word shalom, and means "peace" or . It is this reason why his name, which means peace, was chosen. The evidence from the hoards shows that the Levant was a center of wealth in precious metals during the reigns of Solomon and Hiram, and matches the texts that say the trade extended from Asia to the Atlantic Ocean. Did we keep our end of the deal? Miserable is what they sold their souls for, if they only knew. 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. That is a lot of animals! I can handle it. What would you have wanted to tell Solomon if he said this to you? 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. https://studyandobey.com/inductive-bible-study/should-believers-date-unbelievers/. An elder brother of the eagle, 900 years old, was then found, but it also did not know the entrance. Copyright 2012 -2022|Study and ObeyAll Rights Reserved|. 'So he smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: 'O my Rabb (Arabic: , Lord)! [96], In the Bah Faith, Solomon is regarded as one of the lesser prophets along with David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, along with others. Knowing what is right doesnt equal doing what is right Solomon was given almost supernatural wisdom about what is right and what is wrong. But Solomon saw it through to the end because it was an important project. Solomons reign was Israels most prosperous and most powerful period in history. The Shulammite (from Hebrew shulammit, "woman of Jerusalem") is the central figure in the Song of Solomon (also called Song of Songs or Canticles) and one of the most positive representations of young womanhood in the Hebrew Bible.As the embodiment of erotic pleasure, innocent and savored for its own sake, she is to be contrasted, on the one hand, with the wily seductress of Proverbs 7 . Also, we have the book of Proverbs largely written by Solomon and Ecclesiastes completely written by him. God referred to him as Jedidiah which means "beloved of Jehovah" (2Samuel 12:25). He brought in the best engineers on the project. Trade relationships were a focus of his administration. In the New Testament, he is portrayed as a teacher of wisdom excelled by Jesus of Nazareth,[9] and as arrayed in glory but excelled by "the lilies of the field". Romans Ruth Salvation Sanctification Satan Science and the Bible Scripture Memory Second Coming of Christ Self-Control Self . It is hard enough with a godly wife to encourage us. The promise was fulfilled. The authors suggested that trade routes with South Asia existed much earlier than previously thought. [49] However, a historically accurate picture of the Davidic king is difficult to construct. And, you . God was angry with Solomon. In fact, "King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth" ( 1 Kings 10:23 ). He would have been trained in the ways of the court and in warfare and in how to run a nation. [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. If we dont obey God, there are consequences. Firstly, the Bible says that where your treasure is there will your heart be also. Yet they knew that whoever deals in it will have no share in the Hereafter. He built a temple for the Lord, a sign of his dedication to serving God (2 Samuel 7:1-17, 1 Kings 5:1-5, 1 Kings 8:12-21) . They did not teach anybody until they had said "We are a test, so do not lose faith." Training and occupation:As a member of the royal court, Solomon would have had access to the best education possible, likely including all types of tutors. [27], Solomon was traditionally considered the author of several biblical books, "including not only the collections of Proverbs, but also of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon and the later apocryphal book the Wisdom of Solomon."[28]. 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. But the bottom line seems to be that Solomon loves the woman and this book gives some practical ways that he can express his love. Solomon loved God, even as David did (except for sacrificing in high places, 1 Kings 3:3-4) This same refrain is used for many kings in Davids line, either that they did love God as David did, or that they didnt love God as David did or that they loved God as David did except sacrificing in the high places. According to Midrash Tehillim, the shamir was brought from paradise by Solomon's eagle; but most of the rabbis state that Solomon was informed of the worm's haunts by Asmodeus. Solomon gained a chance to prepare a meal for the Ammonite king, which the king found so impressive that the previous cook was sacked and Solomon put in his place; the king's daughter, Naamah, subsequently fell in love with Solomon, but the family (thinking Solomon a commoner) disapproved, so the king decided to kill them both by sending them into the desert. 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. Bathsheba is one of only five women listed in the ancestry of Jesus Christ ( Matthew 1:6 ). Mixing elements of pagan worship with true worship of God would only lead Israel down the road into idolatry. [36][37] The only wife mentioned by name is Naamah the Ammonite, mother of Solomon's successor, Rehoboam. In addition, God was so satisfied with Solomons response that He decided to make Solomon very wealthy and have a long life. In DC Comics, Solomon is one of the Immortal Elders of the hero Captain Marvel. The Talmud says at Ber. The Ethiopian tradition has a detailed account of the affair. According to 1 Kings 11:3034 and 1 Kings 11:913, it was because of these sins that the Lord punished Solomon by removing most of the tribes of Israel from rule by Solomon's house.