These must have had much to do with the building of the temple, and it may be that some of their handiwork is still to be seen in the foundations of the large level place in Jerusalem, called the Mosque enclosure, or the Temple area. It is generally supposed that the temple was built on some part of this enclosure, which had to be erected on the sides of the rock, the lower stones being let into the rock, and stones built upon them until the whole, except the summit of the rock, was a level plain. These stones formed no part of the temple, so that the temple could be destroyed without disturbing them.

There are such stones in situ, which are beautifully shaped and squared, fitting so closely that the blade of a pen-knife cannot be inserted, though there is no mortar between, showing the work of the 'stone-squarers.' For such large stones this shows great skill on the part of the masons. Many of the stones have a narrow chiselled draft round the margins. The arches in the cellars, the aqueducts, cisterns, etc. in Palestine, show various different styles of finishing, by which the period in which they were erected may be approximately ascertained. 2Sa 5:11; 2Ki 12:12; 22:6; 1Ch 14:1; 22:2; 2Ch 24:12; Ezr 3:7. In the quarry underneath Jerusalem there is evidence by the small chips lying about that many stones were dressed there, ready for their appointed place: cf. 1Ki 6:7.