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Hi, my name is Daniel Smith and I love learning about the life of Christ! My hope is to help transport you into the teachings of the Savior through historical, cultural, and visual storytelling. I&rsquo;ll do this using artwork, 3D recreations, archeology, and more. I&rsquo;ll focus on the life and teachings of Christ, the events of Holy Week, and the context of the Jewish Feasts and ancient temple worship. 
I started the channel in 2009 after having had the chance to live in Jerusalem for two months. This was a life-changing experience and I desired to share some of the things I learned. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though I work to appeal to all faiths. I work for an amazing organization called Scripture Central. My hope is to help others hear, come, and know Christ through these messages.

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King Herod's Temple stood in Jerusalem as a masterpiece of ancient architecture, symbolizing the faith and devotion of its time. Understanding the significance of its location, history, and intricate design can deepen one's reverence for this sacred site.

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Jerusalem's Temple: Building the Most Detailed Depiction of Herod's Temple

[00:00:00.10] - Daniel Smith
The temple of Jerusalem that stood at the time of Jesus, rebuilt by Herod the Great, stands as one of History's Greatest structures ever built, and the largest temple complex of the classical era. The Talmud declares that he who has not seen the temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building in his life. Jesus loved the temple, visiting often and teaching within its precincts. In 70 AD, the temple was destroyed by the Romans, leaving only the foundations of this once magnificent structure. Every year in late summer, Jews around the world mourn the loss of the temple on what is now called Tisha B'Av. Over the centuries, many artists have attempted to recreate the temple through artwork, sculpture, and today with 3D modeling. While these prior efforts have provided a good idea for the general design, none of these models have yet to capture the temple in all its Majesty and splendor. For over two years, our team has dedicated hundreds of hours creating the most detailed and authentic 3D model of Herod's temple ever created. Our model relies on ancient historical sources as well as the most up to-date archeological research and discoveries.
[00:01:24.24] - Daniel Smith
This is the first of a series of videos to help better understand this sacred structure, to answer how it might have appeared, what took place inside, and why Jesus was so protective of it, even calling it His own house. In this first video, we will highlight some of the research and design elements we used to create this model of Herod's temple and explain why these details set the model apart.
[00:01:54.15] - Daniel Smith
Herod was a master builder. His many magnificent palaces and other building projects earned him the title of Herod the Great. From the extensive archeological remains of his many structures, we see that he had a passion for the architectural style of classical design. The Ancients, like the Greeks and Romans, came to revere principles of beauty based on a system of geometric proportioning. The same proportions found in nature, like a seashell or a flower, or in the symmetry of the human body, were replicated into what is now known as classical design. One key principle of classical design is the proper use of what are called the architectural orders. An order includes the combined use of a column, capital, and entablature. There are three main architectural orders used by Herod: the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian. Every aspect of these three orders are governed by a complex system of rules based on ratios and proportions. For example, the width of the column base determines the height of the column, size of the capital, and all other details within the entablature.
[00:03:17.08] - Daniel Smith
This can be extremely helpful because even if we have one piece of the order from an excavation, we can rebuild the rest of the structure based on these ratios. If the correct proportions are not used for these orders, the column and other details will either feel too tall and flimsy or too wide and bulky. The Ancients refined these proportions until they felt they had determined the perfect ratios to help the structure feel monumental while also elegant and graceful.
[00:03:52.09] - Daniel Smith
The Doric is the simplest of the three orders. The height of the column was determined by multiplying the width of the shaft by eight. Doric columns were the shortest of the three main orders, and thus felt more broad, foundational, and masculine. This order was used in those parts of a structure that were of lesser importance, such as the temple&rsquo;s outermost porches. The Ionic order was seen as more delicate and feminine, with beautiful volutes that adorn the column capital. Its height was nine times the width of the column base. We based our Ionic capitals on several well-preserved capitals from excavations in Herodian Jerusalem. The Corinthian order is the most ornate and elegant of the main three orders.
[00:04:42.16] - Daniel Smith
The height was determined by multiplying its diameter by a factor of 10, making it slender yet sturdy. This order was generally reserved for the more important parts of a structure. Our design for the Corinthian capitals comes from several partially preserved Herodian capitals, as well as broken fragments belonging to the temple complex. For each of these three orders, the columns were wider at the base, swelling towards the lower third of the shaft and tapering towards the top. This created an optical illusion of being sturdier and taller than it was in reality. It also appeared to give the perception that the shaft more firmly supported the ceiling's weight, as if the column was flexing as it stood tall.
[00:05:31.05] - Daniel Smith
The proper spacing of columns is another important aspect of classical design. The Ancients knew that a stone in tablature could only span a certain distance before cracking, which was calculated as three times the width of the column. If the span was wider than this, the stone would break and the structure would collapse. Applying these principles of classical design was just the beginning of the process. We then studied made around 500 stone fragments, cataloged by Dr. Orit Peleg, which belonged to the temple. These details were then incorporated into the various capitals, in tablatures, and other stone details. Every detail that we included within our 3D model comes from these 500 stones or other archeological finds of the period.
[00:06:26.24] - Daniel Smith
Because large sections of the foundations of Herod temple still stand, we were able to reconstruct the original walls with a high level of accuracy. Research by Dr. Eilat Mazar and her colleagues have cataloged every stone known to have belonged to the original temple mount. Their meticulous drawings were the basis for the walls of our 3D model. If the stone is still standing today, our team replicated it within the model. The height of most stones stand at about 1.1 meters and include a drafted margin around the edge for decorative detail. Each stone course is set back by about 2.5 centimeters or one inch, causing the wall to slant steadily inwards as it rises from the ground. This not only ensures stability, creating a wide and firm base, but creates an optical illusion that the building is more firm and solid. When standing below a wall that rises straight up, it will appear to bend outward, almost seeming to fall over. With this slight slant, the building feels more structurally sound. To support the large foundation walls, Herod built massive rows of alternating cornerstones. These stones, called headers and stretchers, were as long as 12 meters, with one of these cornerstones estimated to weigh 80 tons. This foundation has stood for more than two 2,000 years.
[00:08:02.07] - Daniel Smith
For all temple doorways, our team followed principles of classical design, making the doors a one by two ratio. You can see here how if a doorway is too short or too tall, it will feel out of proportion and not as welcoming and elegant. Outer gates of the Temple Mount were based on the Double Gate, the best preserved gate that still stands on the Southern Wall. Although partially blocked today by a building, one can still see the original doorpost and part of the massive lintel and archway. Herod often used archways over lintels for gates as a way to properly distribute the weight over the doorway, ensuring that the lintel would not break under pressure. Several decorative stone door frames belonging to the Temple Mount have also been excavated. One such stone, which was found below what is called Robinson's Arch, must have fallen from the gateway that stood atop the massive staircase.
[00:09:07.04] - Daniel Smith
Another stone that is still "in situ" or in its original place, is at the entrance of the Triple Gate. The rest of the Triple Gate is not original, and scholars still debate if, anciently, it was actually a double or a triple gate. The stone on the left sits in its original place and informs us how the rest of the gateway might looked.
[00:09:31.25] - Daniel Smith
A very small number of paving stones remain from the original Temple Mount platform. So to replicate the floors, we referenced a patch of excavated stone pavement directly beneath Robinson's arch. This section, though heavily damaged, still preserves the size and general pattern for paved stones. This roadway also includes a stone drain, which we used in various parts of temple, such as in the Court of the Priests, where the drain was used to flush the area clean of the blood of the sacrifices. Josephus, a Jewish historian that lived in Jerusalem, mentions that some of the floors were laid with stones of all sorts, which likely referred to the elaborate and stunning opus sectile floors, popular in the period. In 1999, the Muslim authority over the Temple Mount conducted an illegal dig along the Southeastern section, approximately 9,000 tons of soil were dumped into the Kidron Valley. Among the thousands of artifacts sifted from the soil were about 100 pieces of opus sectile floor tiles that once belonged to the temple. Frankie Snider, a volunteer and mathematician, noted that certain angles on the stones were unique to buildings constructed by Herod. After examining other Herodian palaces with opus floors, she created a number of designs. This research aided in the recreation of the flooring of some of the temple's many porticos. We even replicated the colors and reflective nature of the stones to recreate what must have truly been a stunning scene.
[00:11:20.21] - Daniel Smith
Surprisingly, one temple ceiling still exists today beneath the Temple Mount platform. The ceiling inside the double gate of the Southern Wall was never fully destroyed by the Roman destruction. This gate led up through the foundation onto the temple platform. Several stunning domes from this ceiling survived. From research by Dr. Leen Ritmeyer, our team recreated these domes and vaults as accurately as possible. The domes are supported by the only surviving stone column and capital from Herod's temple, also replicated in our design. According to Ritmeyer, it's these magnificent surface in domes that may have been referred to as the Beautiful Gate where Peter healed a lame man after the day of Pentecost.
[00:12:08.13] - Daniel Smith
According to Josephus, the ceilings of the Royal Stoa, one of the most elaborate areas of the temple, were adorned with deep sculptures in wood representing many sorts of figures. Because the Romans burned the temple, these ceilings were completely destroyed, making it difficult to recreate them. To overcome this challenge, we examined over a dozen architectural pieces from the Royal Stoa and combined these designs to present the spectacular wood ceilings. The painted colors chosen in the design were replicated from other Romans the sites, such as Pompeii. We used a similar design, though plated with more gold, for the ceilings within the temple. All other porches and the ceilings used wood roof beams. While such a choice may seem obvious, many 3D models instead use stone for the ceiling, sometimes even using textures such as cobblestone, which could never actually be held up on a ceiling.
[00:13:12.03] - Daniel Smith
After almost 2,000 years, it's finally possible to appreciate the full grandeur of how the Ancient Temple in Jerusalem might have appeared. Its stunning classical architecture, monumental walls, and incredible attention to detail would have been a sight to behold. However, it's important to remember that the magnificence of the structure was not limited to its beautiful architecture. Its true magnificence resides in the purpose of the temple itself, a place where the presence of the Lord could dwell. All of the sacrifices and ordinances performed at the temple pointed to the Messiah as the only one who could atone for the sins of all human kind. Today, as we place our faith in Jesus Christ and follow His example, our bodies become temples to the Lord, a place where His Spirit can dwell. It doesn't matter who you are, your appearance, dimensions, height, race, age, or life experience. Every one of us can become magnificent and beautiful temples to the Lord, where His holy presence can dwell.
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King Herod's Temple stood in Jerusalem as a masterpiece of ancient architecture, symbolizing the faith and devotion of its time. Understanding the significance of its location, history, and intricate design can deepen one's reverence for this sacred site. Sign up for email notifications for new videos here: https://bit.ly/2uV4vlo For more videos on the Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temple: https://bit.ly/3YxpkCj If you benefited from this production and would like to offer a contribution, please visit our sponsor, Scripture Central, to make a donation. We greatly appreciate all contributions made, as they provide us the ability to continue our research, development, and publications! You can donate here: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/scripture-central/sc-donations-form Follow our social media pages: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/messagesofchrist Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/messagesofchrist.official/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@messages.ofchrist Special thanks to: Leen Ritmeyer, Orit Peleg-Barkat, Frankie Snyder, Viviana Moscovich, Tyler Griffin, and Matthew Grey for their help with various aspects of the research. --- About King Herod's Temple: Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem, rebuilt during the time of Jesus, was a marvel of ancient architecture and the largest temple complex of its era. Revered for its beauty, the temple was a focal point for worship and teaching. Although destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, its legacy endures, with only its foundation stones remaining as a reminder of its grandeur. Every year in late summer, Jews around the world mourn the loss of the temple on what is now called Tisha B’Av or the Ninth of Av. In modern times, artists and historians have sought to reconstruct the Temple through various mediums, including the latest technology in 3D modeling. Our team has spent years meticulously crafting the most detailed and historically accurate 3D model of Herod’s Temple, utilizing ancient texts and recent archaeological findings. This model offers a glimpse into the temple’s past splendor, allowing viewers to appreciate its historical and spiritual significance. Relevant Scriptures: John 2:20 - The people said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you say you can rebuild it in three days?" Matthew 24:1-2 - As Jesus left the temple, His disciples pointed out the buildings. Jesus said, "Not one stone will be left on another; they will all be thrown down." Luke 21:5-6 - Some disciples admired the temple's beautiful stones and decorations, but Jesus said, "A time will come when every stone will be thrown down." Mark 13:1-2 - One of Jesus' disciples said, "Look at these massive stones and magnificent buildings!" Jesus replied, "Not one stone here will be left on another; all will be thrown down." Matthew 21:12-13 - Jesus went into the temple and drove out those buying and selling there. He overturned the tables and said, "My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers." --- © 2024 Scripture Central and Messages of Christ YouTube Channel No portion of this video may be reproduced, re-uploaded, or copied without prior permission.