House

Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities (Gen 47:3; Ex 12:7; Heb 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1Kings 7:9; Isa 9:10) and marble (1Chr 29:2) used in building, and to the internal wood-work of the houses (1Kings 6:15; 7:2; 10:11; 10:12; 2Chr 3:5; Jer 22:14). "Ceiled houses" were such as had beams inlaid in the walls to which wainscotting was fastened (Ezra 6:4; Jer 22:14; Hag 1:4). "Ivory houses" had the upper parts of the walls adorned with figures in stucco with gold and ivory (1Kings 22:39; 2Chr 3:6; Ps 45:8).

The roofs of the dwelling-houses were flat, and are often alluded to in Scripture (2Sam 11:2; Isa 22:1; Matt 24:17). Sometimes tents or booths were erected on them (2Sam 16:22). They were protected by parapets or low walls (Deut 22:8). On the house-tops grass sometimes grew (Prov 19:13; 27:15; Ps 129:6; 129:7). They were used, not only as places of recreation in the evening, but also sometimes as sleeping-places at night (1Sam 9:25; 9:26; 2Sam 11:2; 16:22; Dan 4:29; Job 27:18; Prov 21:9), and as places of devotion (Jer 32:29; 19:13).

EBD - Easton's Bible Dictionary