Not This Mezuzah
In contemporary contexts, a mezuzah is the scroll of parchment inside a container that is affixed to the right side of a doorpost—on the upper third of the doorframe. Two passages are written on the mezuzah parchment: Deuteronomy 6:4‒9 and 11:13‒21. The container holding these sacred passages is usually rectangular and decorated. In the image to the left, the Hebrew letter
Mezuzot (plural of mezuzah) are attached to the doorframes of Jewish homes and synagogues. This is done to fulfill the command of Deuteronomy 6:9 to write the law “on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Some even believe that a mezuzah is needed on the doorframe of every room—not just on the entry to the house.
While this is the usual reference of a mezuzah today, it is obviously not what is meant in 1 Kings when describing Solomon’s Temple. For the definition of those mezuzot, we need to look further afield.