David--> Solomon

After David's first attempt to transfer the Ark of the Covenant ended in a tragedy, it became clear that the Ark symbolized Yahweh's presence and if he came to life Zion, "it would be because he-and he alone-had chosen to do so" (Armstrong 41). After the Ark was eventually carried into the tent-shrine, Yahweh provided a sign that he had in fact chosen David to be King of Israel, by deigning to dwell in the City of David. Despite David's failure to build a temple for his God, he had led the people of Yahweh into Jerusalem, just as Moses led those out of Egypt. However, David had not been permitted to build the temple that would make the Jebusite city the holiest place for those of the Jewish faith. 

The choosing of the site for the temple struck me in a particularly powerful way, because the site had to be revealed as one of the "centers" of the world. While we have discussed the importance of locations that are especially sacred, that the temple had to be "a copy of god's heavenly home" appears to be much more specific in that it requires a likeness that makes the two one, in some sense. This added definition of a sacred place, as suggested by the mundane sanctuary, represents a close similarity with the heavenly palace (Armstrong 45). The story of Eden also displays what the divine meant for those who worshipped in Solomon’s Temple, having a place to experience the sacred, as “Eden itself was an experience of the sacred” (Armstrong 51). 

One theme that remains through the entirety of the chapter is that much of justice in the ancient world was rooted in politics (Armstrong 55). Despite how frequently religion and politics are mixed today, it's still quite remarkable how powerful a role politics can play in religion and vice versa.