Table of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter 1 : Method of Architectural and Textual Study 5 Architecture and the Built Environment 8 Sennacherib's Palace in Nineveh 16 The Texts 19 History of Approaches 21 A New Approach to Sennacherib's Palace 26 Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem 28 Evidence 29 History of Approaches 29 A New Approach to Solomon's Temple 38 Conclusion 42 Chapter 2: Sennacherib's Palace In Nineveh 45 The Texts 48 Choosing the Site 52 Description of the Labor Force 55 Preparation of the Site 56 Construction of the Palace 58 Conclusion 65 The Building 66 Courtyard VI Spatial Arrangement 68 The Reliefs 69 Interpretation 71 Room XXXVI: The Lachish Room Spatial Arrangement 74 The Reliefs 78 Interpretation 80 Conclusion 83 Chapter 3: Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem 87 Issues of Historicity 90 Archaeological Evidence for the Reign of Solomon 92 Literary Evidence for the Reign of Solomon 97 Previous Approaches to Solomon's Temple 100 The Search for Sources 100 x Palace and Temple Interpretive Approaches 106 Archaeological Approach 108 Literary Approaches to Temple Descriptions 110 Solomon's Temple in 1 Kings: The Text 112 1 Kings 6:2-36, The Temple and its Decoration 112 1 Kings 7:13-50, Temple Vessels and Furnishing 122 Current State of Interpretive Approaches to the Temple Description 126 Built Environment Analysis of the Temple Description 130 Height and Dimensions 131 Color 133 Redundancy 134 Boundary and Access 136 Furnishings 138 Interpretation of the Verbal Icon 139 Context of the Verbal Icon 142 Chapter 4: Palace and Temple: Architectural Icons, Verbal Icons, And Religious Reform 149 Sennacherib's Palace without Rival at Nineveh 150 Sennacherib's Unique Use of Creation Imagery 151 The Palace Texts 151 The Battle of Halule 154 Sennacherib's Temple of the New Year Festival Texts 156 Sennacherib's Reform and the Counter Reformation That Ended His Reign 163 Solomon's Temple without Rival in Jerusalem 168 Theological Debate and the Verbal Icon 169 The Temple and the Ark in the Deuteronomistic Reform 172 1 Kings 8:1-11 173 1 Kings 8:14-21 1 174 Priestly Counter Reform 177 The Ark and Religious Reform 183 Reform and the Verbal Icon 188 Chapter 5: Conclusion 191 Abbreviations 195 Bibliography 197 Indices 215 .