Master Builder in Biblical Times

209 Pages·2011·5.91 MB·English

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THE
MASTER BUILDERS

IN BIBLICAL TIMES

MAX SCHWARTZ

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAX SCHWARTZ

MAX SCHWARTZ-CONSULTING ENGINEER
VALLEY VILLAGE, CA 91607-1410
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Copyright© 2011
Max Schwartz
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Schwartz, Max, 1922–
THE MASTER BUILDERS - in Biblical Times
Copyright 2011 by Max Schwarz Consulting Engineer
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88125-711-7 — ISBN 0-88125-710-9 (pbk.)
1. Building—Jerusalem—History. 2. Temples—Jerusalem—Design and construction.
3. Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem)—History. 4. Jerusalem—Antiquities. I. Title.
TH16 .S38 2001
690'.63'09569442—dc21
2001029207

Distributed by
Max Schwartz-Consulting Engineer
12823 Miranda Street
Valley Village, CA 91607
818-980-7973
Email orders [email protected]
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For
The Biblical Engineer
How They Built the Temple in Jerusalem

I am greatly indebted to the following friends and colleagues for their advice and their support,
and their unstinting help in preparation of this book: Bernie Scharfstein, Publisher KTAV
Publishing House, William J. Peterson, Managing Editor, Fleming H. Revell Company, Dr.
Laurence H. Schiffman, Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University: Dan
Bahat of the Israel Ministry of Antiquities and Dr. Ronny Reich of the Rockefeller Museum.,
Jerusalem; Dr. Arthur Yuwiler and David Wetterberg, fellow members of the California Writers
Club
September 2002
For the Master Builders
In Biblical Times
After eight years, I felt I did not give enough attention to the Master Builder, who merged from
four important professions – Engineer/Architect/Artist/Builder
Therefore, I researched and expanded the book to include all of these great fields.
October 2011
Max Schwartz - Civil/Mechanical/Professional Engineer
Los Angeles, California
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PROLOGUE the entrance to the Sanctuary hung a veil
embroidered in blue, white (byssus), scarlet
In the eighteenth year of his reign, Herod
and purple. This area was separated from the
rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem on a
Holy of the Holies by a similar curtain. The
magnificent scale. Although he erected
outer curtain was folded back on the south
many temples, he felt it was not fitting that
side, and the inner one on the north side, so
the Temple of his capital should fall beneath
that a priest in walking to the Holy of the
others in magnificence. One of his motives
Holies crossed through the Sanctuary
was to placate the more pious of his
diagonally. The interior of the Holy of the
subjects, whose sentiments he had often
Holies was vacant except for the Altar of
outraged.
Incense. Near the south side of entrance to
The Jews hated to have their Temple
the Holy of the Holies, stood a seven-
pulled down, fearing it might never be
branched golden candlestick, or Menorah,
rebuilt. To assure them, Herod collected the
and at the north, the Table for Sow Bread.
materials for the new building before the old
The Temple building had an upper
one was taken down. He then rebuilt the
story similar in size to the lower floor. Side
Temple as rapidly as possible and finished it
structures afforded space for three stories of
in a year and a half. But some work was in
chambers on three sides of the Temple.
progress on the outbuildings and courts for
These chambers were connected by doors
eighty years. Since it was unlawful for any
and trapdoors that provided communication
but the priests to enter the Temple, Herod
from one story to those above or below. The
hired 1000 priests as craftsmen.
whole width of the structure was 70 cubits.
The new Temple was the same size
In front, there was a 100 cubit wide
as Solomon’s, namely, 60 cubits long, 20
porch. which extended 15 cubits in each side
cubits wide and 40 cubits high (A cubit was
of the building The gateway was 20 cubits
approximately the length of a forearm) This
broad and 70 cubits high. Overhead was a
space was divided into the Holy of the
Golden Eagle, and a gold-covered front
Holies and the Hekal. The former was 20 by
porch that shone brilliantly when the rays of
20 cubits, and the latter 20 by 40 cubits. At
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the morning sun fell upon it.
CONTENTS

Chapter 1 – The Master Builder in Biblical Times
Chapter 2 –The Land, People and Natural Resources
Chapter 3 – Engineers, Architects and Artists
Chapter 4 – Construction Equipment and Transportation
Chapter 5- Engineering, Planning and Science
Chapter 6 – Construction Materials
Chapter 7 – Building the Temple Mount and Retaining Walls
Chapter 8 – Building the Temple and Courts
Chapter 9 – Building Antonia Fortress and Porticos
Chapter 10 – Herod’s Other Projects
Chapter 11 -The Jewish-Roman War
Chapter 12 - Summary
Epilogue
Glossary

