18. How Many Years The Temple Took To Build
BOOK TWO
enough for them to have faith, hope and charity, as well as purity of conduct. The perfect on the other hand, as well as having these, also labour in preaching the word, distribute all their goods to the poor, give themselves to vigils, fasting, hymns and spiritual canticles, as well as to sacred reading, endure persecutions and dangers for righteousness' sake, and with prompt zeal perform the other things which Paul with his companions boasts of having done.27
17.8 Hence it is aptly noted that the priests' court was constructed of three courses of polished stones and one course of cedar beams.
For the three courses of polished stones are faith, hope and charity, and the expression 'of polished stones' is appropriate because each one needs a certain amount of intelligence to discern how he ought to believe, and what he ought to hope for as well as love. But the one course of cedar beams is good works performed without being vitiated by outward show, since, if this condition is lacking, faith, hope and charity cannot be genuine. For it has often been said that, on account of their pleasant fragrance and naturally incorruptible quality, cedar beams symbolize the enduring character and good repute of works of piety.'* All the elect who aim at pleasing God by faith, hope, love and action get as far as this court. Beyond it climb the perfect by the exalted grace of their merits since they reach such a peak of virtue that they can say to their hearers, Be imitators of us as we also are of Christ,29 and boast and say, Do you not know that we shall judge the angels? How much more the things of this world?3o
18. HOW MANY YEARS THE TEMPLE TOOK TO BUILD
18.1 (6:37-38) In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid in the month of Zio. And in the eleventh year in the month of Bul (which is the eighth month) the house was finished in all its parts and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it. The allegorical meaning of the fact that the house of the Lord was built in seven years is plain because, of course, the holy Church is being built of the souls of the elect for the entire
27 cf. 2 Co 11:18-28 '* supra 8.3 **; 11.1 **; Isid., Etymol. 17.7.33
29 1 Co11:l
30 1 C06:3
BEDE: ON THE TEMPLE
duration of this world which is also completed in a period of six days and it too brings its growth to an end with the end of the world.
Or, at all events, it is built in seven years on account of the import of the grace of the Spirit through which the Church alone gets the authority to be the Church. For Isaiah enumerates the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit without which no one can either become a believer or keep the faith or by the merit of faith attain the crown.' On the othcr hand, the fact that it was in the eighth year and in the eighth month of that year that the house was completed in all its parts and all its specifications, has to do with the world to come and the day of judgement when the holy Church will already have reached such a degree of perfection that it will not be possible to find anything to add to it. For it will then have what that dutiful devotee suppliantly asked of the Lord saying, Lord, show us the Father; and it is enough for us.2
For it is well known that the day of judgement is often represented typologically in the scriptures by the number eight from the fact that it follows this world which lasts for seven days. Which is also why the prophet gave the title 'For the eighth' to the psalm he used to sing through fear of this severe judge, beginning with the words, Lord, rebuke me not in your indignation, nor chastise me in your wrath and so forth.3
(1971 18.2
But there arises the rather important question as to how the house of the Lord is said to have been completed in all its parts in the eighth month and in all its specifications, whereas in what follows one reads that its dedication was completed in the seventh month.4
On the other hand, it is not credible that Solomon, though he built the temple in seven years and completed it in the eighth month of the eighth year, nevertheless, deferred the dedication of the completed building until the seventh month of the ninth year. Hence it seems more likely that the house was built in seven years and seven months so that the solemn ceremony of dedication might be celebrated in the same seventh month, and, as the Chronicles relate:5 on the twentythird day of that month Solomon sent the people away to their tents,
' Is 11:2-3 Jn 143 Ps6:1-2 cf. 3 K8:2 cf. 2 Paralip 7:lO
BOOK TWO
and thus after one week when the eighth month had come round, the house of the Lord was found to be complete and already finished, that is to say, both in all its parts and in its actual dedication. Unless perhaps one should think that after the dedication of the temple some extra features were added for its services up to the beginning of the eighth month, the king speeding up the work so that the temple would be dedicated in the seventh month, at all events, which was entirely solemn, and that in this way the two things might turn out to be true, namely, both that the temple had been completed in the eighth month in all its parts and specifications, and that it had been dedicated in the seventh month.
