Asmodeus then swallowed the king, stood up fully with one wing touching heaven and the other earth, and spat out Solomon to a distance of 400 miles. Thirdly, it is very easy to begin to get prideful at all the accomplishments you have made and the wealth you have accumulated. But he wasn't exactly famous for his purity. [20] This could also be attributed to the notion that the prophet held great influence over David because he knew of his adultery, which was considered a grievous offense under the Mosaic Law. She became influential in the royal palace. Solomon then sent the bird to request the queen's visit. It is simply the consequences of sin. Salmon ( Hebrew: almn) or Salmah ( alm, Greek: ) is a person mentioned in genealogies in both the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and in the New Testament . Solomon, being curious about such a peculiar phenomenon, had a glass floor built before his throne so that Bilqs, tricked into thinking it was water, raised her skirts to cross it and revealed that her legs were truly hairy. The throne then passed to the Persians, whose king Darius was the first to sit successfully on Solomon's throne after his death; subsequently the throne came into the possession of the Greeks and Ahasuerus. According to 1 Kings 11:3, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines! They suggest that because of religious prejudice, the authors of the Bible suppressed the achievements of the Omrides (whom the Hebrew Bible describes as being polytheist), and instead pushed them back to a supposed golden age of Judaism and monotheists, and devotees of Yahweh. This is one reason why Jesus said it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than a camel through the eye of a needle. [50][51][52][53][54], Historical evidence of King Solomon other than the biblical accounts has been so minimal that some scholars have understood the period of his reign as a 'Dark Age' (Muhly 1998). [95], In Medieval traditions, when Islam spread through Persia, Solomon became merged with Jamshid, a great king from Persian legends whom similar attributes are ascribed to. Christianity has traditionally accepted the historical existence of Solomon, though some modern Christian scholars have also questioned at least his authorship of those biblical texts ascribed to him. He knows the result of these unequally yoked unions. The Story of the Fisherman. The promise was fulfilled. Trying to please many women would turn the kings heart away from the Lord and distract him from the work God had for him to do in his family and country. Did we keep our end of the deal? Bathsheba was a faithful wife to David. Solomon is the perfect case study of why God gave this warning originally to the Jews before they even entered the land and why similar commands are repeated throughout Scripture and in the New Testament. In Search of 'Ancient Israel': A Study in Biblical Origins. Some say he regained his status while others say he did not. For instance, it has been suggested that Matthew is using Joseph's genealogy and Luke is using Mary's, but Darrell Bock states that this would be unprecedented, "especially when no other single woman appears in the line". The first poem is spoken by the young maiden, who longs to be near her lover and enjoy his kisses. So order me that I may be grateful for Thy favors, which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: and admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants.'" She occupied an influential position as the queen mother. If Solomon could not handle the temptations associated with marrying an unbeliever, there is no way we can. An Ethiopian account from the 14th century (Kebra Nagast) maintains that the Queen of Sheba had sexual relations with King Solomon and gave birth beside the Mai Bella stream in the province of Hamasien, Eritrea. It's the tale of a young woman preparing to marry her love: a handsome gent who . Early adherents of the Kabbalah portray Solomon as having sailed through the air on a throne of light placed on an eagle, which brought him near the heavenly gates as well as to the dark mountains behind which the fallen angels Uzza and Azzazel were chained; the eagle would rest on the chains, and Solomon, using the magic ring, would compel the two angels to reveal every mystery he desired to know. Whether the passage is simply to provide a brief foreign witness of Solomon's wealth and wisdom, or whether the visit is meant to have more significance, is unknown; nevertheless the Queen of Sheba has become the subject of numerous stories. As long as we do, He will take care of us, but there are also many conditional promises in the Bible. The Bible says Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem,[5] dedicating the temple to Yahweh, or God in Judaism. Meaning in life can be found only in a right relationship with God. According to the Rabbinical literature, on account of his