Aleteia logoAleteia logoAleteia
Friday 29 March |
Good Friday
Aleteia logo
Art & Culture
separateurCreated with Sketch.

King Solomon’s Temple, rebuilt in 3D

Daniel Esparza - published on 03/29/17

The First Temple virtually reconstructed following the description found in the First Book of Kings.

Please consider a gift for Aleteia!
Help us spread the joy of Christ's victory.
Aleteia depends on your support.

Join our Lenten Campaign 2024.

DONATE NOW

Are the more-than-3,000-year-old ruins of the Temple of Solomon truly lost under the Holy City? According to biblical tradition, as well as to other Scripture-related narratives — which often contradict one another, as in the case of Josephus and rabbinic sources — the colossal temple that housed the Ark of the Covenant would have been built around the year 960 BC, probably in the Phoenician style. Contemporary archaeologists have not been able to gather too much evidence of the presence of the Temple, originally built for, evident reasons, on the Temple Mount. Where the Solomonic edifice, as well as the even grander Second Temple destroyed by the Romans during the siege of Jerusalem, was once erected, there stands nowadays one of the most important Islamic sanctuaries in the world. The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat As-Sakhrah) is built over a stone sacred to both Jews and Muslims, claimed by both traditions as the rock on which Abraham bound his son (Isaac in Jewish tradition, Ismail in Muslim tradition) for sacrifice.

Excavation in such a religiously layered, complex, and contested site would be impossible, so the 3D animation made by Daniel Smith may be the closest we get to reconstructing the Temple of Solomon in its glory. Smith used SketchUp2016 and followed the measurements provided in the Bible’s First Book of Kings, Chapters 6 and 7, for the animation, originally shared by kameni-spavac.com.

Support Aleteia!

Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you.

Thanks to their partnership in our mission, we reach more than 20 million unique users per month!

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.

Support Aleteia with a gift today!

jour1_V2.gif
Daily prayer
And today we celebrate...




Top 10
See More
Newsletter
Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. Subscribe here.