18.3 (7:13-14) And king Solomon sent and fetched from %re, Hiram, the son of a widow of the tribe of Nephtali, whose father was a Qrian, a craftsman in bronze, and full of wisdom, understanding, and skill in making any work in bronze. And when he came to king
Solomon, he did all his work. And this was done on account of the mystery. For the Tyrian craftsman whom Solomon employed to help in his work stands for the ministers of the word chosen from the gentiles. The allusion to this man as a craftsman is a beautiful touch because he was the son of a widow of Israel, a person who is sometimes wont to be taken as prefiguring the Church of the present day for whom her husband, namely, Christ, after having tasted death, rose and ascended into heaven, leaving her meanwhile to sojourn on the earth. However, there is no need to labour the explanation of how the sons of this widow are preachers since all the elect individually profess themselves children of the Church, and also since in regard to these preachers of the New Testament a special promise is made in the words of the prophet: Instead of your fathers, sons are born to you; you shall make them princes over all the earth.6 Now Hiram did
(1981 all Solomon's work, that is to say, because the holy teachers, while they devote themselves faithfully to the ministry of the word, do indeed do the work of God, since by speaking outwardly they open the way of truth to those whom he himself has predestined to eternal life by enlightening them inwardly. I, he says, planted, Apollo watered; but God gave the increase.' Moreover, he made the work of bronze because the energetic teacher seeks to entrust the word to those who,
PsM7 1 C0%6
BEDE: ON T H E TEMPLE
o n the one hand, desire to receive it with reverence and keep it to the end, and who also by preaching to others do their utmost to spread more widely whatever right doctrine they have learnt themselves; for it is common knowledge that bronze is a metal which is very durable and produces all kinds of sounds.
18.4 (7:15) And he cast two pillars in bronze. Each pillar was eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits compassed both pillars. These are the pillars of which Paul says, James and Cephas and John, who were regarded as pillars, gave to me and Bamabas the right hund of fellorzship. that we should go to the gentiles, and they to thi' circiimcisecl.X In these words he seems to expound, as it were, the mystery of the material pillars and what they stand for and why two of them were made. For they signify the apostles and all spiritual teachers, those, that is, who are strong in faith and work and elevated to heavenly things by contemplation. Moreover, there are two of them s o that they may bring both gentiles and circumcised into the Church by preaching. They stood in the portico in front of the doors of the temple and strikingly adorned its entrance on both sides by their elegance and beauty. The temple door, on the other hand, is the Lord because no one comes to the Father except through him,' and ;IS he says elsewhere, I am the doof If anyone enter by me, he
That is to say, the pillars placed there stand around this door on either side when the ministers of the word show both groups o f people the way into the heavenly kingdom so that each of them, whether they come to the faith of the Gospel from the light o f the knowledge of the Law or from the ignorance of heathendom may havc people at hand to show them the way of salvation both by word and cxamplc.
/ l W / .vhall he saved.
18.5 Or at all events, because in the Book of Paralipomenon it is written of thcse pillars as follows: These pillars he put at the entrance of the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left, the reason why the two pillars were made and were so positioned was t o teach us that both in prosperity and adversity we must keep the cia 219 ' cf. J n 14:h
' J 11 1O:O
' I 2 l'aralip3:l7
BOOK TWO
entrance to our heavenly homeland before the eyes of our mind.
This indeed is why Paul, who was, of course, a most eminent pillar of the house of the Lord, earnestly admonishes us by his own example and that of his followers that we must fortify ourselves by the amour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,12 so that whether basking in prosperity or broken in spirit by adversity we may not deviate in any direction from the royal road of life by which we must make our way to the inheritance of the heavenly homeland promised to us. It is to be noted, of course, in this sentence from Paralipomenon which I have quoted, that this portico of the temple is also called the vestibule of the temple, and what we read in the prophets: Between the vestibule and the altar the priests prayed, l 3 is to be understood as between the portico and the altar.
