Ekuqaleni, uSolomoni wakha ithempeli laseJerusalema egqumeni futhi wakha izindonga ngasempumalanga nangasentshonalanga yegquma ukuze kube nendawo eyisicaba ezungeze isakhiwo esingcwele. UHerode wayefuna ithempeli libe lihle kakhulu kunangesikhathi sikaSolomoni, ngakho waqala umsebenzi wokulilungisa nokulandisa.

Onjiniyela bakaHerode bandisa indawo eyisicaba ngasenyakatho ukuze bakhulise igceke lethempeli. Ngaseningizimu bayandisa ngamamitha angu-32. Ukuze bafeze lokhu, baqala umsebenzi wokwakha udonga oluwugqinsi. Ngesinye isikhathi lolu donga lwaluphakeme ngamamitha angu-50.

UHerode wazama ukungawakhubi amaJuda noma aphazamise izinkonzo zawo nemihlatshelo. UJosephus, isazi-mlando esingumJuda, uthi uHerode wazama nokufundisa abapristi abangamaJuda ukwakha nokubaza ukuze kungangeni muntu ongagunyaziwe endaweni engcwele.

UHerode wafa ngaphambi kokuba lo msebenzi uphele. Ngo-30 C.E., kwase kuphele iminyaka engu-46 lo msebenzi wokwakha waqala. (Johane 2:20) Umsebenzi waqedelwa umzukulu kaHerode, u-Agrippa II, maphakathi nekhulu lokuqala C.E.

Kungenzeka ukuthi abanye abantu baseMelitha babethonywe inkolo yamaGreki. Cabanga ngalokho okwenzeka ngemva kokuba umkhumbi uPawulu ayekuwo uphahlazeke eMelitha, njengoba incwadi yezEnzo ilandisa. Lapho umphostoli uPawulu ebeka inyanda yezinkuni emlilweni owawubaselwe abantu ayehamba nabo, inyoka enobuthi yanamathela esandleni sakhe. Lapho bebona lokho, abantu bendawo bathi: “Ngokuqinisekile lo muntu ungumbulali, nakuba esindile olwandle, ubulungisa bokuphindisela abumvumelanga ukuba aqhubeke ephila.”—IzEnzo 28:4.

Igama lesiGreki elithi “Ubulungisa” elisetshenziswe lapha lithi “di’ke.” Leli gama lingasho ubulungisa ngendlela ehlukile. Nokho, ezinganekwaneni zesiGreki, uDike kwakuyigama likankulunkulukazi wobulungisa. Babecabanga ukuthi ubuka izinto ezenziwa abantu bese ebika ukungabi nabulungisa kuZeus, ukuze abanecala bajeziswe. Ngakho, ngokwenye incwadi, izakhamuzi zaseMelitha kungenzeka zazicabanga lokhu: “Nakuba uPawulu ephunyukile olwandle, uyindoda okumelwe ife futhi unkulunkulukazi uDike. . . umhlasele ngenyoka.” Abantu bashintsha indlela ababecabanga ngayo lapho bebona ukuthi uPawulu akalimalanga.