modest request for wisdom only, Solomon was rewarded with riches and an unprecedented glorious realm, which extended over the upper world inhabited by the angels and over the whole of the terrestrial globe with all its inhabitants, including all the beasts, fowl, and reptiles, as well as the demons and spirits. Solomon easily resolved the dispute by commanding the child to be cut in half and shared between the two. If we do, we are the ones who give up His blessings the joy we can have in Him. [65], Some scholars have charted a middle path between minimalist scholars like Finkelstein, Silberman, and Philip Davies[66] (who believes that "Solomon is a totally invented character")[67] and maximalist scholars like Dever, Lemaire and Kitchen. If we instead use what we want first we will often find there is nothing left at the end of the month. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1. The Old Testament teaches a concept of giving called first fruits. That means to give of the first that you make, which will help ensure that you give. The staunchly Catholic King Philip II of Spain sought to model himself after King Solomon. His control over the demons, spirits, and animals augmented his splendor, the demons bringing him precious stones, besides water from distant countries to irrigate his exotic plants. Daniel's ministry spans the entire 70-year captivity. Solomon didnt ask for any of these things. The child was a son who became Menelik I, King of Axum, and founded a dynasty that would reign as the Jewish, then Christian, Empire of Ethiopia which lasted 2900 years until Haile Selassie was overthrown in 1974. The biblical narrative notes with disapproval that Solomon permitted his foreign wives to import their national deities, building temples to Ashtoreth and Milcom. The former appears in the title of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire whose framing story is Solomon capturing demons using his ring, and forcing them to explain themselves to him. Solomon is described as undertaking the construction of the temple, with the help of an architect, also named Hiram, and other materials, sent from King Hiram of Tyre. Romans Ruth Salvation Sanctification Satan Science and the Bible Scripture Memory Second Coming of Christ Self-Control Self . As king, Solomon faced a lot of responsibilities and needed to make a lot of tough decisions, decisions that would affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Seeking God first will be what I will always try to keep upmost in my being.It is clear and makes sense that when we take our eyes off God and open them to worldly temptation we fail miserably and the consequences lead to devastation. Solomons disobedience ended up causing hundreds of years of tension and warfare between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms and the Northern Kingdom was conquered and basically went extinct. (Deuteronomy 17:17, 1 Kings 11:1-3) Not only did God command His people not to marry pagan women, He also commanded them not to marry many women. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1.Support. Faust, Avraham. It wasnt a racial or ethnic issue, but a religious one. God was angry with Solomon. [42], Jewish scribes say that Solomon's teacher was Shimei (son of Gera), and while he lived, he prevented Solomon from marrying foreign wives. [11], The life of Solomon is primarily described in 2Samuel, 1Kings and 2Chronicles. Southern Phoenician Hacksilber Hoards and the Location of Tarshish", "A Buried Treasure: The Entombment of the Ark", "Nights 3-9. Judas and Peter What Is True Repentance? However, excavations of Jerusalem have discovered no monumental architecture from the era, and no remains of either the Temple or Solomon's palace have been found. Then Solomon asked for "a discerning heart to governand to distinguish between right and wrong." God was so pleased, He not only gave Solomon what he asked for but also added riches and honor. They did not teach anybody until they had said "We are a test, so do not lose faith." Other books of wisdom poetry such as the Odes of Solomon and the Psalms of Solomon also bear his name. 2. Solomon begins his reign well, and follows in his father's footsteps by demonstrating a great love for the Lord and offering many sacrifices to Him at Hebron. Dont keep the best for yourself and give the leftovers to God. [89][91] Solomon was also known in Islam to have other supernatural abilities bestowed upon him by God, like controlling the wind, ruling over the jinn, enslaving demons (divs), and hearing the communication of ants: "And to Solomon (We made) the wind (obedient): its early morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinn that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from Our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire. [13] Regarding the Davidic dynasty, to which King Solomon belongs, its chronology can be checked against