כָּל־אֵ֜לֶּה אֲבָנִ֤ים יְקָרֹת֙ כְּמִדֹּ֣ת גָּזִ֔ית מְגֹרָר֥וֹת בַּמְּגֵרָ֖ה מִבַּ֣יִת וּמִח֑וּץ וּמִמַּסָּד֙ עַד־הַטְּפָח֔וֹת וּמִח֖וּץ עַד־הֶחָצֵ֥ר הַגְּדוֹלָֽה׃
All dieses war von schweren Steinen nach den Maßen von Werkstücken, gemeißelt mit dem Meißel von innen und von außen, von dem Grunde bis zum Unterbalken, von außen bis an den großen Hof.
Tosefta Sotah
From the time that the Temple was destroyed, the shamir ceased to exist, as well as the "sweetness of the honeycomb" (Ps. 19:11). Said Rabbi Yehuda, what was this "shamir"? It was created on the sixth day of creation. When it is placed on top of stones, [or] on top of beams, cuts them opens as though they are two boards of a writing tablet, and not only that, but when it is placed on top of iron, it would split it open from top to bottom (בוקע ויורד), and there was nothing that could withstand it. How did they do it (i.e., restrain it)? They would bind it up in a soft woolen cloth, and place it inside a lead cylinder filled with bran flour. And with it Solomon built the Holy Temple, as it is said (1 Kings 6:7, JPS Tr.), "When the House was built, only finished stones cut at the quarry were used, so that no hammer or ax or any iron tool was heard in the House while it was being built." [These are] the words of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Nehemiah says, they were sawed with saws from the outside, as it is said, (1 Kings 7:9, see Steinsaltz tr.), "All these were costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stones, sawed with saws, from inside (מבית) to outside." What does "from inside to outside" come to teach? That in the Temple they were not heard; rather, they prepared it from the outside and they brought it inside. Said Rebbi, the words of Rabbi Yehuda are preferable to me as to the stones of the Temple, and the words of Rabbi Nehemiah as to the stones of his, (i.e., Solomon's) house (בית).