Monday, May 19, 2014

Hiram and Solomon

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 5:10–18, “So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; Beside the chief of Solomon’s officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.”

Hiram of Tyre decided that it was best for both kingdoms if Israel and Tyre worked together. Solomon requested Hiram to provide cedar for the Temple and Hiram agreed to this. Solomon paid for the trees by supplying large amounts of food and other comestibles to Hiram. Solomon conscripted thirty thousand men from Israel so that they could go in groups of ten thousand to Lebanon, one month on and two months off. They went to work in Lebanon, fell cedar, prepare them and send them to Israel. Solomon also conscripted men to quarry stones and bring them to Jerusalem to be used in the construction of the Temple. All the stones and timber for the Temple were prepared off site and brought to the Temple site to be used in its construction.

No comments:

Post a Comment