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Cited by 12Biblical Studies and InterpretationAncient Near East HistoryArchaeology and Historical Studies

The Temple of Solomon in Iron Age Context

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Garfinkel, Yosef, Mumcuoglu, Madeleine·2019·Religions
DOI 10.3390/rel10030198
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Abstract

1 Kings preserves a long and detailed description of the construction of a temple and palace in Jerusalem by King Solomon in the 10th century BCE. Previous generations of scholars accepted this description as an authentic account. Accordingly, much literature on this text and the relevant archeological discoveries has accumulated. Since the 1980s, skeptical approaches to the early part of the Kingdom of Judah, the biblical text, and the archaeological record have been expressed. Some scholars doubt whether any temple at all was constructed in Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE. In the last few years, the picture has been changed by new discoveries from two Judean sites: a building model of the early 10th century BCE from Khirbet Qeiyafa and an actual temple building of the 9th century BCE from Motza. In this article, we present the history of research, some aspects of the biblical text and the contribution of the new discoveries. These enable us to place in context both the biblical text and the building it describes.

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Research works printed but not linked: 13

  1. 2011, A Cultic Structure of the Middle Bronze IIB–C Period in Nahal Refa’im (Walajah), New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region, 5, 67
  2. Fritz, 1987, Temple Architecture: What Can Archaeology Tell Us about Solomon’s Temple?, Biblical Archaeology Review, 13, 38
  3. Garfinkel, Yosef, and Ganor, Saar (2009). Khirbet Qeiyafa Vol. 1. The 2007–2008 Excavation Seasons, Israel Exploration Society.
  4. Garfinkel, Yosef, Ganor, Saar, and Hasel, Michael G. (2018). A Limestone Portable Shrine. Khirbet Qeiyafa Vol. 4, Excavation Report 2009–2013: Art, Cult and Epigraphy, Israel Exploration Society.
  5. Garfinkel, Yosef, Ganor, Saar, and Hasel, Michael G. (2014). Khirbet Qeiyafa Vol. 2. The 2009–2013 Excavation Seasons. Stratigraphy and Architecture (Areas B, C, D, E), Israel Exploration Society.
  6. Hurowitz, Victor (1992). I Have Built You an Exalted House: Temple Building in the Bible in Light of Mesopotamian and Northwest Semitic Writings, JSOT Press.
  7. Keel, Othmar, Knauf, Ernst A., and Staubli, Thomas (2004). Salomons Tempel, Fribourg Academic Press.
  8. King, Philip J., and Stager, Lawrence E. (2001). Life in Biblical Israel, Westminster/John Knox Press.
  9. Margueron, 1981, Les origines syriennes du temple de Jérusalem, Le monde de la Bible, 20, 31
  10. Freedman, 1992, Temple, Jerusalem, Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 6, 350
  11. Millard, 1989, The Doorways of Solomon’s Temple, Eretz-Israel, 20, 135
  12. Stade, Bernhard (1887). Geschichte des Volkes Israel, Vol. 1, G. Grote’sche.
  13. Yeivin, 1968, Solomon’s Temple, Encyclopaedia Miqra’it, vol. 5, 328

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Authors
Garfinkel, Y., & Mumcuoglu, M.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190501 Jerusalem, Israel
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
Venue
Religions
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2019-03-15
Volume
10
Issue
3
Pages
198
ISSN
2077-1444 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/rel10030198
OpenAlex
W2921188076
Semantic Scholar
b8eb57b3686b3aeea9de9d70c058e8785064827d
Cited by
11
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2
FWCI
9.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Religions (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Ancient Near East History
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Archaeology and Historical Studies
Keywords
Solomon's Temple, 1 Kings, Kingdom of Judah, Iron Age, Khirbet Qeiyafa, temple architecture, biblical archaeology, biblical authenticity, 10th century BCE

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