7:2 house of the forest. The thirteen years were required to complete all the buildings associated with Solomon’s palace, including the “house of the forest of Lebanon,” the porch of pillars,” (I Kings 7:6), the “porch of judgment” (I Kings 7:7) and the “house for Pharaoh’s daughter” (I Kings 7:8), as well as the “great court” (I Kings 7:12) around the whole complex. These buildings were beautiful, no doubt, but not as much so as the temple itself. The house of the forest of Lebanon was largely an armory (I Kings 10:16-17; Isaiah 22:8) and was probably so named because of its cedar beams and pillars, giving it almost the appearance of a cedar forest.