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Solomon's Temple: Myth and History
The only up-to-date illustrated account of one of the most intriguing and influential buildings in history.
The Temple of Solomon has been the focus of profound spiritual reverence for over three thousand years. From its Bronze Age antecedents in the portable shrines of nomadic tribes, through countless permutations in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the idea of the Temple of Solomon—a place of communion between God and man—has proven endlessly alluring.
The sacred building itself was destroyed more than once, on the last occasion by the Romans in AD 70, yet the great church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the headquarters of the Templars, and numerous medieval cathedrals were all conceived as symbolic re-creations of Solomon's original. Medieval magicians practiced magic to harness the demons who were believed to have constructed the Temple, and mystics of all faiths had visions of a celestial Temple, mirroring that on earth, where divine secrets would be revealed.
Solomon's Temple draws on holy texts and mystic writings, works of art and architecture, modern reconstructions, and photographs to reveal the myriad ways in which the Temple and the sacred ground on which it stood have inspired mankind through the ages. 200 illustrations, 130 in color.
The Temple of Solomon has been the focus of profound spiritual reverence for over three thousand years. From its Bronze Age antecedents in the portable shrines of nomadic tribes, through countless permutations in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the idea of the Temple of Solomon—a place of communion between God and man—has proven endlessly alluring.
The sacred building itself was destroyed more than once, on the last occasion by the Romans in AD 70, yet the great church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the headquarters of the Templars, and numerous medieval cathedrals were all conceived as symbolic re-creations of Solomon's original. Medieval magicians practiced magic to harness the demons who were believed to have constructed the Temple, and mystics of all faiths had visions of a celestial Temple, mirroring that on earth, where divine secrets would be revealed.
Solomon's Temple draws on holy texts and mystic writings, works of art and architecture, modern reconstructions, and photographs to reveal the myriad ways in which the Temple and the sacred ground on which it stood have inspired mankind through the ages. 200 illustrations, 130 in color.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
William J. Hamblin
23 books1 followerWilliam J. Hamblin was Associate Professor at Brigham Young University, Utah. He wrote and taught on both the ancient near east and on the same region in the middle ages.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 17, 2018
This is a secular look at all the various interpretations and perversions of Solomon’s temple down through history. Not what the Bible says about it or what archeology has found out, but what people thought about it. It begins with the Biblical record, then moves on to its legacy after the destruction by Titus. That is the majority of the book. It catalogs the various popular beliefs and representations of it down through the Christian and Islamic empires. That means that there is a lot of discussion as to how many Christian of Catholic authors allegorized or typologized it. Then it gets more complicated as the Muslims take over the sight and built their own building there. It was interesting to read how the Jews and Catholics of those days viewed it. The last bit chronicles any bit of influence it has on modern religions from Mormons, Sufis, and Magicians.
The illustrations are good. They are very clear and the color is good. They are also well captioned.
The author seems to take the position that every religion and variant interpretation is equally valid, except maybe the Bible that should be treated with extreme skepticism. As a conservative Christian, I take a very different approach to the Bible so I don’t agree with many of his conclusions. In this book, God’s house is treated as just one among many places of worship all that have equal claims to truth. It was interesting and the pictures good, but the one thought that I came away with is: “We need another Josiah.”
The illustrations are good. They are very clear and the color is good. They are also well captioned.
The author seems to take the position that every religion and variant interpretation is equally valid, except maybe the Bible that should be treated with extreme skepticism. As a conservative Christian, I take a very different approach to the Bible so I don’t agree with many of his conclusions. In this book, God’s house is treated as just one among many places of worship all that have equal claims to truth. It was interesting and the pictures good, but the one thought that I came away with is: “We need another Josiah.”
May 11, 2025
Super-rich illustrated, highly educative, touching a multitude of subjects from different perspectives book is a sure testimony to ambiguuity which following the dogma simply ignores.
A noncense of Islamic usurpation of Jewish Temple treathures by forbidding entry by non-Muslims in Dome of the Rock & Al-Asque is vivid in citu and , despite authors' bowling to nowadays realm , is obvious from a range of data they meticulously collated.
A noncense of Islamic usurpation of Jewish Temple treathures by forbidding entry by non-Muslims in Dome of the Rock & Al-Asque is vivid in citu and , despite authors' bowling to nowadays realm , is obvious from a range of data they meticulously collated.
October 13, 2023
Nuts and bolts of Solomon’s temple told from every point of view. I love books like this. I also love the authors. My precious husband and best friend David Seely.
April 19, 2013
This book is worth checking out for the colorful visuals alone: photographs of archaeological sites,ancient art work and artifacts, architectural renderings etc. Dedicated to "Hugh W. Nibley," this book chronicles not only the limited historical accounts of the Temple in Jerusalem, but also, perhaps more importantly, the myths and beliefs associated with this sacred architecture as held in the faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the Bible, the Temple of Solomon was a natural progression in sedentary living from the portable Tabernacle for the children of Israel. But it was also heavily influenced and brought about due to Near Eastern precedents: temples in Egypt, ziggurats in Mesopotamia, and most locally Canaanite temples in Syria such as Tell Tayinat (built 10th c. BC). The temple typology has a fascinating history of its own that paved the way for the possibly the most revered structure in world history: the Temple of Solomon.
The Temple of Solomon, despite having no irrefutable archaeological evidence, is perhaps the most well-known, re-imagined, and sought-after works of architecture--held sacred by a third of the world's population. Interestingly enough, the Dome of the Rock (originally built in the 7th c. by Muslim conquerors) was originally held as the restored Temple of Solomon by Jews and Muslims alike and later was portrayed in art by Christians and Jews alike as the historic Temple of Solomon itself (in form and detail). This perception would change over time, and to the present day, the intractable issue in Middle Eastern relations centers on political/religious control of the Temple Mount. Fpr myriad reasons, the Temple of Solomon is, in my opinion, the most interesting work of architecture of all time.
The Temple of Solomon, despite having no irrefutable archaeological evidence, is perhaps the most well-known, re-imagined, and sought-after works of architecture--held sacred by a third of the world's population. Interestingly enough, the Dome of the Rock (originally built in the 7th c. by Muslim conquerors) was originally held as the restored Temple of Solomon by Jews and Muslims alike and later was portrayed in art by Christians and Jews alike as the historic Temple of Solomon itself (in form and detail). This perception would change over time, and to the present day, the intractable issue in Middle Eastern relations centers on political/religious control of the Temple Mount. Fpr myriad reasons, the Temple of Solomon is, in my opinion, the most interesting work of architecture of all time.
July 5, 2007
Rachel Seely's dad co-authored this book and she even has a footnote!
I don't know anything about ancient temples and this was very informative.
I don't know anything about ancient temples and this was very informative.
November 25, 2010
This was a great summary of temples in ancient cultures as well as sort of medieval christianity, islam, and judaism. It is not extremely long, either.
April 19, 2014
Fascinating look at how this one building influenced world history! Well researched and written, easy to read, with great illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews