The Pillars of the First Temple (1 Kgs 7,15-22): A Study from Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, Archaeological, and Iconographic Perspectives

The columns referred to as Jachin and Boaz are certainly one of the most controversial features of the First Temple of Jerusalem. In this volume, Daniel Prokop examines the appearance and the meaning of the twin pillars by approaching them from different perspectives. He investigates the epigraphic evidence from Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria-Palestine, defines the relationship between the six different descriptions in the Hebrew Bible, and compares the most important textual witnesses of 1 Kgs 7,15-22, which will provide insight into the narrative development and transmission history of the texts. Studying iconographic data, the author explores a unique way to achieve a better understanding of the material, dimensions, names, location, and decoration of the pillars.

About author(s):Born 1983; 2008 MA in Theology; 2019 PhD in Biblical Studies, Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome; currently an assistant in the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland and an assistant priest in Samedan, Switzerland.