The Builders of the Second Temple in Jerusalem
The First Temple and Its Destruction Before we can understand the Second Temple, we must first look at the First Temple. Built by King Solomon in the 10th century BCE, the First Temple stood as the spiritual heart of ancient Israel. It was a majestic structure, filled with symbolic meaning and sacred rituals. For centuries, it was the central place of worship for the Jewish people. But in 586 BCE, tragedy struck. The Babylonian Empire, under King Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Jerusalem. The First Temple was destroyed, and many Jews were taken into exile in Babylon. This marked the beginning of a...