THE ROCK FROM SOLOMON’S QUARRIES. 
By Nicholas Knight. 
A specimen of the rock from Solomon’s quarry was lately received 
by ns for analysis. It is the material that served in the construction 
of Solomon’s Temple, a building characterized by Dr. Lyman Abbott 
as an architectural splendor. The rock is of snowy whiteness, soft 
"when first removed from the quarry, but it soon hardens on exposure 
to the air. The natives call the rock from this portion of the quarry 
4 ‘The Royal.” The quarries extend underneath the city. The rock is 
soft and quite porous. There is a variety in another portion of the 
quarry, on a higher level which is locally called “The Hard Jewish.” 
The analysis was made by G. H. Wiesner, in the Cornell chemical labora- 
tory, as follows : 
99.32% 
0.67% 
Mg Co s 
0 
99.99% 
There is not a trace of silica iron or alumina. It is almost a per- 
fect specimen of calcium carbonate, with only a small quantity of 
magnesium carbonate. It is purer limestone than # Carara marble, 
and the query arises whether there is another limestone formation as 
extensive as this anywhere, of eaual purity. It would be an ideal rock 
for Portland cement and calcium carbide on account of the low 
magnesia content. The specimen was sent us by Herbert E. Clark, 
Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem, for which we desire to record our hearty thanks. 
He suggested as the formation lies under the city, and being porous, 
that drainage may have affected the nature of the rock, but the analysis 
does not seem to indicate any disturbing influence. 
On account of the porosity, we did not, get a satisfactory result in 
determining the specific gravity. By one method we obtained 2.25, and 
by another process 2.48. The latter would seem to be more nearly the 
correct value. 
*School Science and Mathematics, February, 1911, page 175. 
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