Molten Sea, in Jewish Antiquity, one of the sacred utensils in the temple of Solomon. This immense reservoir stood in the inner court of the temple, and rested or appeared to rest on the backs of twelve oxen, three of which looked towards each quarter of the world. It was ten cubits in width, five in depth, thirty in circumference, and had a capacity of 3000 baths. The brim of it was perfectly round, and so it continued in the two upper cubits; but in the three lower cubits it was square. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and the brim was wrought like the brim of a cup, with figures of lilies in bloom. About the body of this huge vessel were two borders of engravings, representing the heads of oxen in demi-relief; and out of these some suppose the water to have issued. This brazen or molten sea was designed for the priests to wash themselves in before they performed the service of the temple. Water was supplied by a pipe out of the well Etam. The description of this great work gives a very favourable idea of the state of metallurgic art in the time of Solomon.