it before the temple; its length was twenty cubits,
and it was so ordered that it might agree with the breadth of the house;
and it had twelve cubits in latitude, and its height was raised as high
as a hundred and twenty cubits. He also built round about the temple
thirty small rooms, which might include the whole temple, by their
closeness one to another, and by their number and outward position round
it. He also made passages through them, that they might come into on
through another. Every one of these rooms had five cubits in breadth,
[7] and the same in length, but in height twenty. Above these there were
other rooms, and others above them, equal, both in their measures and
number; so that these reached to a height equal to the lower part of the
house; for the upper part had no buildings about it. The roof that was
over the house was of cedar; and truly every one of these rooms had a
roof of their own, that was not connected with the other rooms; but for
the other parts, there was a covered roof common to them all, and built
with very long beams, that passed through the rest, and rough the whole
building, that so the middle walls, being strengthened by the same beams
of timber, might be thereby made firmer: but as for that part of the
roof that was under the beams, it was made of the same materials, and
was all made smooth, and had ornaments proper for roofs, and plates
of gold nailed upon them. And as he enclosed the walls with boards of
cedar, so he fixed on them plates of gold, which had sculptures upon
them; so that the whole temple shined, and dazzled the eyes of such as
entered, by the splendor of the gold that was on every side of them, Now
the whole structure of the temple was made with great skill of polished
stones, and those laid together so very harmoniously and smoothly,
that there appeared to the spectators no sign of any hammer, or other
instrument of architecture; but as if, without any use of them, the
entire materials had naturally united themselves together, that the
agreement of one part with another seemed rather to have been natural,
than to have arisen from the force of tools upon them. The king also had
a fine contrivance for an ascent to the upper room over the temple, and
that was by steps in the thickness of its wall; for it had no large door
on the east end, as the lower house had, but the entrances were by
the sides, through very small doors. He also overlaid the temple, both
within and