The antiquity of the Jews is much less than is commonly imagined, for the Egyptians were a very old mature nation, steeped in tradition, long before they conquered and enslaved the Jewish people. Nevertheless, Solomon was king around 1000 B.C. The twin pillars that once stood before the porch of Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem were of bronze. They were about 3 in. thick, 6 ft in diameter, and more than 26 ft high. At their summits rose elaborate bronze capitals 7 1/2 ft high. Within this temple stood the celebrated 'Bronze Sea', a circular bronze tank holding more than 16,000 gallons which rested upon the backs of twelve bronze bulls.
