The Science in the Bible

Entry 18 · Section 2: Build

Moving Very Large Stones

Workers lever a dressed foundation block onto a sledge or rollers and haul it from quarry to building site.

Scripture: 1 Kgs 5:17–18; 2 Chr 2:2

Mechanical Eng.

Illustrative reconstruction of a large dressed stone leaving a quarry on a timber sledge and rollers with workers, ropes, and levers. The passage does not specify this method or block size; later calculations remain per unit of mass.
Illustrative reconstruction of a large dressed stone leaving a quarry on a timber sledge and rollers with workers, ropes, and levers. The passage does not specify this method or block size; later calculations remain per unit of mass.

The question

How much pulling force and how many workers are required per large reference block?

Why it matters

Stone mass is unstated, so expressing force per unit of mass is more defensible than inventing a biblical block size.

Suggest a correction or new direction
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