The massive temple of King Solomon was built with local limestone. The quarry in the heart of Jerusalem was higher in altitude than Temple Mount, and so the journey from the quarry to the construction site was downhill. The Turonian and Cenomanlian limestone which came from surrounding mountains has a characteristic horizontal layering, and therefore required a specific method of quarrying.
"To quarry this limestone the stone cutter first straightened the face of the stone. This consisted of chiseling the rock in such a way as to produce a flat vertical surface "the side of the incipient stone" and a flat surface on top. Next, with a pickax he dug narrow channels 4 to 6 inches wide on all sides except the bottom of the incipient stone. In two of these grooves, at right angles, the quarryman would insert dry wooden beams, hammer them tightly into place and pour water over them. This caused the wood to swell, and the consequent pressure caused the stone to separate from the lower rock layer." 1
The stones were then squared off and made ready to be transported. Stones weighing around 50 tons each were transported on wooden rollers, after having had 12 inch projections on each side for that very purpose. An estimated 1000 oxen were involved in aiding the men to transport the stones in this manner.
Even though the temple was downhill from the quarry, it's still amazing how the huge stones (which weigh around 80 tons) were brought to their places at the corners of the temple whose walls are 16 feet thick. Those who are familiar with working with this stone marvel at the accomplishment, saying that it just could not have been possible for man to have done it.
Bibliography and Footnotes
"Reconstructing Herod's Temple Mount in Jerusalem," Kathleen and Leen Ritmeyer.
