Answer:
The “Sea of Bronze” (sometimes referred to as the “Bronze Sea”) appears in the Bible in the Old Testament, particularly in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. It was a large, round basin made of bronze that stood in the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.
Here are some key details about it:
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Purpose and Description:
- The Sea of Bronze was used for the ceremonial washing of the priests before they performed their duties in the temple (in the same way that the smaller basins were used for purification).
- It was a huge, circular vessel with a diameter of about 15 feet (5 meters) and a height of about 7.5 feet (2.3 meters).
- The Sea of Bronze was supported by 12 bronze oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east, symbolizing the four cardinal directions.
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Biblical References:
- 1 Kings 7:23-26: It is described as being made by a craftsman named Hiram, who worked with King Solomon to build the temple. The Sea is referred to as a “molten sea” because it was cast from bronze, and its purpose was to hold water for the priests’ washings.
- 2 Chronicles 4:2-5: A similar description is given, adding that the Sea was large and could hold a significant amount of water (around 2,000 baths, or about 12,000 gallons).
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Symbolism:
- The Sea of Bronze may symbolize purification, holiness, and the cleansing of the people before approaching God, reflecting the idea of being purified before entering God’s presence.
The Sea of Bronze was a striking and symbolic piece of Solomon’s temple, representing both the physical and spiritual cleanliness required for those serving in the temple.
One of the furnishings in the tabernacle and the temple was a laver to hold water so that God’s requirements for the priests to wash before doing certain ceremonies could be done. “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them-to him and his descendants throughout their generations” (Exodus 30:18-21). The one made for the tabernacle was not very big as it had to be carried around.
When Solomon built the temple, he made a very large laver; so large that it was called a “sea.” “And he made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. Below its brim were ornamental buds encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained two thousand baths” (I Kings 7:23-26). To give you a rough idea how big it was, it was 18 feet in diameter (probably bigger than your living room) and held 16,000 gallons of water.