18.6 Moreover, it is properly recorded that both pillars are eighteen cubits high. For three sixes make eighteen. But the three refers to faith on account of the holy Trinity, and the six to works, because the fact that the world was made in that number of days is clearer than daylight. And three is multiplied by six when the righteous per.son (who) lives by fuith14 acquires knowledge of pious belief by the performance of good works. For the pillar before the temple doors is eighteen clrbits high when each eminent preacher openly intimates to all, that it is only through faith and the works of righteousness we can attain thc joys of heavenly life. Although this can also be understood in the more profound sense that the name of Jesus begins from this number among the Greeks. With them the first letter of this name means ten and the second eight. And fittingly are the pillars of the house o f God eighteen cubits high because holy teachers, indeed all the elect, pursue this objective by living well that they may merit to see their creator face to face, for they will have nothing further to seek when they reach him who is abovl: all things.
18.7
(6: 15) And a line of twelve cubits compassed both pillars. The line of twelve cubits is the norm of apostolic teaching. This line compasses both pillars when each tzacher, whether sent to preach to the Jews or to the gentiles is c'ireful to do and teach only what
[200/ l 2 2Cob:7 l 3 Ezk 8:lb; JI 2:17
Rm 1:17
BEDE: ON THE TEMPLE
the holy Church has received and learnt through the apostles. For anyone who wants to live or preach otherwise and prefers either to despise the apostolic decrees or propose something novel according to his own whim, is not a pillar fit for the temple of God, for since he thinks it beneath him to follow the apostolic decrees, by the thinness, as it were, of his laziness or the grossness of his pompous arrogance, he is nut of accord with the line of twelve cubits. The Lord, doubtless, put these lines around the pillars of his temple when, as he sent his disciples to teach and baptize all nations, he said to them, teaching them to observe all that I have commandedyou. l5 Whoever, therefore, observes and teaches everything the Lord commanded the apostles, without either adding anything further or omitting any of them, such a one is indeed a pillar in God's house which is the Church and a bulwark of truth such as the apostle Paul admonished Timothy to be.lG But because without a knowledge of the scriptures neither the teachers' manner of life nor their word can be sound, it is fittingly added:
18.8 (7:16) He also made two capitals of molten bronze, to be set upon the tops of the pillars (the height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits). The tops of the pillars, that is, their highest part, are the hearts of faithful teachers whose God-centred thoughts guide all their actions and words as the head guides the members of the body. On the other hand, the two capitals which were placed on these pillar-tops are the two testaments, which holy teachers are totally bound both in mind and body to meditate and observe. It is appropriate, then, that both capitals were five cubits high because the scripture of the Mosaic
Law comprises five books and furthermore the entire collection of Old Testament writings embraces the five ages of the world. But the New Testament does not proclaim to us something different from what Moses and the prophets had said should be proclaimed: If you believed Moses you would believe me, for he wrote of me. l7 For Moses wrote much about the Lord not only in figure but also quite plainly as when he relates what had been promised to Abraham in the Lord's
[201/ l 5 Mt 28:ZO l G cf. 1 Tm 3:15 l7 Jn 5:46
BOOK TWO
words: in your seed shall the families of the earth bless themselves,18 and when in his own words he says to the Israelites, the Lord will raise up for you from among your brethren a prophet like me; him you shall hear according to all things whatsoever he shall speak to you.19
Of this prophecy the voice of the Father from heaven reminded the disciples when, as the Lord appeared to them in glory between Moses himself and Elijah on the holy mountain, it rang out saying, This is my beloved Son in whom Z am well pleased; listen to him. 2o Therefore, with the admirable harmony of divine activity, the grace of the New
