A comparison between the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple
Materials and dimensions
The main difference between the tabernacle set up by Moses and Solomon’s temple is that the former was a mobile structure, the latter a permanent building. The tabernacle was a tent with a wooden frame covered by layers of cloth and animal skin (Exod 20:1-30), so it was easy to move as Israel travelled through the desert (see the dismantling described in Num 4:5-15, 24-26, 29-32). Solomon’s temple, on the other hand was built of stone and wood (1 Kings 6:7, 9-10, 15).
The tabernacle measurements are thought to be L30 x W10 xH10 cubits (13.5 x 4.5 x 4.5m). This is deduced from the tent’s wooden frame made up of boards, which were 10 cubits long and 1.5 cubits wide each and placed vertically next to each other (Exod 26:15-16). Twenty boards along the length give us 30 cubits (20 x 1.5 cubits) or 13.5m (Exod 26:18), while the length of the board gives us the height of the tent (10 cubits or 4.5m). For the width, six boards were placed side-by-side plus a corner piece at each end, which is thought to make 10 cubits or 4.5m (see Exod 26:22-24).
Solomon’s temple was double that size at L60 x W20 x H30 cubits (27 x 9 x 13.5m). The holy of holies was a perfect cube (deduced with regards to the tabernacle to be 10x10x10 cubits (4.5m), whereas in Solomon’s temple it was 20x20x20 cubits (9m; 1 Kings 6:20). Since the temple building’s overall height (30 cubits or 13.5m) was greater than the holy of holies’ (9m), the likelihood is that the latter was on a raised platform with steps leading up to it.
Artist’s reconstruction of a board and how the corner piece held together two walls of the tabernacle (Exod 26:22-24; Jeremy Park, Bible-Scenes.com, source)
Courtyard
The basic structure of both buildings is essentially the same: a sanctuary surrounded by a courtyard. The courtyard of the tabernacle/temple held a bronze sacrificial altar (Exod 27:1-7; this is not mentioned in connection with Solomon’s temple possibly because there was an existing one that was brought over to the new building). The tabernacle has a bronze laver for washing and cleansing (Exod 30:17-21) and the temple has a comparable bronze ‘sea’ (1 Kings 7:23-26), as well as ten stands on wheels with basins set into them for water (1 Kings 7:27-39). The extra basins for water are probably needed because of the greater number of sacrifices offered by a larger population living in a settled community. Solomon’s building also had rooms around the temple on three sides (1 Kings 6:5-6), decorative (possibly faux) windows (1 Kings 6:4), a porch in front (1 Kings 6:3) and the two massive bronze pillars called Jachin and Boaz at the entrance (1 Kings 7:15-22).
Tabernacle (Immersive History, immersivehistory.com, source) and Solomon’s temple (Jeremy Park, Bible-Source.com; source)
Sanctuary and furnishings
The sanctuary divided into a main space and a separate room at the end called ‘the most holy place’, ‘holy of holies’ or ‘inner sanctuary’, which contained the ark of the covenant (Exod 26:34; 1 Kings 6:19). In the tabernacle, the holy of holies was separated by a curtain, ‘the veil’ (Exod 26:31-34), while Solomon had a decorative wooden door installed (1 Kings 6:31-32). However, the parallel account in 2 Chronicles 3:14 mentions the veil for Solomon’s Temple as well. The rebuilt Second Temple and/or Herod’s Temple would have had a veil because the gospels describe the rending of it at Jesus’ death (Matt 27:51; Mk 15:38; Lk 23:45).[1] A gold (incense) altar (Exod 30:1-6), a table with twelve loaves (representing Israel’s twelve tribes) called ‘the bread of the presence’ (Exod 25:23-30) and a seven-branched candelabra giving light (Exod 25:31-40) made up the furniture of the main room (Exod 26:35) in the tabernacle. Solomon’s temple also had these but instead of one candelabra, it boasted of ten (five on each side along the length of the sanctuary, 1 Kings 7:48-49).
Tabernacle main sanctuary (incence altar, candelabra, bread of presence) and holy of holies w/ ark (Jeremy Park, Bible-Source.com, source)
Solomon’s temple, main sanctuary (Jeremy Park, Bible-Source.com, source)
Summary comparison
| Tabernacle | Solomon’s Temple |
| Main sanctuary + holy of holies w/ ark of the covenant In main sanctuary: incense altar, bread of the Presence, candelabra(s), Courtyard w/ sacrificial altar and bronze laver/sea | |
| Wooden frame, skins, fabric hangings | Building of stone and wood |
| L30 x W10x H10 cubits = L13.5 x W4.5 x H4.5m | L60 x W20 x H30 cubits = L27 x W9 x H13.5m |
| — | Extra porch, bronze pillars |
| — | Extra chambers on three sides |
| — | Decorative (faux?) windows |
| Veil separating holy of holies | Wooden doors separating holy of holies plus veil? |
| 1 candelabra | 10 candelabra (5 on each side) |
| — | 10 bronze stands with basins for water |
Please note that there is a certain amount of artistic license in the pictures. Not all the details are given in the biblical text and the description is obscure in places sometimes using technical building terms whose meaning is uncertain. Nevertheless, the pictures give us a visual clue. The full details are in Exodus 25-31 and 35-40 for the tabernacle and in 1 Kings 6-7; 8:1-10 for the temple.
[1] Solomon’s Temple is called the First Temple, the one built after the exile (see Ezra 3-6) is the Second Temple. The latter was later refurbished and added to by Herod the Great (this is the temple Jesus knew). The basic sanctuary structure remained the same, but Herod had the temple area flattened to create a large platform accommodating various courtyards and additional chambers. He also upgraded some of the materials used for the temple. However, Herod’s Temple should not be seen as a ‘Third Temple’ because it was not built from scratch and did not demolish what the exiles built soon after their return to the land.
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