Ezra 6:15

Adar] February-March.

The sixth year] i.e. 516 b.c. The Temple, which was begun for the second time in the second year of Darius, 520 b.c. (Haggai 1:14), had taken more than four years to finish. No complete description of it is forthcoming, but some information respecting it can be derived from allusions. If the measurements given in the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 6:3) were actually adopted, it must have been larger than that of Solomon (1 Kings 6:2), but otherwise it was much inferior to it (Ezra 3:12; Haggai 2:3). Like the earlier structure, it consisted of a Holy of Holies and a Holy Place, before each of which hung a vail (1Ma 4:51); whilst it had in front of it more than one court (1Ma 4:38, 1Ma 4:48). The Holy of Holies was empty (the ark being lost); but the Holy Place contained the golden altar of incense, the candlestick, and the table of shewbread, together with various vessels (1Ma 1:22). In one of the courts was the altar of burntoffering, constructed of 'whole stones' (1Ma 4:47); and round the Temple building there were chambers, for the use of the priests and the storage of provisions (Ezra 8:29; Ezra 10:6; Nehemiah 10:34; Nehemiah 13:5; Nehemiah 1Ma 4:38).