King Solomon (970-928 BCE)

Solomon's reign was marked by a constant tension between two conflicting orientations:
faithfulness to the God of Israel and fulfillment of the Judaic religious precepts, against
pervasive foreign influences that penetrated the kingdom as a result of the obligations
imposed by the grandiose nature of the kingdom.
On the summit of Mount Moriah Solomon built a magnificent Temple dedicated to the
God of the Israelites, a project which his father King David had not undertaken for
various reasons. The exclusive concentration of religious ritual in the Temple, together
with the institutionalization of the biblical injunction regarding the pilgrimage festivals,
transformed Jerusalem - despite its unpromising natural features - into an important
political and commercial center during Solomon's reign.
At the same time, the king's earthly imperial policies involved him intensively in the
affairs of various regional peoples. His political marriages to foreigners inclined him
toward their culture and religion and led to the neglect of the Israelite God. Visits by
foreign dignitaries, perhaps the most famous being the Queen of Sheba, also had a deep
influence on Jerusalem and the royal palace.
The maintenance of the gaudy splendor necessitated the use of forced labor on a vast
scale; the many palaces that Solomon built in the "miloh" area, including one for
Pharaoh's daughter, turned the people against him. Moreover, the pagan rituals that were
practised at his encouragement seemed to dull the divine luster of his rule. The result was
that the united imperial kingdom endured for only two generations. Around Solomon
himself there sprang up the myth of extraordinary kingly splendor and superhuman
wisdom.
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( ) 1995-2002
Copyright 1995-2002, Snunit. All Rights Reserved. (Terms of Use)

King Solomon (970-928 BCE)

Solomon's reign was marked by a constant tension between two conflicting orientations:
faithfulness to the God of Israel and fulfillment of the Judaic religious precepts, against a
propensity to yield to the pervasiveforeign influences that penetrated the kingdom as a
result of the obligation simposed by its grandiose nature.
The major undertaking of Solomon's reign - besides his almost complete success in
preserving the kingdom which he inherited fromhis father King David - was the building
of the magnificent Temple to the God of Israel on the summit of Mount Moriah, a project
which his father, for various reasons, had not undertaken.
The resplendent Temple was an expression of the power thatresided in Solomon's
kingdom and of its beneficent foreign relations. The monumental sanctuary received the
symbolic affirmation of the God to whom it was dedicated: "the priests came out of the
sanctuary for the cloud had filled the House ofthe Lord and the priests were not able to
remain and perform the service because of the cloud, for the Presence of the Lord filled
the House of the Lord... "(1 Kings 8:11).Solomon also experienced a divine revelation in
the form of a vision following the conclusion of the dedicatory service: "I have heard the
prayer and the supplication which you have offered to Me. I consecrate this House which
you have built and I set Myname there forever "(1 Kings 9:3). The concentration of
religious ritual in the Temple, together with the institutionalization of the biblical
injunction regarding the pilgrimage festivals, transformed Jerusalem - despite its
unpromising natural features - into an important political and commercial center during
Solomon sreign. At the same time, the king's earthly imperial rule involved him in the
affairs of the surrounding peoples: "Solomon allied himself by marriage with
Pharaohking of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the City of
David" (1 Kings 3:1), and built her a palace (1 Kings 7:8). This unique historical
evidence of an Egyptian princess leaving her country attests both to Solomon spower and
Egypt's temporary weakness. However, this marriage, and others he made withhigh-born
foreigners for political expediency, inclined the king to the cultureand religion of those
peoples, causing him to neglect his own God: "At that time Solomon built a shrine for

Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the hill near Jerusalem, and one for Moloch the
abomination of the Ammonites. And he did the same forall his foreign wives who offered
and sacrificed to their gods" (1 Kings 11:7-8). Astrong impression was also made by the
foreign dignitaries who visited Jerusalem, of whom the most famous is probably the
Queen of Sheba. She had " heard of Solomon sfame, through the name of the Lord, and
she came to test him with hard questions.She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large
retinue, with camels bearing spices, agreat quantity of gold, and precious stones" (1
Kings 10:1-2).
Maintaining the excessive splendor necessitated the useof forced labor on a vast scale (1
Kings 5:28). This, and the many palaces that Solomon built in the "miloh", the area that
he prepared for this purpose on the slopes of Mount Moriah, including the palace for
Pharaoh's daughter, turned thepeople against him"(1 Kings 12:3).
At a spiritual level, the pagan rituals that flourished at his encouragement seemed to dull
the divine luster of his monarchy: "And the Lord said to Solomon, Because you are guilty
of this - you have not kept Mycovenant and the laws which I enjoined upon you - I will
tear the kingdom away from you... But, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it
in your lifetime; Iwill tear it away from your son" (1 Kings 11:11-12). The united
imperial kingdom of Davidand Solomon endured for only two generations. Around
Solomon there sprang upthe myth of extraordinary kingly splendor and superhuman
wisdom.

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( ) 1995-2002
Copyright 1995-2002, Snunit. All Rights Reserved. (Terms of Use)