The Altar and the Temple Foundation

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people gathered as one man in Jerusalem. Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel. They intended to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God (Ezra 3:1-2). Although they were in fear of the people of the surrounding lands, they set the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord during the morning and evening. They also observed the Festival of Tabernacles and presented the required daily burnt offerings according to the number specified for each day (Ezra 3:3-4).

In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, along with the rest of the priests and Levites, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. Jeshua and his sons and brothers joined together to supervise those working on the house of God. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord as prescribed by David king of Israel (Ezra 3:8-10).

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord, declaring that he is good and his love toward Israel endures forever. The text does not say what specific melodies were used, but all the people gave a great shout because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. However, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid. Others shouted for joy, and the sound was heard far away, so that the people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping (Ezra 3:11-13).