Solomon's Palace

At first when you read that Solomon spent 13 years constructing his palace while spending half that time constructing the temple it sounds like he didn't have his priorities straight. It's possible that that was the case, or it could have been simply that there was more to build so it took more time. The People's Bible describes how the complex included a treasury, throne room, and living quarters for himself as well as his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh. An interesting note from the Concordia Self-Study Bible about this Palace of the Forest of Lebanon: "Four rows of cedar pillars in the palace created the impression of a great forest." That had to have been a sight! (With all the cedar it probably smelled pretty good as well.)