Who was the king of Israel who built the First Temple in Jerusalem? Solomon. The Hebrew Bible attributes the construction of Jerusalem’s First Temple, also called Solomon’s Temple, to King Solomon.
Solomon was the son and successor of David. According to the biblical account, David wanted to build a permanent sanctuary but was told that his son would undertake the project. Solomon then built the Temple in Jerusalem and placed the Ark of the Covenant in its innermost sanctuary, the Holy of Holies.
The First Temple served as the central sanctuary of ancient Israelite worship. Its dedication is described in 1 Kings, where Solomon offers prayers and sacrifices and asks that the Temple become a place where people can seek God. The biblical narrative portrays the project as part of Solomon’s wider building program.
David is the most tempting wrong answer because he secured Jerusalem and planned the Temple, but Solomon carried out its construction. The Temple was later destroyed by the Neo-Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, traditionally dated to 587 or 586 BCE. Archaeologists agree that a First Temple existed, although the precise date, scale, and historical details of Solomon’s construction remain debated.