King Solomon’s Temple Begins: I Kings 6:1 - Israel’s Kings and the Divided Kingdom

In the second month of the Exodus, on the 52^nd day from Nisan 10, Moses and the people of Israel arrive at the Wilderness of Sinai and make camp at the base of the Mount Horeb (Sinai). This date is Sunday May 18 – Sivan 2 in 1445 BC (BR). It is important to note that the first week of the third month of Sivan is the second month from the start of the Exodus. Some Bible Chronologies state that the Temple begins to be built in the month of Iyar which is the second month on the Jewish Calendar. This same date exactly 480 years later is the start date for Solomon’s Temple in 965 BC as stated in I Kings 6:1 and II Chronicles 3:2. 1 Kings 6:1 reads: "And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord." Setting this date has been an issue of debate with many Biblical chronologies. Since Sivan is the third month on the Hebrew Calendar at the Exodus (if Nisan-March is the 1^st month), many have assumed that Solomon’s Temple began in the Hebrew month of Iyar which is the second month on the Hebrew Calendar as previously stated. On Thursday May 22 – Sivan 6 in 1445 BC, four days after making camp at the base of Mount Sinai, God speaks to the Nation of Israel from the Mountain as stated in Exodus 24:1-2. Sivan 6 becomes the day that Pentecost is celebrated in Jewish Festivals to the present day. In the year 30 AD, the events of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2:1-4 fall on Sunday May 26 - Sivan 6 on the Gregorian-Hebrew Calendar (GH). It is important to note that the currently used Secular Hebrew Calendar puts this same date in 30 AD at Sivan 8. I use this illustration to show that the currently used Secular Hebrew Calendar, developed after the 3rd century AD, is not consistent with the dates in Scripture in either the New or Old Testament. On the Gregorian-Hebrew Calendar (GH) the date of the start of Solomon’s Temple is Sunday September 8 – Elul 22 in 962 BC.

Israel is divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms with the Death of Solomon on Friday June 13 – Sivan 28 in 929 BC (BR). It is interesting to note that this same date in 30 AD is the date of the Ascension of Jesus. On the Solar Reference Calendar (SR), the End of Solomon’s Reign would be Friday July 20, 926 BC. On Monday July 21 – Av 7 in 526 BC (BR), 400 years later from the Solar Reference Calendar Date of Solomon’s Death, the Babylonians enter Jerusalem and start to burn the Temple. The month and day of this event is recorded in 2 Kings 25:8-9. The battle for the Temple and Jerusalem is over 3 days later on Thursday July 24 – Av 10 in 526 BC according to Jeremiah 52:12. The 70 Years of The Babylonian Exile begins the next day.

After the Death of Solomon, the Nation of Israel is divided into 2 Kingdoms. Northern King Jeroboam 1 Begins to rule 3 days after the end of Solomon’s Reign in the Northern Kingdom on Monday June 16 – Tammuz 1 in 929 BC (BR). King Hosea and The Northern Kingdom is defeated by Assyria on Sunday March 9 – Adar 21 in 664 BC (BR). According to 2 Kings 18:9-10, the fall of the Northern Kingdom happens in the 6^th Year of Hezekiah’s Reign. Hezekiah begins his Reign on Saturday March 8 – Adar 20 in 670 BC (BR). This date of the fall of the Northern Kingdom may be in September of the year before or the same year. This will be clarified in future research. This possible error has no effect on the date of the fall of the Southern Kingdom as it is given in Scripture.

The Southern Kingdom of Israel ends with the defeat of King Zedekiah, as previously stated, with the Babylonian victory in battle for the Temple and Jerusalem on Thursday July 24 – Av 10 in 526 BC. The 70 Years of Exile begins the next day on Friday July 25 – Av 11 in 526 BC (BR). The period of the Kings goes from the End of Solomon’s Reign in 929 BC to 526 BC on the Bible Reference Calendar (BR). It is interesting to note that the period of time from the Crowning of King David on November 17 – Heshvan 28 in 1010 BC to the fall of the Southern Kingdom is the same time period as the period of time from the start of Daniel’s Prophecy in 455 BC to Monday Nisan 10 in 30 AD. On this day Jesus enters Jerusalem on the first day of Easter Week.