Bennett, Solomon, The Temple of Ezekiel…A Description…on Scientific Principles Illustrated by a Ground Plan and Bird's-Eye View. With an Appendix…on the Authenticity of the Book of Daniel.

The author, Solomon (Yom Tov) Bennett (1761-1838) was one of the most vigorous and striking personalities of London Jewry. He was a multi-faceted individual with many talents: a professional engraver (with membership in the Royal Academy in Berlin) and an author of theological, exegetical and polemical works. He was particularly vociferous in his literary attack against the Chief Rabbi, Solomon Hirschell. According to Barnett (p. 98), by the time of the publication of the book (1824), Bennett had apparently made peace with Hirschell, as the latter is listed as a patron and subscriber to the work. Barnett praises this engraving by stating: "This work…was conceived, designed and executed entirely out of his own interpretation of the scriptural record and rabbinic commentaries. It is a masterpiece both of imagination and technique, and it is accompanied by a ground plan which implies a sound knowledge of architectural draftmanship" (p. 96). Cecil Roth's copy was apparently incomplete, as he lists the pagination as pp. 113, which covers only the first part up to the appendix. For more information concerning the author, see A. Barnett, "Solomon Bennet: Artist, Hebraist and Controversialist," JHSE Transactions, Vol. XVII, pp. 91-111. The Book of Ezekiel with its vision of the future Temple of Jerusalem invited enterprising artists and architects to harness their skills as draftsmen to the task of sketching the Third Temple. One of Bennet's purposes in publishing this work was to refute the opinion of many Christian missionaries who felt that Ezekiel was prophesizing about the Temple of Christ. Bennet comments: "Shall the school boy instruct his preceptor or the apprentice teach his master? "(p. 4). When a Christian sarcastically questioned Bennett about the progress of his work, he replied: "When there are so many Christian builders of temples in the air, why may not the Israelite be permitted to dream of a material one? " (p. 6)