For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation).

The word temple has different meanings in the fields of architecture, religion, geography, anatomy, and education.

Etymology

---

The word is derived from the both more and less specific Latin word templum ("sacred place"). Initially, the templum was a section (from Greek temnein - to cut or divide) carved out of the heavens, used by the augurs for divination. - see Roman temple. It is interesting to note that this spatial division has its temporal equivalent with tempus (the time) deriving from the same temnein origin, as a division of the duration.

Religious Terminology

---

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites (as in masonry). It is a general term for a house of worship.

Some religions use the term temple, exclusively or alongside specific synonym(s):

• Hinduism (Mandir)
• Buddhism (Shaolin)
• Temple at Uppsala
• Greek temple
• Temple in Jerusalem
• Mormon temple
• Roman temple
• Reform Judaism's synagogues.

Some religions refer to their temples by a unique word of their own:

• In ancient Rome, only the native deities of Roman mythology had a templum; any equivalent structure for a foreign deity was called a fanum.
• In Christianity, God is not believed to live in a church but is omnipresent. As 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19 says Christians are the temple of God, considered equivalent to the Temple in Jerusalem. Usually the building is called a church, but may sometimes be called a temple.
  • In Western Christianity, some "private" temples are called chapels, while major public ones are designated by a term reflecting its ecclesiastical status, such as cathedral (i.e. seat of a diocesan bishop), basilica, or minster, and/or proper to a cultural tradition, e.g. kirk (Scotts, cognate with church) or Dom (Dutch and (German, English cognate Dome only used in architecture).
  • In Orthodox Christianity (both Eastern and Oriental) a temple is achurch with a base shaped like a Greek cross. See Orthodox temple.
  • Protestant denominations installed in France in the early modern era use the word "temple" (as opposed to "church," supposed to be Roman Catholic); some more recently installed Christian denominations use "church."
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) uses both "church" and "temple" to denote different types of buildings. Normal worship services are held in churches while Mormon temples are reserved for special ordinances.
• A Jain temple is called a derasar.
• A Hindu temple is variously called a mandir (Hindi), a Kovil (Tamil), and a gudi/devalayam/kovela (Telugu).
• An Islamic temple is called a mosque (masjid in Arabic)
• In Judaism, the Temple in Jerusalem (Hebrew: בית המקדש, Beit ha Mikdash, literally "House of the Temple") on Temple Mount in Jerusalem was the center of ancient Judaism and the most important holy site in the religion. The First Temple was built in the 10th century BCE under King Solomon to replace the Tabernacle and was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The Second Temple was constructed after the return from the Babylonian exile, from around 536 BCE to 515 BCE. Herod's Temple was a massive expansion of the Second Temple begun under Herod the Great around 19 BCE. It was almost entirely destroyed by Roman troops under Titus in 70 CE during the siege of Jerusalem of the First Jewish-Roman War, leaving only the Western Wall. Some synagogues, especially Reform synagogues, are called temples (as in Temple Emanu-El; Temple Beth-El), but Orthodox Judaism considers this inappropriate as they do not consider synagogues a replacement for the Temple in Jerusalem.
• A Sikh temple is called a gurdwara.
• A Zoroastrian temple is called a fire temple.
• In Cambodia and Thailand, both Hindu and Buddhist temples are known as wats.
• Bahá'í Temples are known as "Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs"
• A Shintoist temple is called a jinja, or in English a shrine, as opposed to temples (-tera, -dera) as in Buddhism.
• Various Far Eastern temples are called pagoda in western languages

  Parareligious traditions

  • Masonic temples are meeting places for Freemasons, who, though not members of a church, follow some religious practices. However, precisely to avoid confusion with religious temples, the Shriners renamed their temples "Shrine Centers".

  Temple Architecture

  ---

  In various historical periods, specific architectural styles were maintained strictly for major religious structures. These temple structures, along with military and palace structures, have often been the main surviving studied examples of certain kinds of architecture.

  In particular, Greek and Roman temple architecture has been a major influence in Western public architecture. See list of ancient temple structures.

  List of religious temples

  ---

  In Republic of China ( Taiwan ) for non-Buddhist worship:
  • Long-shan Temple (龍山寺, Long Shan Si)
  • Bao-an Temple (大龍峒保安宮)
  • Xanthos, a Greek temple
  • Meenakshi Temple, famous temple in Madurai, India
  • Edakkunni Temple, most famous of the 108 durga temples built by Parasurama; known for Kshipra prasadini (i.e. you get whatever you prayed for if you pray daily)]
  In China:
  • The Temple of Heaven, a famous Taoist temple in Beijing
  In Japan:
  • Hōryū-ji
  • Kihryuzan Senjo-ji temple
  • Sensō-ji
  • Ryōan-ji

  See also

  ---

  • List of Buddhist temples
  • List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Temple - Christian Rock Band

  External links

  ---

  • etymology on line - distinct for the religious and anatomical terms
  • The Hindu Temple - Where Man Becomes God by Sri Nitin Kumar.
  • The Temple of Love
  • South Indian Temples History and Images
  • Indian Temple Informations.
  • Indian Hindu Temples.

  Religious buildings | Old Testament topics

  معبد | Chrám | Tempel | Tempel | Tempel | Templo | Temple | Candi | Tempio | מקדש | Templum | Templom | Teokalli | Tempel | 寺院 | Tempel | Świątynia | Templo | Храм | Temple | candi | Tempel | Tapınak | 寺院