Introduction good example of Herodian workmanship,”
our guide pointed out. The group moved on,
In 1970, I attended an international
but I paused for a moment.
engineering conference in Israel. I thought it
This is amazing, I thought. A four-
was to be a purely professional excursion
part groined vault! It was a very complex
and not the beginning of an unexpected
structure. The stone blocks at the spring
personal quest.
line, keystones, and vousoirs had to be
It began on a guided tour through the
measured without error so that the four
Old City of Jerusalem. We were in an
arches met perfectly at the crown. They
underground vault near the Western Wall
made this 2000 years ago! I marveled. How
and the Temple. “Overhead you’ll see a
did they do it? Even with modern computers
vi
and technology, it would take great expertise in the temples of ancient societies, but
to carve and fit these stone blocks so Israel, with its devotion to one true God,
accurately. was a notable exception. When the Jews
The rest of the conference sped by, finally settled in the land that God promised
but even after I returned to the United them, they wanted a single temple, centrally
States, I could not shake the fascination with located where all Israel could worship
the Temple Mount and the men who built it. together. King David found this site,
On building projects and at work sites Jerusalem. His son, Solomon, reigning over
around Los Angeles, I continued to imagine the economic and military glory years of
myself in King Herod’s court designing and Israel, built the beautiful Temple on Mount
building the Temple Mount. Moriah. The Temple was built of limestone
This became an obsession. I decided in seven years but stood nearly four
that the only way to get it off my mind was centuries until the Babylonian King
to go back to Jerusalem for further research. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 586 B.C.E.
I rented an apartment near the Old City, met I learned centuries later, King Herod,
with Dan Bahat of the Ministry of a Jew, hated by many of his people for being
Antiquities, and with Dr. Ronny Reich of too close with the conquering Romans, tried
the Rockefeller Museum. As I read and to prove his devotion to his people by
studied the Bible and the background of the rebuilding the Temple. The Second Temple
Temple itself, I began to question my was much larger and more ornate than the
motives. This was not just professional first. The faithful came here not only to
curiosity! I was searching for the history of worship and to sacrifice, but to discuss the
my people. Backed by my longtime interest Scriptures with learned priests, teachers and
in architecture, my working on the Pan rabbis. It was here that Talmudic scholar
American Highway, and my military service Hillel sat for hours with his disciples in the
with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in First Century.
WWII, I felt a strong kinship with those As I paced the stones of the Temple
Biblical Master Builders. Mount, I felt beside me the presence of
I found there were great similarities those Master Builders who had brought the
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limestone blocks from the nearby quarry, studied the writings of Flavius Josephus
hauled them on rollers, and hoisted them and other writers of the Biblical Times, as
with giant wooden cranes. I developed a well as those of modern archaeologist and
kinship with those Master Builders. I knew Biblical experts
they were using their skills not for the glory
of Herod, but for the glory of God.
My interest in ancient engineering
has only increased since then. It was more
than a professional pilgrimage that took me
back to Jerusalem. I thought then that I was
in search of the ancient Master Builders,
never suspecting I would discover that their
purpose in building so many years ago was
to invite people to meet the true Master
Builder, Jehovah. After all these centuries, I
am living proof that the invitation still
stands.
I also began to realize that the
ancient Biblical cities were conceived,
designed, and built by very skilled and
dedicated people. People who had extensive
knowledge of mathematics, physics,
construction materials, machinery and many
of the skills of today’s Master Builders.
After writing my first book, The
Biblical Engineer – How the Temple in
Jerusalem was Built, I was driven to expand
the book to add much more information that
I discovered from further exploration. I
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CHAPTER 1
__________________________________________________________________
.

The Master Builders

In Biblical Times

The Master Builder in Biblical Times
Ancient Master Builders
History of the Modern Master Builder
The Master Builder – A Poem
Time Line of Important Biblical Events
Herod the Great Predecessors and Descendents

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The Master Builders in Biblical Times
Answers to some of these questions may
be found in the Bible, the Mishnah, and in the
What is a Master Builder?
writings of Flavius Josephus, a Jewish/Roman
journalist of the First Century CE. The Mishnah is
Answer: “An Individual who is responsible for
a collection of Jewish oral laws compiled and
the design and construction of a project before the
written in the Second Century CE. Other answers
foundation of the profession of architecture, used
are continuously being uncovered by
in the Ancient and Renaissance Periods, and used
archaeological study of the remains of buildings,
less in the XX Century.”
tools, weapons, and ships.
What is Design/Build?
The modern day Architect, Surveyor,
Design/Build is a profession that has been Military and Civil engineer have much in
embraced by the world’s great civilizations since common with their Biblical counterparts. They
ancient Mesopotamia. The Code of Hammurabi can apply the laws of physics to prove that the
(1800 BCE) fixed absolute accountability upon ancient construction methods described here were
Master Builders for both design and construction. both realistic and practical. In brief, this book
Also, in the Biblical Period, many temples and portrays how Biblical Master Builders may have
shrines, harbors and fortresses were conceived designed and constructed the Temple Mount.
and constructed using the paradigm of
This book mainly depicts the Master
Design/Build. When the people of classical
Builders who lived during the Hasmonean Period
Greece envisioned their great temples, public
(337-37 BCE) to the time of the Roman
buildings and civil works, Master Builders were
destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE). Some
engaged to both design and construct these
of the Temple builders were descendants of exiles
monumental structures, for only Master Builders
who returned from captivity in Babylon. They
accepted full responsibility for integrating
brought to the Holy Land many skills absorbed
conceptual design with functional performance.
from the advanced Babylonian and Persian
Throughout history, man has had a societies.
burning passion to expand his knowledge of The Babylonians and Persians, in turn,
Biblical Times. This search has inspirited inherited much of their technical knowledge from
countless studies and books. Today, thousands of the earlier Sumerian and Akkadian cultures. In
tourists visiting the Temple Mount in Jerusalem addition to their many skills, the Sumerians
still ask developed bricks of great strength and durability.
They mixed wet clay with chopped reeds and
"How did they plan and build these structures?
fired the bricks in kilns. To fire their kilns, the
What methods were used to transport and place
Sumerians used fuels from asphalt which seeped
such large stone blocks? How did they measure
to the ground surface.
and shape these stone blocks to fit so perfectly
They also were skilled in extracting metals
into masonry arches? What tools and technical
from ore. The Bronze Age, or the Metallurgical
knowledge were available to these artisans?"
Age, began about 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia.
Some inquired, “Who were the Biblical Master
Figures in this book shows these early smiths at
Builders? What kind of people were the masons,
work, how stone kilns were built and how bellows
carpenters and smiths that King Herod organized
were used by smiths. The bellows blew oxygen-
to build the Temple Mount?”
bearing air into the fire to raise the temperature in
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