Solomon's Temple

While the Israelites wandered in the Desert for 40 years, they used a tent called "The Tabernacle" for worship. It represented where God lived. When they stopped, it was put up in the middle of their camp. The Bible books of Exodus and Numbers tell about the tabernacle.



God brought the Israelites into the Promised Land and gave them victory over the Canaanites. Now they could settle down. King David built himself a big house in Jerusalem, then he decided that God should have a great house, too. The first Temple was planned by David but built by his son Solomon. This all happened about 1000 years before Jesus.



This first temple stood until it was destroyed by the Babylonians about 600 years before Jesus. The Israelites were taken prisoner to Babylon and were very sad.



When the Israelites finally returned from Babylon, they started to rebuild the Temple. They finished it about 500 years before Jesus. King Herod did some more work on the Temple about 5o years before Jesus and it is often called “Herod’s Temple." The second temple was a wonder of the ancient world.



This is where Jesus sat and talked to the teachers when he was 12 years old.



The Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD (about 35 years after Jesus died.)



Now there is a gold domed Muslim shrine on the site. It is called "The Dome of the Rock" and is the most famous building in Jerusalem.



The site, “the Temple Mount,” is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Today The Temple Mount is managed by Muslims.

If you would like to learn more about the Temple go to The Temple Institute's slideshow.