Solomon's Temple: Myth and History

Description

The Temple of Solomon has been a source of fascination and spiritual reverence for over three thousand years, from its Bronze Age antecedents in the shrines of nomadic tribes, through countless permutations in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This lively account is guaranteed to intrigue everyone with a sense of history, both real and imagined. The building itself was destroyed more than once, on the last occasion by the Romans, yet the great church of Hagia Sophia, the Dome of the Rock, the headquarters of the Templars and numerous medieval cathedrals were all conceived as symbolic re-creations of the original. Mystics of all faiths had visions of a celestial Temple where divine secrets would be revealed to mankind. Solomon's Temple: Myth and History draws on holy texts and mystic writings, works of art and architecture, modern reconstructions and photographs to unravel both scholarly histories and the more speculative modern myth-making of tales like The Da Vinci Code and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

William J. Hamblin, Associate Professor, Brigham Young University, Utah, is a specialist in Near Eastern History and the Crusades. David R. Seely is Professor of Religion at Brigham Young University. He was a member of the international team of editors that published the Dead Sea Scrolls.

'Lively and accessible ...? a signal reference work of serious and rigorous scholarship, which will reward careful study. It is worth its weight, not only in sterling, but also in gold' - Church Times 'Fascinating, richly illustrated' - The Scotsman