The book assembles and analyzes the literary and archaeological information regarding the temple that stood in Jerusalem from 515-20 BCE. The chapters in the book are ordered chronologically and focus attention on what the sources report about the structures in the temple complex, the functions the temple served, and the reputation it had among writers. Four appendices cover the archaeological evidence for this temple, references to it in Jewish texts not treated in the chapters, references to it in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and its financial roles, while a fifth provides an index of references to temple structures and areas.