In this week’s haftorah, the process of building the Holy Temple is described: the Jewish (and non-Jewish) recruits and how the foundational stone was hewn, transported, and laid.

Typically we see more prophetic accounts described in the haftorah portions, yet this excerpt reads more like a snippet of a contract. King Solomon raised a levy of 30,000 men from throughout Israel, to be sent to Lebanon in alternating waves of ten-thousand; the men were to be in Lebanon one month, with two months home. This orchestration was led by Adoniram.

A total of 70,000 men “bore burdens” in executing this project, with 80,000 hewers in the mountains. Even the hierarchy of middle management is described: Solomon’s chief officers, 3,300 who ruled over those who “wrought in the work.”

The Temple foundation was created from Solomon and Hiram’s builders from the stone and lumber brought from the tens of thousands of men called upon to [Read more…]