2
Herod's Temple
Aim
To know how the temple developed under the reign of Herod.
Lesson
Begin by revising what was taught in the previous lesson.
Have the children ever heard of a king called Herod? Not only is Herod famous for attempting to murder the infant Jesus, he is also famous for what he did to the Temple in Jerusalem. Herod was an incredible architect who completely re-built the Temple about twenty years before Jesus was born. At that time, Jerusalem was under the control of the Romans, who had appointed Herod as king. Herod was not Jewish. Therefore, it is believed that one of the reasons Herod re-built the Temple was to win the acceptance of the Jewish people. Herod's Temple was HUGE!
If available, show images.
Activity
Following discussion, children could:
- continue their Temple timeline
- explain what might have motivated Herod to rebuild the Temple
- write / talk about the biggest building they have ever visited
- draw a basic plan of Herod's Temple
