What is the "Sea" mentioned in 2 Chronicles 4:4?
The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.
2 Chronicles 4:4
NIV - 4 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.
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Asked March 24 2014
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Mark Marcotte
Supporter
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Tim Collinson
Supporter
The Molten Sea or Brazen Sea was a large basin in the Temple in Jerusalem made by Solomon for ablution of the priests. It is found in 1 Kings 7 and as you quoted from 2 Chronicles 4. It stood in the south-eastern corner of the inner court. According to the Bible it was five cubits high, ten cubits in diameter from brim to brim, and thirty cubits in circumference. It was placed on the backs of twelve oxen or bulls (depending on which translation you use), standing with their faces outward. It was capable of containing two or three thousand baths of water.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
This is an interesting question, Mark Marcotte. I have wondered in awe at such a structure, myself. The Old Testament sea, according to the dictionary is, "A great brazen laver in the temple at Jerusalem; -- so called from its size." [1913 Webster] "He made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof." [1913 Webster Biblically, the "Sea" or "Molten Sea" mentioned in 2 Chronicles 4:4 was a massive bronze basin built by Solomon for the priests' use in the temple. It replaced the smaller laver from the tabernacle days. To explain: The Molten Sea was a huge circular water basin made of bronze, used by the temple priests for ceremonial washing. It stood in the inner court of Solomon’s temple, near the altar, on the southeast side. It measured about 7.5 feet high, 15 feet across, and 45 feet around. It rested on twelve bronze oxen, arranged in groups of three, facing outward in each cardinal direction (north, south, east, and west). It could hold 2,000 to 3,000 baths of water (several thousand gallons), used for the priests' ritual cleansing. Originally, water came from the Gibeonites, but later it was supplied via a conduit from the pools near Bethlehem. The bronze used to make it came from David’s conquest of Hadadezer, king of Zobah (1 Chr. 18:8). Later, King Ahaz removed the Sea from the oxen and set it directly on stone pavement. Eventually, the Babylonians broke it apart and took it, along with the oxen, when they destroyed Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:13-16).
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