The Beis hamikdash
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Introduction
The first Beis Hamikdash was started by Shlomo Hamelech in the year 2928, 480 years after the Jewish People left Egypt. It stood for a total of 410 years, until the Babylonians, under Nevuchadnezzar, destroyed it in the year 3338, and exiled the Jewish People.
The perakim in Tanach that talk about Shlomo's reign (The beginning of Melachim I and Divrey Hayamim II) have a description of the Beis Hamikdash he built. They are primarily focused on the Heichal and the Keilim in the Azarah, however, this does not mean that this was all that was there. In Mishnayos Maseches Middos, there is a full description of the second Beis Hamikdash, and most of these details were also in the first, as the Rambam writes(Hilchos Beis Habechirah 1:4) “The people of the second Beis Hamikdash, when they built it during the days of Ezra, they made it like Shlomo's Mikdash, and similar to the clear parts of Yechezkel's Nevuah (of the third Beis Hamikdash)”. [see a list of the differences between these two Battei Mikdashos at the end of this book.]
The design of the Beis Hamikdash was in fact written down in a scroll given by Hashem to Moshe, who passed it down to Yehoshua, who passed it down to the Zekeinim, who gave it to Shmuel, who gave it to David, who gave it over to Shlomo. This scroll was able to be expounded on, but no detail could be changed from it, unless there is a clear Nevuah to change it. The passing of this scroll from David to Shlomo is mentioned in Divrey Hayamim (1 28:11-19). David said then (passuk 19) “This is all written down from the hand of Hashem, as it was made clear to me (from Hashem), all the work of the plan.”
There are other sources for information about the Beis Hamikdash as well. The primary one of these is Josephus (Yosef Hakohen), an eyewitness to the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash, who gives detailed descriptions of the Second Beis Hamikdash in his books. In his book Antiquities of the Jews, where he writes the history of the Yidden until his times, he writes about the first Beis Hamikdash during the times of Shlomo, although most of what he says is based off the Pesukim and his explanation of them, he also incorporated things based off the Second Beis Hamikdash that he saw.
Archaeological excavations also give us some information to use, as the remains of some of Shlomo's other building projects have been found, giving us an idea of his style. Obviously, the remains of the outer walls of the Har Habayis (like the kosel) also help, although most of them are from Herod's expansion of the Second Beis Hamikdash; and only part of the eastern wall is from Shlomo's times.
I will describe the First Beis Hamikdash based off the Pesukim and the Mishnah, primarily using Rashi's explanations on them. May we soon merit to have the Geuah with Moshiach, and we will once again have the Beis Hamikdash.
first_mikdash_description_chapter_1.pdf
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first_mikdash_description_chapter_4.pdf
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first_mikdash_description_chapter_2.pdf
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first_mikdash_description_chapter_five.pdf
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first_mikdash_description_chapter_3.pdf
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High Resolution maps

first_beis_hamikdash1.png
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first_beis_hamikdash_azarah.png
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Gallery

The first Beis Hamikdash
Map of First Beis Hamikdash
Map of Har Habayis annotated
The Har Habayis and Shlomo's palace from the south
Sha'ar Hasusim (east wall of Yerushalayim)
Sha'ar harachamim
Northeast angle of the Migrash of Har Habayis
The Eastern gate of the Har Habayis
Measuring sticks room on top of the eastern Har Habayis gate
The eastern stoa of the Har Habayis
The eastern stoa of the Har Habayis
looking at the Beis Hamikdash from the eastern stoa
Northern gate of Har Habayis (tadi)
western gate of Har Habayis, the Shaleches gate (kiponos)
Chuldah gates
Birah (tower) in the northwest corner of the Har Habayis
Lishkos in the Har Habayis
Inside one of the chambers on the Har Habayis
Inside one of the chambers on the Har Habayis
Lishkas Chasha'in
Lishkas Nidvas Keilim
Eastern part of the Cheil
Gate to the Ezras Nashim
Small Sanhedrin
The Ezras Nashim
Lishkas Hanezirim
Lishkas Hanezirim
Lishkas Ha'etzim
Lishkas Hametzora'im
Lishkas Beis Shemaniah
Lishkas Klei Shir
Menoros for simchas Beis Hashoeivah
Shaar Ha'elyon
Shaar Ha'elyon
section of the wall of the Azarah
Gates to the Azarah
Gates to the Azarah