Testament was hidden under the veil of the Old at first, but now the mysteries of the Old Testament are revealed by the light of the New, as if the reason why the capital of each of the two pillars was five cubits high was that it is manifest that the grace of the perfection of the Gospel too is innate in the Old Testament whose mysteries are noted beforehand in the five books of the Law or are all comprised more fully in the five ages (of the world); and so it happens that each eminent preacher, whether destined to be sent to the Jews or to the gentiles, fortified with the harmonious testimony of the word of God, keeps the sure and correct rule of faith and conduct free from error, and in the course of his teaching knows how to draw forth out of his treasure-house, new things and old.21 Not only do the testaments harmonize with each other in their account of the divine mysteries, but also all the elect who are written about in the books of these testaments are endowed with the one faith and are bound to each other by the same charity. Hence with reference to the making of these capitals it is fittingly added:
18.9 (7:17) And a kind of network and chain-work wreathed together with wonderful artistry. Both of the capitals of the pillars were cast. And the same thing is written in the Book of Paralipomenon as follows: He aIso made, as it were, little chains in the oracle and he put them on the tops of the pillars.22 The shape of the chains and the likeness of the network on the capitals is the variety of spiritual virtues in the saints which is sung of to the Lord in the psalms: l 8 Ac3:25 l9 Ac3:22
2o Mt 17:5
21 Mt 13:52
22 2 Paralip 3:16
BEDE: O N THE TEMPLE
The p e e n stood on your right hand, in gilded clothing, surrounded with v a r i e ~ , ~ ~ i.c. in the clothing of shining love, arrayed in the variety of the different charismata. At all events, the multiple intertwining of chains and the expansion of the network suggests the many different characters among the elect, who, when they faithfully adhere to the words of the holy preachers by listening and obeying, show forth to all who behold thcm, like the network and the little chains placed upon thc tops of the pillars, the miracle of their interconnection. For these chains arc woven together with wonderful craftsmanship because it is thanks to the absolutely marvellous grace of the Holy Spirit that the lifestyles of believers, quite removed from each other though they may be in space, time, rank, status, sex and age, are nevertheless linked together by one and the same faith and love. That this common fraternal bond of the righteous, separated in space and time, is effectcd by the union of the gift of the Spirit, is also shown by the following words, whcn, with reference to the making of the capitals, it is further remarked:
18.10 (7: 17) Seven rows of nets were on one capital, and seven nets on the other capital. For the number seven is conventionally used to denote the grace of the Holy Spirit, as attested in the Apocalypse by John, who, after saying that he had seen the lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, went on to add, by way of explanation, which are the seven spirits of God sent into the whole world.24 This the prophet
Isaiah more clearly explains when, speaking of the Lord who was to be born in the flesh, he says, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.25 The reason why there were seven rows of nets in both capitals is that it was through the grace of one and the same septiform Spirit that the Fathers of both testaments received the privilege of election.
18.11 (7:18) And he made the pillars, and two rows right round each network to cover the capitals, and he did the same to the other capital. True, there were two rows of networks right round the capital
23 Ps44:IO 24 Rv5:6
2 5 Is I1:2-3
BOOK TWO
but both rows were repeated seven times over until the capital was encircled and the row rejoined itself after going full circle. Nor is the figure of the mystery obscured by the fact that there are two rows of network since it is well known that the virtue of love consists of two distinct aspects, namely, when we are bidden to love God with our whole heart, our whole mind and our whole strength, and our neighbour as ourselves.26 But both of those rows have seven rows of nets because without the grace of the Holy Spirit neither God nor the neighbour can be loved. For the statement, because the Zove of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,27 remains true. But where the love of God is, there, assuredly, the love of the neighbour also is poured into the hearts of the faithful because, of course, the one cannot be had without the other. Furthermore these networks were made to cover the capitals, i.e. to encircle them completely, because, rightly understood, every page of holy writ echoes throughout with the sound of the grace of love and peace. For the capitals are indeed the volumes of the divine word, the networks are the bonds of mutual love and the capitals are covered with networks when the sacred words, if I may say so, are shown on all sides to be clothed with the gift of love. For even in the things which we do not understand in the scriptures, love is abundantly in evidence.
