Cedar

The cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) was the most prized timber of the ancient Near East — celebrated for its height, fragrance, durability, and beauty. It grew abundantly on the slopes of Mount Lebanon and was harvested primarily by Phoenician craftsmen. David received cedar logs from Hiram of Tyre for building his palace (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 14:1), and Solomon used enormous quantities of cedar in constructing the temple (1 Kings 5:6–10; 6:9–10, 15–20) — cedar paneling covered the interior stone walls, giving the temple its fragrant, richly textured sanctuary. In Psalm 92:12, the righteous are compared to the towering cedar; Ezekiel uses the great cedar as a figure for the Assyrian empire (Ezekiel 31:3–9) and as a symbol of restored Davidic kingship (Ezekiel 17:22–24). The cutting down of the cedars of Lebanon by Assyria and Babylon became a stock image of divine judgment on great empires (Isaiah 14:8; 2 Kings 19:23).