Was there a real King Solomon or is he a legendary figure of Israelite imagination?
As evidence of his existence we should be able to point to monumental architecture. One possible example are the six-chambered city gates associated with his reign, some of which have been revealed by archaeology (1 Kings 9.15). But is there any material evidence for the temple from the time of Solomon? Some would say no. They would use this lack of visible evidence to undermine what the Bible claims for Israel’s golden age under his united monarchy. However, there is important evidence for the first temple that has been visible, though ignored, all along!
Extensive redevelopment
Direct evidence for the temple of Solomon is difficult to find. The area of the temple mount has been extensively redeveloped over the centuries. The temple built by Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. When the Jews later returned to resettle Jerusalem they built a more modest temple in the same location. By the time of Jesus, King Herod had practically rebuilt this second temple and greatly expanded the platform on which it was situated. After the Romans destroyed this Herodian temple in 70 AD there followed a pagan temple, an early church structure and an Islamic shrine. The site of the temple is today dominated by the Islamic shrine called the Dome of the Rock. With its beautiful blue and white tiles and famous golden dome, this forms Jerusalem’s most iconic image. It also poses a major obstacle to any attempt to recover evidence for the much earlier temple of Solomon. On the most sensitive piece of real estate in the world, archaeological excavation is nearly impossible.
