"What was the volume of the molten sea in Solomon’s temple?" (Alleged Contradiction #E9060)
And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
I Kings 7:26
And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.
II Chronicles 4:5
Response
It had a maximum capacity of 3,000 baths (“received and held”) but only normally used only 2,000 (“contained”). It would be unpractical for the molten sea to be filled to the brim. 1
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Notes
- http://skepticsannotatedbiblerespons.blogspot.com/2004/10/45-what-was-volume-of-molten-sea-in.html, accessed 8 July 2014 ↩