A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the confines thereof with the history of the Old and New Testament acted thereon / by Thomas Fuller ...

CHAP. II. An army of workmen imployed by Solomon in the building of the Temple.

§ 1. NOw Solomon his son being a peaceable Prince,* 1.1 as his name imports, in his quiet reign began the building of the Tem∣ple. Thus as Cryers make an Oyes to silence all noise, that men may the better attend to the Judge when beginning his Charge; so by a generall peace, the rage of all people was stilled, before God in the Oracle did begin his familiar discourse with the Israelites, or the foundation of the Temple taken in hand. Then Solomon enters on the work, employ∣ing in mount Lebanon, a vast army of workmen, in their severall distan∣ces to advance this Fabrick.

§ 2. Namely,* 1.2 for servile work, ana 1.3 hundred and fifty thousand bearers of burdens, and hewers of stone and wood. All these were strangers, Solomon reserving his native subjects for their purses to pay taxes, not persons to bear burdens. Secondly, for plain work; in which thirty thousand Israelites were imployed, yet with suchb 1.4 alternation, that, divided in three parts, they stayed one moneth in mount Lebanon, and the other two at home. Thirdly, for carved-works; herein the Sidonians onely were used, whose exact number is not specified: But they must needs be numerous, if we may guess the men by their mouthes, and their mouthes by thec 1.5 proportion of victualls allowed them. Lastly, above all for direction three thousand three hundred were appointed (surely so many officers would suffer no drones to be in the whole hive) to oversee the rest.

§ 3. Such,* 1.6 who admire how so many could so long be busied in such a building, would haply have wondred more, how so few in so short a time could have finished the same, had they beheld the magni∣ficence thereof. Two great gulfes there were, which insensibly swal∣lowed up the labours of many thousands of men. First, the want of horses in Iudea (plenty whereof were brought out of Egypt towards the latter end of King Solomons reign) whereupon massie timber in those mountainous countreys, were managed by the main strength of men.

The second was a religious Criticisme peculiar to this structure, all things being beforehand so framed and fitted in mount Lebanon, that not so much as the sound of an Axe, or Hammer was heard in Ierusalem, when it came to be erected. Which exactness must needs occasion many charge∣able essayes and samples, before it could be attained. Nor wanted there a mystery therein, because as the moving Tabernacle typified the Church Militant; so the Temple resembled the Triumphant, where those who shall be thought worthy to be admitted into glory, shall have nothing to doe, but to be admitted into glory.

§ 4. Some will say withd 1.7 Nicodemus,* 1.8 How could these things be, that no noise should be made at the erecting thereof? suppose but a bedstead having head, sides, feet, posts, tester, cords, and curtains fitted before, it cannot be set up without some necessary noise. Yea grant their ham∣mers or mallets cased with some soft matter, to bribe them to silence, yet they could not be made so mute, but that the very contusion and en∣forcement of the aire, would unavoidably advance some sound. Nor were the beams of the Temple so far in love with their mortises, as to run into them, or the mortises so fond of the beams, as to embrace them of their own accord.

§ 5. In answer hereto,* 1.9 some plead miracle, others exquisite Art, and several kindes of cementing, souldering, rivetting, screwing, glewing, and other devices unknown to our age. As for the Rabbinicall fancy, that Solo∣mon with the bloud of the worme Thamyr* 1.10 effected this matter, most will account it improbable in it self, and unproportionable to Scripture. Others distinguish on the degrees of the noise; small in comparison of so great a work, and not obstreperous to a publick disturbance. But the best interpret it, that no laborious sound was heard from the hewing or squaring of timber, or stone, but onely a more cheerfull, yea melodi∣ous harmony, from the happy conjunction, and compacting of parts to∣gether, now easily matched, which had been contracted before. This I am sure, that what tongue-tied tools soever, were used at the erecting of the Temple, too clamorous instruments were imployed at the destruction therof, when they brake down thee 1.11 curved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

§ 6. Besides the two gulfes aforesaid,* 1.12 (the quick-sands of many mens labours) it is also to be considered, that though so wise a King as Solomon▪ would not burden himself with superfluous numbers, yet in this Fabrick, wherein he did personate and represent the great God of hea∣ven, he consulted more with his magnificence, then his frugality, not minding so much how many the building in bare necessity did require, but how many the builders with full authority could command.

§ 7. Notwithstanding so many labourers entertained in the work,* 1.13 seven years was this Temple in building. Here some will behold the sanctity and perfection of the septenary number,f 1.14 so often occuring in Scripture, whilest we conceive this the best reason, why just seven years

were spent in the building thereof, because it could not be ended in six, nor accomplished within a shorter compass of time. Indeed almost twice as much time (thirteen years) did Solomon* 1.15 spend in building his own house: whereof this fair and ingenuous reason is rendered by h 1.16 Iosephus; because he was not so intent and earnest therein, as in the structure of the Temple. It is in another case reported to the praise of Boaz,i 1.17 the man will not be at rest, untill he have finished the thing; so Solomon, during those seven years of the Temples building, did not sleep in a cessation from, nor slumber in an interruption of that work, which was intended for the honour of God. Though in erecting his own Palace, as he made it for his pleasure, so he did it at his leasure; as conveniencies would permit.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Halcyon days of Solo∣mon.
• * 1.2

  The multitude of workmen.
• a 1.3

  1 Kin. 5. 15. & 2 Chr. 2. 18.
• b 1.4

  1 King. 5. 14.
• c 1.5

  2 Chr 2. 10.
• * 1.6

  Two invincible gulfes to swal∣low mens la∣bours.
• d 1.7

  Ioh. 3. 9.
• * 1.8

  Objection a∣bout the im∣possibility thereof.
• * 1.9

  Severall an∣swers thereun∣to.
• * 1.10

  Rather S••ha∣mir. vid. Text•••• Eber. Lyran. Ezech. 3. 9.
• e 1.11

  Psal. 74. 6.
• * 1.12

  Solomon con∣sulteth not with thri••t.
• * 1.13

  Seven years spent in buil∣ding the Tem∣ple.
• f 1.14

  1 King. 6. 38.
• * 1.15

  1 King. 7. 1.
• h 1.16

  Ant. Iud. li. 8. cap. 2.
• i 1.17

  Ruth. 3. 18.