datable Babylonian and Assyrian records at a few points, and these correspondences have allowed archaeologists to date its kings in a modern framework. Quart. They had pagan alters, which the Israelites had destroyed and replaced. King Solomon Solomon was the third king over Israel. The dove then descended, took the scroll of the Law from the Ark, and placed it on Solomon's knees. A well-known story in the collection One Thousand and One Nights describes a genie who had displeased King Solomon and was punished by being locked in a bottle and thrown into the sea. I can handle it. What would you have wanted to tell Solomon if he said this to you? We have a responsibility to follow God. This union caused many problems in the kingdom and was at least a partial cause of civil war and dissension with his own children. Do not offer any excuses. Solomon's sub-themes are that contentment cannot be found in human endeavors or material things, while wisdom and knowledge leave too many unanswered questions. She is only mentioned once by the title "Shulammite," in Song of Solomon 6:13. Again and again God reminded Solomon to obey and to love Him as David did. God is so pleased with Solomon's answer that he gives him wisdom beyond measure as well as riches and honor. The Spiral Bible is now available! 18), the fear of iron on the part of evil spirits is a feature common to both old and recent folk-lore. In The Book of Deadly Names, purportedly translated from Arabic manuscripts found hidden in a building in Spain, the "King of the Jinn" Fiqitush brings 72 jinn before King Solomon to confess their corruptions and places of residence. Only after the temple was built was worshiping God in the high places forbidden. [97] Bahs see Solomon as a prophet who was sent by God to address the issues of his time. The biblical passages that understand Tarshish as a source of King Solomon's great wealth in metalsespecially silver, but also gold, tin and iron (Ezekiel 27)were linked to archaeological evidence from silver-hoards found in Phoenicia in 2013. God gave him wisdom and wealth besides ( 1 Kings 3:4-15; 10:27 ). Kitchen calculates that over 30 years, such a kingdom might have accumulated up to 500 tons of gold, which is small compared to other examples, such as the 1,180 tons of gold that Alexander the Great took from Susa. Introduction. [72], The archaeological remains that are considered to date from the time of Solomon are notable for the fact that Canaanite material culture appears to have continued unabated; there is a distinct lack of magnificent empire, or cultural developmentindeed comparing pottery from areas traditionally assigned to Israel with that of the Philistines points to the latter having been significantly more sophisticated. [12], The conventional dates of Solomon's reign are derived from biblical chronology and are set from about 970 to 931 BCE. [65], King Solomon sinned by acquiring many foreign wives and horses because he thought he knew the reason for the biblical prohibition and thought it did not apply to him. [24] It is said that Solomon ascended to the throne when he was only about fifteen.[25]. Solomon reached the second level of commitment, which is already saying a lot considering how much David loved God. Following the split, his patrilineal descendants ruled over Judah alone.[6]. Copyright 2012 -2022|Study and ObeyAll Rights Reserved|. In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes he shares much of this with his sons. In a single year, according to 1 Kings 10:14, Solomon collected tribute amounting to 666 talents (18,125 kilograms) of gold. Online library for Christian discipleship resources incorporating digitized classic studies presented during the past 60 years. It is suggested in Scripture that this was a judgment from God. David's heir apparent, Adonijah, acted to have himself declared king, but was outmaneuvered by Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan, who convinced David to proclaim Solomon king according to his earlier promise (not recorded elsewhere in the biblical narrative),[23] despite Solomon's being younger than his brothers. [34] The wives were described as foreign princesses, including Pharaoh's daughter[35] and women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and of the Hittites. He remained loyal to King Saul, despite Saul's crazed pursuit. Perhaps the best known story of his wisdom is the Judgment of Solomon; two women each lay claim to being the mother of the same child. He brought in the best engineers on the project. If we disobey God and turn away from Him like Solomon did, the consequences of this will not be worth whatever the short term enjoyment from the sin is. Each book offers a unique perspective on how humans can rule. But over the course of ones life he faced hundreds of thousands of temptations. Now you can see why the biblical author of 1 Kings 1-10 went into all that detail.