According to 1 Kings, twelve bronze bulls supported the Temple’s large basin called the Sea.
The description appears in the account of Solomon’s Temple furnishings. The Sea was a massive circular bronze basin used by priests for ritual washing. It stood on twelve oxen, with three facing north, three west, three south, and three east. Their hindquarters faced inward beneath the basin.
The passage gives detailed measurements, including a diameter of ten cubits and a height of five cubits. The biblical text also describes the vessel’s capacity as two thousand baths in one textual tradition, while 2 Chronicles gives a different figure, creating a well-known numerical variation.
The twelve bulls are sometimes confused with the twelve tribes of Israel, though 1 Kings does not explicitly state that the sculpture symbolized them. The basin itself should not be confused with the bronze laver used for other Temple functions.