If you seek the material Temple of Solomon then you are reading the wrong article. If you instead seek the Inner Self and wish to understand the secret teachings of the ancients, then you are in the right place and time. For this tale I am about to tell is one learned from ancient sources. This is a truth revealed, a truth held sacred for many generations and clouded in the literal ramblings of biased criticism.
In our search for the Holy Grail [1] we discovered an ancient universal serpent cult. Known variously as Ophites, Adders and even Gnositics, these ancient peoples, from before the time of Christ, worshipped the serpent on many levels. We traced the origins of this cult right back through time and into ancient Sumeria where the traditions of it emerged as a symbol of the much discussed enlightenment experience. From Osiris and Isis to Abraham and Sarah, from Christ and Mary to Arthur and Guinevere - we discovered deep-rooted links to the serpent worship of wisdom.
You see, in all of these tales, we have the secret right before our eyes - that of balance. The fact is that our ancestors told us of the duality of our minds - when the first man was split to create Adam and Eve (meaning Female Serpent). This is not a literal tale. They claim quite simply that we are split personalities - that we constantly argue within ourselves and that this dual nature affects us on many levels. It is to the re-uniting of these dual natures that the ancient sought - joining Christ with Mary, Arthur with Guinevere, and all in the symbolic representation of the entwined serpents we see on the infamous Caduceus or the Indian Kundalini.
But, what does this tell us about the Temple of Solomon? This cannot be done in just a few words,[2] however, try to follow the reasoning of the dualities and we shall be half way there.
Solomon was a strong and wise King, but he was also blunt and over zealous - taxing his people to the point of breaking. He was so arrogant that he believed the whole world must know of his wisdom. That was until the hoopoe bird told him about the Queen of Sheba.
We discovered Sheba to be the "land of serpents" and so the Queen was no different to the Queen of Serpents known in Arthurian tales as Guinevere. In this respect then, the hoopoe bird, is the internal dialogue, letting the "male" dominated side of our minds know that there is also a "female" side and bringing them together. Once these two sides joined together the true Temple of the united self could be built.
Rid of arrogance, strong and wise, we stand in glory. But when Sheba left Solomon, the whole thing crumbled, as it did when Guinevere cheated on Arthur. The land became infertile and the people descended into the abyss. This is a warning to us all - that once we have achieved balance, we must strive to maintain it.
And so it appears, the teachings of the ancients and even the medieval writers of the Arthurian tales, were really working through a psychological process of inner balance and giving us this teaching in the only way they knew - analogy built around their own world view. These concepts also had to be hidden, for there were, and still are, those who hold power - be they religious or political - who do not and have never wanted man to be fully free. It will be these people who argue against this very interpretation. But, can we be sure that there was no Temple?
According to Professor James Pritchard in his book, 'Solomon and Sheba' (1974, p.35): "... the so-called cities of Megiddo, Gezer and Hazor, and Jerusalem itself were in reality more like villages. Within were relatively small public buildings and poorly constructed dwellings with clay floors. The objects reveal a material culture, which, even by the standards of the ancient Near East, could not be judged sophisticated or luxurious. The magnificence of the age of Solomon is parochial and decidedly lackluster, but the first book of Kings implies exactly the opposite."
Again we find the author David Rohl in his book 'A Test of Time: The Bible from Myth to History' (1995, p.174) claiming the same thing: "When it comes to the Iron Age (which is purportedly the time of Solomon and his ally, Hiram of Tyre) there are no stone buildings. How then did Solomon acquire building expertise from Phoenicia if the Phoenicians did not have the skill or resources to build stone structures for themselves."
So, there was no Temple of Solomon and there is very little evidence that there was even a Solomon. We are left with only one solution: that the whole story - and many others like it - are symbolic. With new eyes, I now challenge each of us to take a new look at the paradoxes of the ancient world and see if we can now solve the puzzle. I also challenge all of us to seek true balance and build our own Temple.
Notes:
1 'The Serpent Grail' by Philip Gardiner with Gary Osborn, Watkins, 2005
2 For a more in-depth view see 'Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed' by Philip Gardiner, Radikal Books, 2005, UK.
Philip Gardiner is the best selling author of 'The Shining Ones,' 'The Serpent Grail' and 'Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed.' He gives lectures and tours through www.powerplaces.com. Websites: philipgardiner.net, gardinerosborn.com, serpentgrail.com.
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