First Temple
Jerusalem's original sanctuary
The First Temple was the ancient Israelite temple in Jerusalem, built by King Solomon around the 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
It served as the central place of worship and housed the Ark of the Covenant.
The term distinguishes it from the Second Temple, built after the Babylonian exile and destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.
The First Temple period shaped much of biblical literature.
- King SolomonWise Hebrew king
- SolomonPeaceable Hebrew name
- JerusalemTriply sacred ancient capital
- holy placeSite deemed spiritually sacred
- Holy of HoliesTemple's innermost sacred chamber
inner sanctuary · stone tablets · Babylon · Babylonian exile · destruction · exile · priests · sacrifice · altar · burnt offerings · incense · menorah · cherubim · cedar · cedar of Lebanon · gold · Levites · Nebuchadnezzar