What was the chief stone in an ancient arch?
In ancient architecture, especially arches, the chief stone is the final stone placed at the center of the top of the arch. All the rest of the arch rests against that one, so it becomes the chief corner stone that holds the arch together.
Les explains that in ancient architecture, especially arches, the final stone placed at the center of the top of the arch is the chief stone because all the rest of the arch rests against it. He connects this to Peter’s message to Israel’s religious leaders, where Peter quotes the verse about the stone the builders rejected becoming the head of the corner. Les shares a legend about Solomon’s temple: since every stone was pre-cut at the quarries, there was no hammer sound at the site. The chief corner stone came to the builders, but in their confusion they could not find a place for it, so they dragged it to a vacant lot. Weeds grew around it, and people taking shortcuts stumbled over it. Les says this legend is not Scripture but is applicable, because Israel was the builder of God’s Kingdom and their Christ was to be the Messiah, the chief corner stone. But Israel rejected Him and threw Him out, and He became a stone of stumbling to them.
This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.