Farmer Builds Model of Biblical Temple
A retired farmer has spent more than 30 years building an enormous
scale model of a Biblical temple.

Alec Gerrard has spent 30 years
constructing the ancient Herod's Temple
Photo:
GEOFF ROBINSON |
Alec Garrard, 78,
has dedicated a massive 33,000 hours to constructing the ancient Herod's
Temple , which measures a whopping 20ft by 12ft.
The pensioner has
hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile and even sculpted 4,000
tiny human figures to populate the courtyards.
Historical experts
believe the model is the best representation in the world of what the
Jewish temple actually looked like and it has attracted thousands of
visitors from all over the globe.
But Mr Garrard, who
started the elaborate project in his 40's, says his masterpiece will not
be finished in his lifetime.
"I've always loved
making models and as I was getting older I started to think about making
one big project which would see me through to the end of my life," he
said.
"I have an interest
in buildings and religion so I thought maybe I could combine the two and
I came up with the idea of doing the Temple .
"I'd seen one or
two examples of it in Biblical exhibitions, but I thought they were
rubbish and I knew I could do better.
"I have been
working on it for decades but it will never be finished as I'm always
finding something new to add."
Mr Garrard, from
Norfolk , spent more than three years researching the Temple , which was
destroyed by the Romans 2000 years ago and deemed to be one of the most
remarkable buildings of ancient times.
He then started to
construct the amazing 1:100 scale model, which is now housed in a huge
building in his back garden.
"Everything is made
by hand. I cut plywood frames for the walls and buildings and all the
clay bricks and tiles were baked in the oven then stuck together," he
said.
Mr Garrard sculpted
and painted 4,000 figures, measuring just half an inch and all wearing
their correct costumes including 32 versions of Jesus.
Visitors come from
all over the world to see the model and Mr Garrard provides binoculars
so they can see all the details.
In Pictures:
Model of Herod's Temple
All Pictures by: Geoff
Robinson Photography

Now, here's
a model of biblical proportions. A retired farmer has spent
more than 30 years building an enormous scale model of
Herod's temple - and it is still not finished |

Alec
Garrard, 78, has dedicated a massive 33,000 hours to
constructing the ancient temple, which measures a whopping
20ft by 12ft |

The
pensioner has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and
tile and even sculpted 4,000 tiny human figures to populate
the courtyards |

But Mr
Garrard, who started the epic project in his 40s, says his
masterpiece will not be finished in his lifetime
|

"I have an
interest in buildings and religion so I thought maybe I
could combine the two and I came up with the idea of doing
the temple" |

"I'd seen
one or two examples of it in Biblical exhibitions, but I
thought they were rubbish and I knew I could do better"
|

"I have also
sculpted and painted 4,000 figures, measuring just half an
inch and all wearing their correct costumes" |

"Each one
takes about three hours to make and there are 32 versions of
Jesus, although no one can ever spot him no matter how
religious they are" |

Visitors
come from all over the world to see the model and Mr Garrard
provides binoculars so they can see all the details
|

"I
personally know all the top archaeologists from Jerusalem
and I've had experts from the British Museum visit," he says
|

But he
chases the money-changers out of the temple: "I've had a lot
of offers from people to buy it, but it's not for sale"
|

He says his
wife Kathleen thinks he is mad |

He adds:
"She wishes she'd married a normal person"
|

Mr Garrard,
from Norfolk , spent more than three years researching the
temple, which was destroyed by the Romans 2,000 years ago
and deemed to be one of the most remarkable buildings of
ancient times |

He then
started to construct the amazing 1:100 scale model, which is
now housed in a huge building in his back garden
|

"Everything
is made by hand. I cut plywood frames for the walls and
buildings and all the clay bricks and tiles were baked in
the oven then stuck together," he says |

Built in
19BC by King Herod the Great, the temple was flattened in
AD70, just six years after completion |

In its
heyday the temple complex covered 36 acres - four times the
area of Windsor Castle |

The Temple
was probably located on the site of what today is the Dome
of the Rock
|
|