Evidence for the biblical Temple of Solomon: Ancient beams and modern discoveries
A Story Buried in Wood and Time
For centuries, the Temple of Solomon – described in detail in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles – has stood at the heart of Jewish and Christian heritage. The Scriptures recount its grandeur, its gold-covered chambers, and its majestic cedar beams from Lebanon. Yet, for some, this account has seemed too glorious to be real.
How, critics ask, could a kingdom so wealthy and sophisticated arise just one generation after King David, the shepherd boy? Why do no extra-biblical records mention King Solomon by name? And why has archaeology in Jerusalem not uncovered definitive remains of the First Temple?
These doubts often rest not on evidence against the Bible’s account, but on the absence of confirming proof. As it is, the lack of a find is not the same as the presence of a contradiction.
In recent years, however, remarkable discoveries have begun to shift the conversation – finds that may well connect us to the Temple Solomon built almost 3,000 years ago. One such discovery begins, unexpectedly, with an earthquake and a mosque.
The Wooden Beams of the Al-Aqsa Mosque
On July 11, 1927, a violent earthquake shook Jerusalem, damaging the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. Its roof required urgent repairs, and during the work, 1,200 ancient wooden beams were removed and stored temporarily on the Temple Mount.
Under the British Mandate, some of these beams were taken to the newly founded Rockefeller Museum. Some wood pieces were decorated with carvings from lintels and cornices, and they were recognized as valuable artifacts from the early Islamic period.
History moved on – Israel was established in 1948, East Jerusalem came under Jordanian control, with the Rockefeller Museum. In 1967, after Jerusalem was united in the Six-Day War, Israel took possession of the museum. Over time, many of the beams stored on the Temple Mount were sold to an Armenian timber merchant named Moussa Bazian, repurposed for furniture or left to gather dust in warehouses.
A Greek Inscription and an Unexpected Clue
Then came a surprise: Israeli researchers examining one beam noticed a carved Greek inscription on its back side. This suggested the timber had been reused from an earlier construction, perhaps even from the Roman era.
Prof. Nili Liphschitz, head of the Botanical Laboratories at Tel Aviv University, heard the story and began a systematic study of the wood. From 144 samples, she identified three species:
Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani)
Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
Turkish oak (Quercus cerris)
She also sent samples for radiocarbon dating. Most beams are dated as expected to the 7th and 8th centuries A.D.– the era of the mosque’s construction. But several were much older, from the Second Temple Period (1st century A.D.) Could a wood beam endure for two thousand years? Surprisingly yes!
The biggest surprise came with two pieces – one of Turkish oak, one of Mediterranean cypress – dated to the 9th and 7th century B.C., the very era of the First Temple!
Is it possible these are pieces of Solomon's First Temple, repurposed for centuries before being placed in the mosque’s roof?
The Bible and the Trees of the Temple
But if these were the trees brought by Hiram, king of Tyre, to Solomon, they should have been cedar, not cypress or oak.
Wait – let’s check again what’s written in the Bible:
1 Kings 6:15 (NIV) – “Then he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar … and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress.”
2 Chronicles 2:8 (NASB) – “Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed my servants will work with your servants.”
Cypress and algum were used along with cedar wood in the Temple’s construction. The identity of the algum tree from the Bible is uncertain. A Turkish oak may be a proper suggestion.
The tree species present among the beams complement the biblical account.
A Researcher’s Final Journey
The story takes a poignant turn. Ze’ev Ehrlich, or “Zabo,” a Land of Israel scholar and guide, acquired some ancient beams from Moussa Bazian, storing them at his house. The Israel Antiquities Authority accepted the beams in 2022 to perform carbon dating, which is still pending.
In November 2024, while accompanying an IDF Golani Brigade unit in Lebanon, Zabo was killed in an ambush by Hezbollah. He was 70 years old and is remembered for his significant contribution to research. He is known for his conviction that:
“In the Land of Israel, one must walk barefoot, for everywhere you step, you tread upon verses.”
Waiting for the Rest of the Story
Zabo’s work continues, with his beams awaiting further carbon dating and analysis. Many more ancient beams remain on the Temple Mount under the control of the Muslim Waqf, inaccessible to Israeli scholars. Perhaps one day they will be studied, adding more chapters to this unfolding story.
From a mosque destroyed in an earthquake, through modern scientific methods, by scientists’ curiosity, King Solomon’s Temple is echoed, and further support for the biblical account is revealed.
Ran Silberman is a certified tour guide in Israel, with a background of many years in the Israeli Hi-Tech industry. He loves to guide visitors who believe in the God of Israel and want to follow His footsteps in the Land of the Bible. Ran also loves to teach about Israeli nature that is spoken of in the Bible.
