The Israelites were familiar with building. When God talks to Amos about plumb lines, they can relate. Plumb lines have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians to help builders ensure that their buildings are upright. After having spent generations as slaves in Egypt, Israelites were no doubt very familiar with tools like the plumb line. But building for the Egyptians was not all the building that the Israelites had done. After their escape from Egypt, Moses' people built the nation of Israel for themselves, and in Israel built the temple at Jerusalem.
