and Solomon gave himself whole—heatedly to the task.
The period was one of rest and peace, both within the nation of Israel and among the nations round about. It was a time also of prosperity, enabling Solomon to secure the necessary materials. The people were able and willing to build. The account of the building of Solomon's Temple is found also in 2 Chron. 3 and 4, but the record in Kings is the older and the more complete. The parallel account in 2 Chronicles agrees with it in all essential details. Although this account is significantly briefer than that in Kings, it contains some supplementary details.
Bible passages
- 1 Kings 6:1
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
Text of the King James Version.
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