Temple

a structure designed for the worship of a deity or deities. The Mormons of Utah call their great church The Temple. In France Protestant places of worship are called temples by way of distinction from Catholic churches. Bryant says, "The groves were God's first temples." Ordinarily, however, the word temple is apt to call into mind idols and heathen practices. The heathen temple was not a place for the people to worship, but a home and a treasure-house for the divinity worshiped. It was shrouded in mystery and was entered only by the priests. In this respect the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple was adapted to ancient forms of worship. It was entered by priests only.

India is noted for cave temples hewn out of the solid rock. Both Brahmin and Buddhist excavated temples of this sort. Their open air temples are of pyramidal form and are known as pagodas. The Egyptians built enormous temples. Lofty solid walls were entered by tremendous gateways. Portions of the interior were roofed with slabs supported on great pillars. Part of the interior area was open to the sky.

The most celebrated temples of antiquity were those of the Greeks. The Greek temple stood usually on a terraced rectangle of marble. The walls were at a sufficient distance from the edges of the terrace to leave a broad walk. A row of massive pillars ran around the edge of the terrace. They screened the walk or porch and supported a heavy entablature, architrave, frieze, and cornice. The whole building was of marble, roofed with slabs. Apertures in the roof admitted light. The most noted Greek temples, if we name but three, were those of Zeus at Olympia, Apollo at Delphi, and the Parthenon of Athena at Athens.

See Architecture; Thebes; Parthenon