דברי הימים ב, פרק ז׳, פסוק ח׳

The dedication of the Temple was a monumental event that naturally blended with the autumn holidays, specifically the festival of Sukkot, resulting in an unprecedented gathering of Israelites from every corner of the kingdom [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because these events overlapped, the momentum of the celebration carried forward. Even after the initial dedication period, the people continued to offer an abundance of sacrifices throughout the seven days of Sukkot in honor of the newly inaugurated Temple [מצודת דוד].

Focusing on these seven days of Sukkot highlights an important distinction regarding the timeline of the celebrations. While the parallel account in the Book of Kings describes fourteen continuous days of rejoicing, the narrative here clarifies that the first seven days were exclusively dedicated to inaugurating the altar. Because they were not considered an official holiday, everyday work was permitted during that initial week. This distinction raises a question about Yom Kippur, which fell during those first seven days. Since this period was not an official festival, one might expect that the people fasted as usual. However, the Sages record that the people actually ate on Yom Kippur that year. This conclusion relies on the account in the Book of Kings, which broadly defined those initial dedication days as a full festival as well [מלבי״ם].

The massive size of the crowd present for these festivities reflects the reality that the Israelites were settled across the vast borders of the land at that time [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The gathering drew people from the absolute northern and southern limits of Solomon's kingdom. In the north, people traveled from the entrance to Hamath, located in present-day northern Syria, all the way down to the southern boundary at the Brook of Egypt [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].