Many years after the construction of the Second Temple, it was completely renovated by Herod king of Judea. The Sages relate how Herod, an Edomite slave, came to power, and how he destroyed the Torah centers and killed the Sages of Israel, and that he sought to atone for his deeds by establishing a new, magnificent structure.

Herod, who was a slave in the house of the Hasmoneans, set his eyes upon a certain young Hasmonean girl. One day, that man, Herod, heard a divine voice saying: Any slave who rebels now will succeed. He rose and killed all his masters, but spared that girl. When that girl saw that he wanted to marry her, she went up to the roof and raised her voice; she said: Anyone who comes and says: I come from the house of the Hasmoneans, is actually a slave, as only this girl [I] remained from them. That girl fell from the roof to the ground and died.…

Herod said to himself: Who is it who expounds: “From among your brethren you shall place a king over you” (Deuteronomy 17:15)? It is the Sages. He rose and killed all the Sages. He spared Bava ben Buta in order to consult with him.

Herod placed a garland of porcupine quills on Bava ben Buta’s head, which poked his eyes out, blinding him. One day Herod came and sat before Bava ben Buta without identifying himself, in order to test him. Herod said: See, Master, what this evil slave [i.e., Herod] is doing. Bava ben Buta said to him: What should I do to him? Herod said to him: The Master should curse him. Bava ben Buta said to him: It is written: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” (Ecclesiastes 10:20). Herod said to him: He is not a legitimate king. Bava ben Buta said to him: Even if he were merely wealthy, it is written: “And in your bedrooms do not curse the rich” (Ecclesiastes 10:20). Even if he were only a leader, it is written: “And a prince among your people you shall not curse” (Exodus 22:27).

Herod said to him: That applies only to one who performs the deeds of your people [acts in accordance with Torah law], and this one does not perform the deeds of your people. Bava ben Buta said to him: I fear him. Herod said to him: There is no one who will go and tell him, as it is only you and I who are sitting here. Bava ben Buta said to him: It is written: “As a bird of the heavens will carry the voice, and a winged creature will tell a matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20). Herod said to him: I am he. Had I known that the Sages were so cautious, I would not have killed them. Now, what is that man’s [my] remedy? [How can I atone for my sinful actions?]

Bava ben Buta said to him: He who extinguished the light of the world, as it is written: “For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23), should go and occupy himself with the light of the world, the Temple, as it is written: “And all nations will stream [venaharu] to it” (Isaiah 2:2). Some say that this is what Bava ben Buta said to him: One who blinded the eye of the world, as it is written: “It shall be, if from the eyes of the congregation” (Numbers 15:24), should go and occupy himself with the eye of the world, the Temple, as it is written: “I am profaning My Sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes” (Ezekiel 24:21).

Herod said to him: I fear the Roman monarchy. Bava ben Buta said to him: Send a messenger and he will travel there one year, and remain there one year, and travel back one year. Meanwhile, you can demolish the existing Temple and rebuild a grander structure. He did so. Eventually, the Romans sent a message to Herod: If you have not demolished it, do not demolish it; and if you have demolished it, do not rebuild it; and if you have demolished it and rebuilt it, you are one of the wicked slaves who seek counsel after they have taken action. Even if you are armed and have an army at your command like a king, your book of genealogy is here. You are not a king and not the son of a king. You are Herod the slave who made himself a free man.

The Sages said: One who has not seen Herod’s building has never seen a beautiful building in his life. With what did he build it? Rabba said: He built it with stones of white and green marble. Some say that it was with stones of blue, white, and green marble.

He extended the edge of one row and indented the edge of one row, so that they would receive and hold the plaster. He sought to plate it with gold, but the Sages said to him: Leave it, as it is more beautiful this way, because it looks like the waves of the sea. (Bava Batra 3b–4a)