August 29, 587 BC. has remained in history as the date of the destruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, recalled by "Aleph".
What the story tells:
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem. It was the main focal point of Judaism and a place where sacrifices were made. Its construction was completed in the 10th century BC.
The beginning was made by Solomon's father, King David, who before his death had collected a large amount of materials for the construction of the Temple on Mount Moriah, where he had purchased land and performed sacrifices. Solomon carried out the plan. In the Bible, it is indicated that Solomon, king of the then only kingdom of Israel, at the beginning of his reign prepared materials for the construction of the temple in order to fulfill his father's ideas. He caused great blocks of stone to be taken out of a quarry in Jerusalem, which were to serve for the foundations and walls of the Temple. They were prepared and taken to the construction site under the supervision of the experienced builders from the city of Tyre. At the same time, Solomon concluded a contract with King Hiram I of Tire for the supply of cedar wood from the Lebanese forests, which was delivered by sea to Jaffa, and from there transported to Jerusalem.
Solomon also took care of maintaining a water supply system – carving in the rocks of large cisterns into which water flowed, coming by channels from the “reservoirs” located near Bethlehem.
The preparation for the construction lasted three years. In the fourth year of Solomon's reign, construction began. It was carried out according to the Phoenician model. David left Solomon enough gold and silver with which to build the Temple. Its construction took seven and a half years. In the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, the Temple was consecrated during the New Year's festivities. The Ark of the Covenant (Aron haKodesh) was solemnly moved to a specially designated place in the Temple – in the Holy of Holies. Legend has it that Solomon climbed onto a platform specially created for him and raised his hands to heaven and his heart to God. According to tradition, the stone Tablets of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments, as well as the pitcher of manna and Aaron's rod were kept in the Ark.
The Feast of Consecration, which lasted seven days, ushered in a new era in Israel's history.
After the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II on August 29, 587 BC, the ark disappeared. For more than 2,500 years, there have been countless legends about its location.
On the site of the ruins, after their liberation from the Babylonians, the Jews built a new Jerusalem temple, which became known as the Second Temple or Herod's Temple. The work on its construction was finally completed only in 64 BC. It was destroyed again six years later when the Roman legions of Emperor Titus captured Jerusalem.