- Enoch sees the Temple of Solomon in a symbolic dream.
- Give some excellent description of the temple. Provides some detail that is not easy to find elsewhere.
- Hekhal: The main room of the temple. Not a semitic word in origin. Imported from Akkadian, which imported the word from Sumerian. It has a meaning like "large room" or "large building".
- Shtiyah: A stone which existed from ancient times, on which the Ark of the Covenant rested, before the Ark was taken. This is generally believed to be the same rock that is now called the Foundation Stone from which the Dome of the Rock derives its name. There is a cavern beneath the rock known as the Well of Souls. While the well of souls is currently dry, and may always have been, religious traditions connect it to either the waters of Paradise, or the waters of the flood. It is difficult to tell how old such traditions may be.
Notes
The Temple of Solomon had 3 main divisions. The Ulam, or porch of the temple; the Hekhal, nave, or great room of the temple; and the Debir, the oracle, or the Holy of Holies, of the temple.
The Ulam was the outer structure, and opened out into a courtyard. The porch itself had two bronze pillars, Boaz and Jakin, decorated with images of vines and pomegranites.
The Hekhal was the largest part of the structure. It contained the menorah and the table of shewbread.
The Debir was the most inward part of the structure. It was built around the shtiyah, an exposed section of bedrock, which is likely the same as what is today called the foundation stone. Under the stone was a cave, known today as the well of souls. The ark of the covenant was placed on top of the foundation stone, and, together with the foundation stone, was considered to be the place of the throne of God.
Cross-References