The central shrine of Jewish worship and its priesthood since its establishment under Solomon. It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in c. 587BC, after the return from exile. Extended on an elaborate scale by Herod the Great, beginning c.20BC it was barely renewed before its destruction under Titus during the Jewish revolt of 70CE. today, its site is partly occupied by the Muslim mosque, the Dome of the Rock, built in the late 7th century. David started to collect the materials for the building of the first permanent abode of Jehovah, but it was left to his son to start and complete the work. When Solomon became king, he came into control of the not insubstantial empire built by David, his father. There was a peaceful political environment and sufficient wealth to build a splendid monument, and the work began.
Solomon was assisted by a Pheonician king, Hiram, who facilitated the harvesting of huge numbers of cypress and cedar logs from the forests of Lebanon. The logs were tied together and floated down the coast. The total cost was 108,000 talents of gold, 10,000 darics of gold, and 1,017,000 talents of silver. It took 71 years to build and the site was Mt. Moriah. The plan was simply the Tabernacle on a large scale. Inside it was 90 ft long. 30 board and 30 high – twice the scale of the Tabernacle. It was, however, built of stone with a roof of cedar and a floor of fir. The inside walls were overlaid with gold. The Holy of Holies followed the same convention as the Tabernacle, and was 30 ft square and high, with latticed windows, or ventilators, in the roof or near it. The altar of incense stood outside the Holy of Holies. There were 10, really, and 10 tables for the showbread. On the outer walls there was lodging for the priests, and in front was the portico with the 2 brazen pillars, Boaz and Jachin. The main court was the Court of the People, and within it, at a different level, was the Court of the Priests. These were separated by a low wall. The altar of sacrifice was in the Priest Court with water for the priest to wash themselves, and lavers to wash the vessels. Solomon's Temple was plundered and burned by the Babylonians in 586 BC. There was two more temples built.