[203/ 18.12 But regarding these networks or capitals the following words have properly been added:
For pomegranates, whose nature it is to encase many seeds inside them with a single rind outside, are aptly offered as a figure of the holy Church which is wont to include the countless ranks of the elect within the universal pale of the one faith. But it can also apply to each individual righteous person's life and conduct, which contains many ornaments of spiritual thoughts and virtues like a great many seeds inside one rind, and is careful to erect around them a secure rampart of faith and humility in case they should trickle away.28 And by a quite apt mystical figure the tops of the pillars were encircled all round with pomegranates because holy teachers must recall the memory of for- (7:18) that were upon the top, with pomegranates.
26 cf. Mk 12:3&31 27 Rm 5:s 28 infra 18.15 * *
BEDE: ON THE TEMPLE
mer believers and ever following their example reinforce their actions and words in every respect, lest, by living or teaching in a manner at variance with their norm, they should go astray. Therefore, as the admirable interconnection of the networks symbolizes the unity of the faithful which is in the bond of peace,2g so also do the pomegranates suggest typologically this same unity which holds countless peoples throughout the world together in the one rule of catholic faith. Or at all events, the marvellous interlinking of networks demonstrates the manifest harmony of all the faithful; the position of the pomegranates expresses the Spirit's interior virtues which others cannot see at all, namely, humility, kindness, self-restraint and other such things.30
And, as it were, the surface of the fruits is outwardly visible but the store of seeds encased within is not, when the devout behaviour of the saints is on public display for all, but the inward grace of faith, hope and love and of the other good things of the Spirit, is not visible. Therefore, since the words, to cover the capitals that were upon the top with pomegranates, referred to the networks, it seems that, according to the order of the work itself, the pomegranates were put round the capitals from underneath and out of these pomegranates rose the networks with which they were partly covered; and it is clear from the representation of the mystery why the networks with which the capitals were bound were covered with pomegranates. These havc almost the same meaning whether applied to spiritual persons or spiritual virtues. For we know that virtues beget virtues and saints progrcss from virtue to virtue until the God of gods is seen in S i ~ n . ~ l
And no greater virtue than this is attainable. That is why the Apostle also says, Knowing that tribulation producespatience, and patience trial, and trial hope.32 But in the universal assembly of the elect various
/204/ righteous persons succeed each other and the lesser ones are glad to follow faithfully in the footsteps of the greater and of their predecessors, and to rely on their sayings or writings, lest perchance they should lapse into error. Therefore, the networks are placed above the pomegranates when the harmony of love is added to perfect works and when from both gifts of virtue, i.e. both actions and love, the life of the saints begins to shine forth, the additional interlinking of " cf. Ep4:B 30 cf. cot B:12
31 cf. P S m 32 Rm 53-4
BOOK TWO
the networks accompanies, as it were, the circle of pomegranates on the capitals. And since all the gifts of virtues in this life have as their object the glory of the eternal reward which is promised and ministered to us through the Gospel, it is aptly added:
18.13 (7:19) And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily-work in the portico, of four cubits. What else can the lilies mean but the glory of the heavenly homeland and the beauty of immortality fragrant with the flowers of paradise? What else can the four cubits mean but the word of the Gospel which promises us entry into eternal happiness and shows us the road by which we may reach it. Therefore, when holy teachers show us the promised threshold of the heavenly kingdom in the four books of the holy Gospel, it is as if the tops of the pillars display the lily-work of four cubits that is upon them. Taking this text literally, it should be noted that when the lily-work on the capitals is recorded as having been of four cubits and the words 'in height' or 'in width' are not added, it is, of course, left to the reader's judgement whether this ought to be understood as referring to height or to width. It is agreed beyond the slightest doubt that a pillar which a rope of twelve cubits spanned would be four cubits thick. For the circumference of every circle is three times the length of its diameter. Finally because the Bronze Sea was ten cubits in diameter, as we read in what follows, it was thirty cubits in cir~umference.~~ But because the lily-work is said to have been four cubits, whether this means in width or in height, at all events, the meaning of the figure is clear, because it is only through the Gospel that the voice most ardently longed for has sounded: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.34
18.14 But the statement that follows, namely, PO51 (7:20) And again other capitals in the top of the pillars above, according to the measure of the pillar over against the network, is made according to the measure of a pillar of the same height as it; but the height of this pillar is not stated. Now these capitals, whatever kind or size they were, for the scripture text does not indicate their dimensions clearly, seem to have been placed in front of the lilies.
