three inches high. It was made of wood and overlaid with gold, excepting the Mercy Seat, which consisted of a solid golden slab. Upon the centre of the Mercy Seat were placed two small cherubim, between the wings of which rested the Shechinah, or Cloud of the Divine Presence; and hence the beautiful expression of the prophet, "Jehovah dwelt beneath the Cherubim." No other light was admitted into the Holy of Holies than that which emanated from the fire originally kindled from Heaven, and which burned perpetually upon the sacred altar; and here no step ever intruded save that of the high-priest alone, and he even was permitted to enter the hallowed place but

once a year.

The foundation of the Temple was laid in the month of March, 1012 A. C., and the whole work was completed in October, 1005 A. C., having occupied, in the building. just seven and a half years. The cost of the materials and the work was, according to Josephus, sixty millions of pounds sterling; but, according to Arbuthnot's table of the valuation of ancient coins and currencies, to the unprecedented sum of six hundred millions. The walls of the Temple were of white marble, and the blocks of which they were composed were so skillfully joined together that no seam was visible. The beams, the posts, the doors, and all the other wood-work, were of cedar, olive, and fir, and were coated with gold, and fastened with golden nails. The roof was of olive-wood, and was covered with massive sheets of gold, polished with such brilliancy that when the rays of the sun rested upon it, the natural eye could not bear the sight

The various vessels and other furniture required for the service of the Temple were almost incredibly numerous. Of these vessels, one hundred and forty thousand were made of gold, and one hundred and thirty-four thousand of sil

ver.

Besides these, there were ten thousand vestments of silk with purple girdles for the priests, two millions of purple vestments for the singers, two hundred thousand trumpets, and forty thousand other musical instruments.

All the vast work of the Temple, from the smallest block of marble to the magnificent brazen basin, was wrought at a distance from the spot where the building was erected; and when they were brought together so perfectly were they adapted to each other, that not even the sound of a hammer was heard in putting each in its appropriate place. "The whole frame," says Josephus, 66 was raised upon stones, polished to the highest degree of perfection, and so artificially put together, that there was no joint to be discovered, no sign of any working-tools being upon them; but the whole looked more like the work of Providence and Nature, than the production of art and human invention. As for the inside, whatever carving, gilding, embroidery, rich silks, and fine linen could do—of these there was the greatest profusion. The very floor of the Temple was overlaid with beaten gold; and every part, even to the posts of the doors, was gold upon gold. In a word, the Temple was gold all over, and nothing was wanting, either within or without, that could contribute to the glory and magnificence of the work."

SECTION VIII.

SOLOMON :-The Dedication of the Temple to Divine Service-Solomon's Solemn and Impressive Prayer on the Occasion-His Blessing upon the People-His new Palaces-Celebrity of his Wealth and WisdomVisit of the Queen of Sheba to his Court-Effect of Solomon's Splendor and Magnificence upon her--Solomon led into Idolatry by strange Wives--Its Consequences--His Repentance and Reformation-His Death and Character.

THE Temple being finished, Solomon, in order to celebrate the dedication of it to the Almighty with the greater

magnificence, postponed the ceremony of dedication until the following year, which was to be a year of jubilee, and during which vast numbers of the people, from all parts of the kingdom, repaired to Jerusalem. To insure the attendance of the most eminent of his subjects on this august occasion, he sent messengers to all the elders of Israel, to the princes of the different tribes, and to the head of each family, directing them to repair to Jerusalem at the tine appointed, which immediately preceded the Feast of Tabernacles.

This great feast lasted eight days, and was instituted and regularly observed, in order to preserve the remembrance of the dwelling of the Israelites in temporary Tabernacles during their sojourn in the wilderness. Throughout the whole of the celebration, the people dwelt in the open air in tents, or booths, made of the boughs of trees, in the form of bowers; and the time was passed in offering public sacrifices and singing in their synagogues their hosannas. During these exercises the people carried in their hands branches of palm-trees, olives, citrons, myrtles, and willows, tied together with gold or silver threads, or with ribbons. But of all the ceremonies attending this feast, the libation, or pouring out of water, was the most remarkable. The water used for this purpose was drawn by a priest from the pool of Siloam, and after being mixed with wine, was, at the time of the morning service, poured upon the altar, the people, meantime, singing with joyful exultation, With joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation. The whole of this festival was designed to commemorate the favor of the Almighty to his people while they dwelt in tents in the wilderness, and to remind them of their short and pilgrim state here on earth.

The Feast of Tabernacles having closed, and all things being now in readiness, the ceremony of dedication

commenced on the eighth day of the seventh month, which corresponds with the latter part of October. The cere mony opened with a grand and solemn procession, in the midst of which the priests carried the Ark to the Temple, and placed it in the centre of the Holy of Holies, between the two golden cherubim, by whose overshadowing wings the sacred vessel was apparently screened. The king himself, accompanied by all his chief officers, and all the elders. of Israel, marched before the Ark, and were followed by a large number of priests and Levites, singing appropriate canticles, and playing upon numerous instruments. The Ark was followed by another band of singers and players, accompanied by other priests bearing the golden candlesticks, the Altar of Incense, and other sacred utensils of the sanctuary; and the whole procession closed with a select band bearing that Tabernacle of the Congregation which Moses had caused to be built in the wilderness, and which was now to be deposited in the treasury of the Temple. As the procession passed in, the priests offered a vast number of sacrifices; and while those who bore the Ark of the Covenant were placing it in the Holy of Holies, the air rang with the sound of trumpets and the voices of the Levites, singing, with rapturous delight, successive stanzas, the burthen of which was, "Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever."

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The priests had no sooner placed the Ark in the Holy of Holies, than the whole Temple was filled with a miraculous cloud, so that they could not stand to minister, by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God." When Solomon beheld this wonderful appearance, he was assured that the Almighty had accepted his offering of a dwelling-place; and he, therefore, prostrated himself upon the ground in the Divine presence,

and, after continuing for some time in this situation, he arose, and turning towards the sanctuary, and raising his hands and his eyes to heaven, he poured forth the grateful overflowings of his heart in the following devout strain :

"O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: who hast kept with thy servant David, my father, that thou promised him: thou spokest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David, my father, that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David, my father.

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee: how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day; that thine eyes may be opened towards this house, night and day, even the place of which thou hast said, My Name shall be there; that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make towards this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray towards this place; and hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling-place, and when thou hearest forgive.

"If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upou him to cause him to swear, and the oath come