Summary: See the new 3-D CGI model of Herod’s Temple by Daniel Smith and his team that will be in our next film.
While some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, [Jesus] said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” – Luke 21:5-6 (ESV)
Historical and Archaeological Accuracy
Daniel Smith and his team from Scripture Central have created a stunning, new 3-D computer generated imaging (CGI) model of King Herod’s Temple. Smith is a new partner of Patterns of Evidence and will be supplying us with animations for our upcoming film series called The Israel Dilemma. We will be using Smith’s amazingly accurate CGI models of Solomon’s Temple for Part 1 and Herod’s Temple for Part 2.
Smith has created other fascinating animations, some of which include the Exodus-era Tabernacle, the Judges-era Tabernacle at Shiloh, and the Ark of the Covenant. Smith’s team specializes in the symbolic nature of the sanctuary/temple services and how they point to Jesus.
The team is incredibly thorough with the archaeological/historical research that goes into their models, working hand-in-hand with archaeologists like Scott Stripling, Leen Ritmeyer, and others to make their models as historically accurate as possible.
We wanted to provide our Thinkers with these great Biblical resources and content. To see the model of Herod’s Temple, check out the video below: Jerusalem’s Temple: Building the Most Detailed Depiction of Herod’s Temple.
History’s Greatest Structure
“The Temple of Jerusalem that stood at the time of Jesus, rebuilt by Herod the Great, stands as one of history’s greatest structures ever built and the largest temple complex of the classical era,” according to Smith’s Jerusalem Temple video. The Talmud declares that: “He who has not seen the temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building in his life” (Sukkah 51B).
The temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, leaving only the foundations of this once magnificent structure. Every year in late summer, Jewish people from around the world mourn the loss of the temple on the day of Tisha B’Av – ‘the ninth of Av’ on the Hebrew calendar. In a remarkable convergence, both Solomon’s and Herod’s temple were destroyed on the same day of the year. This year Tisha B’Av was commemorated on the evening of August 12th to August 13th.
Classical Design
To capture the temple in all of its majesty and splendor, Smith’s team spent over two years, dedicating hundreds of hours, to make the most detailed and authentic 3-D model ever created of Herod’s Temple.
The model relies on ancient historical sources as well as the most up-to-date archaeological research and discoveries. The Jerusalem Temple video highlights some of the research and design elements that were used to create the model and why these details set it apart.
King Herod was a master builder with a passion for the architectural style of Classical Design. This included principles used by the Greeks and Romans which were based on a system of geometric proportioning. These same proportions are seen in nature, for example, the design of a seashell, flower and even the human body.
One key principle of Classical Design is what is called architectural orders. An order includes the combined use of a column, capital and entablature. Herod used three main architectural orders, all governed by a complex system of rules based on ratios and proportions, which the model replicates. Everything about the temple, including the walls, doorways, and gates were built using these geometric principles.
All the detail within the 3-D model comes from archeological finds of the period. The team used 500 stone fragments and paving stones discovered in Jerusalem excavations, around the Temple Mount, and by the Temple Mount Sifting Project, to design the decorative details of the columns, walls, ceilings and magnificent floors. The result is a spectacularly elaborate and accurate replica of what Herod’s Temple looked like at the time of Jesus.
The Beginning and the End of the Temple
The famous King David desired to build the First Jewish Temple, but his son Solomon was the one who accomplished that goal, according to the plan given by the Lord (1 Chronicles 28, 1 Kings 6).
“All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan.” – 1 Chronicles 28:19
Some 400 years later, the Babylonians invaded Judah in several waves, finally conquering Jerusalem in 586 BC. They demolished Solomon’s temple and took the Jewish people captive.
Jeremiah had prophesied that there would be 70 years of servitude (Jer. 25:11, 29:10). This was realized over a span of time starting when the first Jews were taken into exile (including Daniel and his friends) around 606 BC, to a Jewish return to Jerusalem after the Persians conquered Babylon.
A decree by Cyrus, the king of Persia allowed exiles in the empire to go home, and the Jewish people eventually rebuilt a modest temple under the leadership of Nehemiah (Ezra 1:1-4, 2 Chron. 36:22-23). This began the Second Temple Period which lasted nearly 600 years.
From around 37 BC to 4 BC (with some evidence of a later date for Herod’s death), Herod the Great reigned over Jerusalem acting as vassal king for Rome. He began major reconstruction of the Second Temple and areas around his kingdom. One source attesting to this is the ancient historian Josephus who wrote about Herod expanding the temple platform on the upper face of the mountain which was originally built by King Solomon (Antiquities 9:95).
The massive upgrades to the temple buildings and surrounding complex, started by Herod, were still in progress at the time of Jesus according to John 2:20 and archaeological research, which shows that the “Herodian Hall” wasn’t completed until decades after Herod’s death.
Tragically, the renovated temple structure only served for a short period before it was completely obliterated by Rome in AD 70, as Jesus predicted in the book of Mark:
“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” – Mark 13:2 (NIV)
All the buildings were destroyed and the only sign of the temple complex that remains today is the Western Wall, which once formed part of the wall surrounding the temple. However, parts of Herod’s massive building projects around the area are still being unearthed by archaeologists. Recent discoveries confirm the beauty and majesty of the temple before it was ruined.
Conclusion
Look for the new amazing temple animations from Daniel Smith’s videos to show up in the next Israel Dilemma films that will be coming soon. If you would like to contribute to the making of these films, you can do that by going to our donations page. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Keep Thinking!
TOP PHOTO: View from outside of the temple. (credit: Daniel Brown, Scripture Central’s Jerusalem’s Temple video)