Regarding the structure of these, if one enjoys delving into mystical 33 cf. 3 K 7:23
34 Mt4:17
BEDE: ON THE TEMPLE
matters, one may, not inappropriately, describe it as that sublimity of the everlasting kingdom which neither eye has seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of man what things God has prepared for those who love him.35 For behind the four-cubit lilies were ranged other capitals, whosc height is not stated, because, while it is true that in the Gospel we read a lot about heavenly beatitude, namely, how thc clean of heart will see God there,36 how they will be equal to the angels of God,37 how they will neither marry nor be given in marriage,38 how they cannot die any more, how, wherever Christ is, his ministers will also be,39 how he will show himself to them, how he will tell them plainly about his Father,40 how no one will take away from us the joy of his ~ision,~' nevertheless, the actual form of the things we have mentioned, what the actual conditions and mode of life are like in that heavenly homeland, is clear only to those of its citizens who have gained entrance to it. Therefore, the structure or height of these capitals which were above the lily-work
(is) appropriately (mentioned) so that some inkling may be given as to how awesome to earthly beings is the nature of the heavenly abodc. And yet concerning this abode this much is no secret, namely, that in it all share in the enjoyment of the vision of God, each one to a morc sublime degree according as the eyes of one's heart are more purified in order to see him. For he who said, He has blessed all that fear the Lord, both little and great,42 also said, For you will repay everyone according to his Therefore, all the elect will share a common blessing,44 but in accordance with the different quality of their works there are many mansions for the blessed in one and the same eternal house of the Father in heaven.45 Which is also, in my opinion, indicated mystically in the formation of these pillars where it
1 co 2 9 cf. MI 5:8 cf. Lk 2036 cf. Mt 22:30 cf. Jn 1226 cf. Jn 14:21; 16:25 cf. Jn 16:22
3 5 3G
4 1
Ps 113:21(13)
Ps61:13 cf. Greg., Horn. in Ezech. PL 76:977A cf. Jn 14:2: see note on this text at the end of Prol.2 above.
BOOK TWO
is said: And again other capitals in the top of the pillars above, according to the measure of the pillar over against the network. For the capitals are made on top according to the dimensions of the pillar when holy teachers, indeed all the righteous who follow the footsteps of these teachers, receive the rewards of heavenly recompense according to the merits of their good work. Moreover, these capitals are made over against the network because it is according to the measure of the love by which the holy brotherhood is bound together in this life that the presence of their creator too will be linked with the fellowship of the heavenly citizens in heaven. But because this fellowship of heavenly citizens is granted to the faithful of both peoples, it is rightly added:
12061 18.15
(7:20) And of the pomegranates there were two hundred in rows right round the other capital. We have said that the pomegranates were a type of either the whole Church or of each individual believer,4G but the number a hundred which was originally applied to the right hand was sometimes wont to be used as a figure of eternal beatitude.47 There were twice this number of pomegranates around the second capital to suggest mystically that the people of both testamcnts who were to be unified in Christ were to be brought in to receive the crown of eternal life. In keeping with this figure are the words written about the apostles fishing after the Lord's resurrection whcn they saw him standing on the shore: for they were not farfrom the land, but, as it were, two hundred cubits, dragging the net with the For the disciples indeed drag the net full of large fish for two hundred cubits to the Lord who is already on the shore showing the effects of his resurrection when holy preachers entrust the word of faith to both Jews and gentiles and drag the elect of both peoples from the waves of this present world and lead them to the glory of the peace and immortality to come. The circumference, therefore, of the second capital has two rows of pomegranates when the sublimity of the heavenly kingdom assembles the elect of both peoples in one citadel of peace.
18.16 (7:21) And he set up two pillars in the portico of the tem46 cf.suprn 18.12 * * " Bede, De temp. mf. ed. Jones 179:lXff 48 Jn 21%