Solomon’s Palace Complex

7 Solomon completed his entire palace complex after 13 years of construction.^{(A) 2} He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon.^(B) It was 150 feet^[a] long, 75 feet^[b] wide, and 45 feet^[c] high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. ³ It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on 45 pillars, 15 per row. ⁴ There were three rows of window frames, facing each other^[d] in three tiers.^{[e](C) 5} All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other^[f] in three tiers.^{[g] 6} He made the hall of pillars 75 feet^[h] long and 45 feet^[i] wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars^[j] was in front of them. ⁷ He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge^(D)—the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.^{[k] 8} Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife.^[l](E)

⁹ All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. ¹⁰ The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet^[m] long. ¹¹ Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. ¹² Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.^(F)