Why did Jeffrey Epstein build a 'temple' on his island, and why did he ship himself a 53-pound paper shredder, plus a tile and carpet extractor?

This is not a riddle, but two questions inspired by two very weird stories circulating about financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is in federal custody over charges of trafficking and sexual abuse of young girls.

First, from today: Why did Jeffrey Epstein build a temple on his private island?

Go see the photos.

A contractor and engineer who spoke with INSIDER highlighted an odd design anomaly: The medieval-era lock on the front door appears designed to keep people inside.

Gulp.

Second, also from today: The Intercept reports that right after Epstein reached that ridiculously sweet non-prosecution deal in July 2008 with then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta in Florida, maritime records show that Epstein shipped himself a paper shredder from the U.S. Virgin Islands to his Palm Beach home.

But that's not all. In March of this year, not long after federal judge in Florida invalidated that sweet Acosta agreement, the records show that Epstein shipped a tile and carpet extractor from the Virgin Islands to his Manhattan townhouse.

Totally normal.

Excerpt:

On July 7, 2008, federal prosecutors told Epsteins attorneys via email that they intended to notify the 32 victims about the agreement. Epsteins lawyers and the prosecutors debated how much of the agreement to reveal, settling on a less than full accounting.

A week later, on July 15, Epstein received a shipment at his Palm Beach home from the port in the U.S. Virgin Islands closest to his home there, according to maritime shipping records compiled by ImportGenius and provided to The Intercept.