Der Altar, das Becken und die Kessel aus Bronze (1. Könige 7,23‒26.38‒39)

Salomo ließ auch einen Altar aus Bronze herstellen. Er war 10 Meter lang, 10 Meter breit und 5 Meter hoch.

Dann ließ er ein rundes Bronzebecken gießen, »das Meer« genannt. Seine Höhe betrug 2,5 Meter, sein Durchmesser 5 Meter und sein Umfang 15 Meter. Unten war es ringsum mit zwei Reihen von Rinderfiguren verziert, jeweils zehn auf einen halben Meter. Sie und das Becken waren aus einem Guss. Das Becken stand auf zwölf Rinderfiguren, von denen drei nach Norden gewandt waren, drei nach Westen, drei nach Süden und drei nach Osten. Ihre Hinterbeine zeigten nach innen, und das Becken ruhte auf ihren Rücken. Sein Rand war nach außen gewölbt wie der Kelch einer Lilienblüte. Das Becken hatte eine Wandstärke von knapp 8 Zentimetern und fasste etwa 66.000 Liter.

Salomo ließ zehn Kessel gießen, von denen fünf auf die rechte und fünf auf die linke Seite des Tempels gestellt wurden. In diesen Kesseln wurden die Fleischstücke gewaschen, die man als Brandopfer verbrennen wollte. Das Wasser im großen Becken aber war für die Priester bestimmt. Hier konnten sie sich waschen.

Die goldenen Leuchter und Tische

Salomo ließ zehn goldene Leuchter nach den vorgegebenen Maßen anfertigen. Sie wurden im Tempel aufgestellt, fünf auf der rechten und fünf auf der linken Seite. Auch zehn Tische wurden angefertigt und dort aufgestellt, fünf rechts und fünf links. Schließlich ließ Salomo hundert goldene Schalen herstellen, in denen das Blut der Opfertiere aufgefangen wurde.

Der Vorhof

Salomo ließ den großen Vorhof anlegen und den inneren Vorhof, zu dem nur die Priester Zutritt hatten. Die beiden Höfe waren durch ein großes Tor miteinander verbunden, dessen Flügel mit Bronze überzogen wurden. 10 Das große Wasserbecken stellte man rechts vom Tempel auf, in der Südostecke des Vorhofs.

Liste der Gegenstände, die Hiram herstellte (1. Könige 7,40‒47)

11 Zuletzt stellte Hiram noch Kübel und Schaufeln zum Beseitigen der Asche her sowie Schalen, in denen das Blut der Opfertiere aufgefangen wurde. Damit beendete er die Arbeiten für den Tempel Gottes, die König Salomo ihm aufgetragen hatte.

12 Insgesamt hatte er folgende Gegenstände hergestellt:

2 Säulen;

2 kelchförmige Kapitelle, die oben auf den Säulen ruhten;

2 geflochtene Ketten zur Verzierung der beiden Kapitelle;

13 für jedes Kapitell 200 Granatäpfel, die in zwei Reihen über den Ketten angebracht waren;

14 die Kesselwagen;

die Wasserkessel, die auf die Wagen gesetzt wurden;

15 das große Wasserbecken, genannt »das Meer«;

12 Rinderfiguren, auf denen das Becken stand;

16 Kübel, Schaufeln und Fleischgabeln.

Alle Gegenstände, die Hiram-Abi im Auftrag Salomos für den Tempel des Herrn herstellte, wurden aus Bronze gegossen und anschließend blank poliert. 17 König Salomo ließ sie in der Jordan-Ebene zwischen Sukkot und Zaretan gießen. Dort gab es Gießereien mit großen Gussformen aus Tonerde. 18 Salomo hatte unzählige Gegenstände herstellen lassen. Es wurde so viel Bronze dafür gebraucht, dass man sie nicht mehr wiegen konnte.

Die Inneneinrichtung des Tempels (1. Könige 7,48‒51)

19 Für das Innere des Tempels ließ Salomo folgende Gegenstände aus Gold herstellen:

einen Altar;

Tische, auf denen die Gott geweihten Brote liegen sollten;

20 Leuchter und Lampen, die nach der Vorschrift vor dem Allerheiligsten stehen sollten;

21 Blumenornamente für die Leuchter;

Lampen, Dochtscheren und 22 Messer zum Reinigen der Lampen;

Becken und Schüsseln;

Schalen und Eimer zum Tragen der glühenden Kohlen;

Türen zum Allerheiligsten und zum Heiligtum.

Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.

Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.

10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;

12 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;

13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.

14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the Lord of bright brass.

17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;

20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;

22 And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

The Temple’s Furnishings(A)

He made a bronze altar(B) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.[a] He made the Sea(C) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits[b] high. It took a line of thirty cubits[c] to measure around it. Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[d] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.(D) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth[e] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[f]

He then made ten basins(E) for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings(F) were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

He made ten gold lampstands(G) according to the specifications(H) for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

He made ten tables(I) and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.(J)

He made the courtyard(K) of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

11 And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished(L) the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:

12 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

14 the stands(M) with their basins;

15 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

16 the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles.

All the objects that Huram-Abi(N) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth(O) and Zarethan.[g] 18 All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze(P) could not be calculated.

19 Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple:

the golden altar;

the tables(Q) on which was the bread of the Presence;

20 the lampstands(R) of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed;

21 the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold);

22 the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(S) and censers;(T) and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:1 That is, about 30 feet long and wide and 15 feet high or about 9 meters long and wide and 4.5 meters high
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  6. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters
  7. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethan

Furnishings of the Temple(A)

Moreover he made (B)a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.

(C)Then he made the [a]Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. (D)And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. It stood on twelve (E)oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [b]three thousand baths.

He also made (F)ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the [c]Sea was for the (G)priests to wash in. (H)And he made ten lampstands of gold (I)according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. (J)He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred (K)bowls of gold.

Furthermore (L)he made the court of the priests, and the (M)great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. 10 (N)He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.

11 Then (O)Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars and (P)the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 13 (Q)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars); 14 he also made (R)carts and the lavers on the carts; 15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it; 16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks—and all their articles (S)Huram his [d]master craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and [e]Zeredah. 18 (T)And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

19 Thus (U)Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was (V)the showbread; 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn (W)in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary, 21 with (X)the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold; 22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the [f]sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Great laver or basin
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Great basin
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit. father
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Zaretan, 1 Kin. 7:46
  6. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. house