Verse 1 The original temple of Solomon was destroyed at the time of the captivity. On the return of the Jews, it was rebuilt upon a more moderate scale, as described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah; and it had been enlarged and ornamented by Herod the Great, a short time before our Savior's coming; so that at this time it exhibited great magnificence and splendor.--Buildings. The temple did not consist of one single structure. There was a great central edifice, containing the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies; and around this there was a vast arrangement of walls, courts, colonnades, and passages, so that the whole presented a very imposing spectacle. The plans of the temple which are often met with are of use in expanding the general ideas of the reader to proper conceptions of the magnitude and extent of the edifice; but they cannot be depended upon in detail.