JewishHistoryDotOrg - Solomon and the Temple - #11

Jewish History. 5000 years of Jewish history. This is video number 11: Solomon and the Temple. Solomon was a young king, yet he is gifted with wisdom, and he is reputed to be the wisest man in the world. He is a king who is an imperial builder, and he builds the temple in Jerusalem. The temple became the central place of Jewish life in Jerusalem, and Mount Moriah is the holiest place in Jewish life, the place of Abraham's sacrifice. The Lord is the God of the Jewish people. Solomon builds a magnificent building with the help of Hiram, the king of Tyre, who sends materials, especially cedarwood from Lebanon. Lebanon was famous for its cedars and its artisans and craftsmen as well. In addition, there are volunteers from the Jewish people who build a labor force that is sent to Lebanon. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon offers his great prayers to God, and it seems that the Jewish story has come to a happy conclusion. But my friends, the story is only just beginning, and the height that the Jewish people reached at the time of the building of the temple is not sustained. After Solomon's death, a great division takes place: the kingdom splits, and Israel and Judah separate. In the next few years, Jewish life is marked by a great decline in the spiritual nature of the Jewish people. There are prophets who speak out when things go wrong. The temple is the center of the Jewish people, and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others arise. These great prophets remain relevant until today, a guidepost for Jewish living and, I think, for civilized living. They are the ones who were able to say what was right and what was wrong. Unfortunately, many times the Jewish people ignored them, and this led to the doom of the temple. Thank you for watching. For more on Jewish history, go to jewishhistory.org.