South wall of the Azarah
North wall of the Azarah
Beis Hanitzotz
the Beis Hamoked
the Beis Hamoked
inside the Beis Hamoked, facing north
inside the Beis Hamoked, facing south
inside the Beis Hamoked
Kohanim sleeping in the Beis Hamoked
Lishkas Hatela'im (southwest corner of the Beis Hamoked)
Lishkas Oisey Lechem Hapanim (southeast corner)
Lishkas Beis Hamoked katan (northeast corner)
Lishkas Hachosamos/ going down to the mikveh (northwest corner)
The tunnel from the beis Hamoked to the underground Mikveh
The underground mikveh
Lishkas Hakeilim
Lishkas Haparoches
Mikveh on Sha'ar Hamayim
Beis Avtinas (making the Ketores)
Beis Avtinas and Sha'ar Hamayim from the outside
Beis Avtinas and Sha'ar Hamayim from the inside
the three Lishkos in the south of the Ezras Yisrael
the three Lishkos in the south of the Ezras Yisrael
Lishkas Hamelach
Lishkas Haparvah
Lishkas Hamadichin
The Mikveh on top of the Lishkas Haparvah
Lishkas Osei Chavitin
Lishkas Pinchas Hamalbish
Ezras Yisrael
The eastern half of the Azarah
the three lishkos in the north of the Ezras Yisrael
the three lishkos in the north of the Ezras Yisrael
the alcoves for the Bigdey Kehunah in Lishkas Hagazis
Lishkas Hagazis
Lishkas Ha'etz
the three lishkos in the north of the Ezras Yisrael (viewed from the Har Habayis)
Lishkos for the Kohanim to eat the Korbanos
Lishkos for the Kohanim to cook the Korbanos
The Duchan
The Duchan
Beis Hamitbachayim
The Mizbeach (from the east)
The Mizbeach (from the west)
The Mizbeach (with dimensions)
southwest corner of the Mizbeach
Portions of Yehudah in Binyamin in the Beis Hamikdash (explaining why there was no yesod in south or east)
building the Mizbeach (level 1)
building the Mizbeach (level 2)
building the Mizbeach (level 3)
building the Mizbeach (keranos)
the cups for the nesachin
the cups for the nesachin
The main ma'aracha, with the heavenly fire shaped like a lion on the Mizbeach
The heavenly fire shaped like a lion on the Mizbeach
the measurements of the slope of the ramp
The ramp from the east
The ramp from the west
the place where the ashes of the terumas hadeshen were put to the east of the ramp
The space between the ramp and the Mizbeach
southwest corner of the Mizbeach
The revuva
The shissin (pit for the nesachin)
two tables on the west side of the ramp
outline of the water channel (amah) in the azarah
the water channel (amah) in the azarah, under the floor (only the openings can be seen)
outlet of the water channel (amah) in the azarah
Yam Shel Shlomo
wagon (mechonah) of the Kiyor
the parts of the Mechonah
Ten Kiyorim and their wagons lined up
Golden trees
height of the Heichal
doorway of the Ulam
capital of the yachin and boaz pillars
Kodesh
the menoros
the kodesh
The Golden fruit growing from the walls of the Heichal
Kodesh Hakodoshim
prison by the upper gate of Benyamin (Yirmiyahu 20:2)
prison by the upper gate of Benyamin (Yirmiyahu 20:2)
palace complex
Shlomo's palace complex, to the south of the Har Habayis
Shlomo's throne
Shlomo Hamelech's throne
Shlom Hamelech's throne
Shlomo's palace dining hall
inside the Beis Ya'ar Halevanon
The palace garden (Gan Uzzah)
Gan Uzzah
Gan Uzzah
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  • Beis Hamikdash posts
  • sources
    • Mishnayos Middos >
      • משניות מדות עם מפרשים
      • משניות זכר חנוך
      • English Mishnayos Middos
      • chok nosson
      • Ezras Kohanim part 1
      • Ezras Kohanim part 2
      • Beis Hamiddos
    • Gemarah
    • Rambam >
      • Rambam (with נושאי כלים)
      • Lubavitcher Rebbe's Biurim
      • מעשי למלך על משנה תורה
      • likutey rambam
      • Derech Chochmah (R' Chaim Kanievski)
    • Rishonim
    • Sha'alos Uteshuvos HaRaDVaZ
    • Shiltey Hagibborim
    • Chanukas Habayis (both) and biur Maharam Kazis on middos
    • diagrams >
      • Tosfos Yom Tov's diagram
      • Reb Yehonasan's diagram
      • Tiferes Yisroel's diagram
      • Lubavitcher rebbe's edits to a diagram of the Beis Hamikdash
    • Tavnis Heichal
    • Be'er Hagolah
    • Binyan Ariel
    • Shevet Yehudah
    • other
    • Braisa D'Meleches Hamishkan
    • Third Beis Hamikdash sefarim
    • Sefarim on the Mishkan
    • from Josephus-יוסיפון >
      • Antiquities of the jews 8:3
      • Antiquities of the Jews 15:11
      • war of the Jews
      • Yosifun יוסיפון
    • קובץ מעלין בקדש
    • Kuntres Klei Hamikdash
  • Gallery
  • videos
    • First Beis Hamikdash
    • second Beis Hamikdash videos
    • Third Beis Hamikdash videos
    • avodah videos
  • 1st Beis Hamikdash
  • 3rd Beis Hamikdash
  • virtual walkthroughs
    • First Beis Hamikdash
    • Third Beis Hamikdash
    • Second Beis Hamikdash (Pre-Herodian)
  • 3d models
  • Lego Gallery
  • diagram of Mizbeach
  • contact