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digious speed, that it was finishell, in all its parts, in little more than se\'en years. By the MMonic art, and tl1e wise regulations of Solomon, every part of the building, whether of st{)ne, briek, timber or metal, was ·wrought and prepared before they were brought to J'erusalem ; so that the only tools made use of in erecting the fabric were wooden instmments prepared for that purpose. rrhe noise of the axe, the hammer, and every other tool of metal, was cour,ignetl to the forests of Lebanon, where the timber was procured, and to Mount Libanus, and the plains and quarries of Zeredatha., where the stones were raisetl, sqnared, marked nnd nnmbered; that nothing might be heanl nmong the :\Iasons at J erusa.Iem, but harmony antl peace. In the year of the worltl 3029, King Solomon diet!, and was sucl•eeded by his son Hchoboam, who, hnmediatcly after the (leath of his fnthm·, went down to Shechem, where tho chief); of the people were met tog~>thcr to proclaim him king. '\Vhen .Tcwr)()am, tlul son of Ncbat, who was in Egypt, whitl1er he had fled from the 1wesence of Solomon, and whose amhition had long aspired to the throne, heard of the death of the king, he hastened to return from Egypt, to put himl'elf at the hcnd of the discontented t1·ihes, an<l lead them on to rehcllion. He accordingly o.Rscmblcd them togethe1·, and came to King Rehoboam, and spakc to him afte1· this manner: "Thy father made our yoke grievous ; now, there~ fore, ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy 14
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