Who was David's son who built the Temple?

David’s son Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, traditionally called the First Temple.

The Hebrew Bible presents Solomon as David’s successor and the king chosen to complete a project David had wanted to undertake. David gathered materials and prepared plans, but the temple’s construction was assigned to Solomon. The building became the central sanctuary of ancient Israel and housed the Ark of the Covenant.

The biblical account describes extensive labor, cedar from Lebanon, skilled craftsmen, and a lavishly decorated interior. Solomon also built a royal palace and other major structures in Jerusalem. His temple is generally associated with the tenth century BCE, though the exact historical details and archaeological evidence remain debated.

The First Temple stood for centuries before Jerusalem was conquered by the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II. It was destroyed in 586 BCE, after which the exiled Judeans later rebuilt the sanctuary as the Second Temple. Solomon’s brothers Adonijah and Absalom were also David’s sons, while Rehoboam was Solomon’s son and successor.