ANCIENT TEMPLE AT LACHISH

Floor-plan of the Temple at Lachish

Ancient temples: their purpose and design, examples excavated at Lachish

The word 'temple' comes from the Latin word for 'time', and this gives a good indication of the purpose of ancient temples, especially in the Middle East. They were all about:

• finding and regulating the right time to sow and harvest crops
• cementing this moment by offering sacrifice to the gods/forces of Nature at an appropriate time.

Because they were so important to the survival of the community, temples were usually designed and built by the best craftsmen, with the finest materials available.

The focus of an ancient temple was not on community worship, but on the god itself. By modern standards, these temples were small.

The main room of the building was the cella, an inner windowless room that held an image or icon of the god. This was the 'home' of the power and essence of the god.

Stairs leading to the cella or inner room of the temple at Lachish

Outside this room was an altar, usually at the eastern end of the building, the east being the origin of the sun, the new day, and therefore of new life.

The temple was usually raised in some way, on a stepped platform, stone base, or hill.

Two temples have been excavated at Lachish, from two different time periods. Drawings and photographs of one of these are shown below.

Photograph of temple excavations, showing scale of the building

Ruins of the temple burnt with the rest of the city a little after 1200BC.
The size of the building can be judged against the human figure beside it.
The pool may have been used by priests before and after a sacrifice.

 The central, most sacred area of the temple; archaeological scale drawing

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