[43]. Over the throne, twenty-four vines were fixed to cast a shadow on the king's head. Bible, the sacred scriptures of Judaism and Christianity. Drifting away from God is a process. She occupied an influential position as the queen mother. Grabbe, Lester L. 2016. Meaning of name:The name Solomon is a variant of Shalom, which means peaceful. Continued worshiping God at the originally Canaanite high places (Deuteronomy 12:1-5, 13-14, 1 Kings 3:3) . 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". He knows the result of these unequally yoked unions. [42], Jewish scribes say that Solomon's teacher was Shimei (son of Gera), and while he lived, he prevented Solomon from marrying foreign wives. Solomon was the third and final king of the unified nation of Israel, succeeding King Saul and King David. [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. Introduction. It was often depicted in the shape of either a pentagram or a hexagram. Sometimes we might wonder why we are not experiencing His blessings or why He didnt answer our prayers. Shortly after his birth, the boy received the private name Jedidiah, "beloved of the Lord," from Nathan, the prophet, who had himself received the name from God (2 Sam 12:24, 25).The name, Solomon, comes from the Heb. According to Jewish tradition, King Solomon wrote three books of the Bible: The Hebrew word appears in the title of two hymns (72 and 127) in the Book of Psalms. Much of this instruction was rightly focused on God and how to be righteous in Gods eyes. The first poem is spoken by the young maiden, who longs to be near her lover and enjoy his kisses. King Solomon was born as the son of David We first hear of Solomon as being born to David and his wife Bathsheba in Jerusalem after the death of their son that was conceived through adultery (2 Samuel 5:14; 2 Samuel 12:24). In the end, however, he is regarded as a righteous king and is especially praised for his diligence in building the Temple. We should do what Solomon says to do, but not what he does. A lot of times it boiled down to one persons word against another. But the Babylonians give him a new name: "Belteshazzar.". Solomon builds the opulent Temple in Jerusalem and ushers in Israel's greatest period of wealth and power. Solomon is associated with the peak "golden age" of the independent Kingdom of Israel and is a legendary source of judicial and religious wisdom. Solomon, as instructed by David, began his reign with an extensive purge, including his father's chief general, Joab, among others, and further consolidated his position by appointing friends throughout the administration, including in religious positions as well as in civic and military posts. Character Studies E-book If you found these character studies helpful, get ourCharacter Studies E-book, with 8 practical lessons on important Bible heroes of the faith. For the Ghanaian football team, see, Death, succession of Rehoboam, and kingdom division, Arguments in favour of biblical description, Biblical criticism: Solomon's religiosity. Solomon cared about training his children He wrote the book of Proverbs for his sons (Proverbs 4:1-4.) [11], The life of Solomon is primarily described in 2Samuel, 1Kings and 2Chronicles. How he died:Solomon died apparently of old age after a long and prosperous reign of forty years. For 13 years, he was engaged in the building of a royal palace on Ophel (a hilly promontory in central Jerusalem). When the king was seated the large eagle placed the crown on his head, the serpent uncoiled itself, and the lions and eagles moved upward to form a shade over him. Stories from the Thousand and One Nights. [citation needed]. 3. [citation needed] However, there is a lack of physical evidence of its existence, despite some archaeological work in the area. It's an exchange of love notes. Sin has consequences. She is most likely called the Shulammite because she came from an unidentified place . Bathsheba was a faithful wife to David. 1. Keep in mind that wisdom still needs to be put into action. You can probably think of some people like this in your church, fellowship, or circle of friends. He knew the only way he could be successful was if God granted him special wisdom. In mostly non-biblical circles, Solomon also came to be known as a magician and an exorcist, with numerous amulets and medallion seals dating from the Hellenistic period invoking his name. King Solomon Solomon was the third king over Israel. But Solomon made it much harder on himself by his unions with ungodly wives who not only did not encourage him to follow the Lord, but instead actively discouraged him from doing so. In 1Kings he sacrificed to God, and God later appeared to him in a dream,[26] asking what Solomon wanted from God. Solomon (/slmn/; Hebrew: , Modern:lm, Tiberian:lm, lit. What do you think is the cause of this? Solomon said to God, "You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. He ordered the demons to climb to the roof and see if they could discover any living being within the building but they found only an eagle, which said that it was 700 years old, but that it had never seen an entrance. Solomon was God's anointed, and God blessed him tremendously. King Solomon is a central biblical figure, who, according to the Hebrew Bible, was the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem and the last ruler of a united Kingdom of Israel. Solomon also constructed great water works for the city, and the Millo (Septuagint, Acra) for the defense of the city. [32], According to the Bible, during Solomon's reign, Israel enjoyed great commercial prosperity, with extensive traffic being carried on by land with Tyre, Egypt, and Arabia, and by sea with Tarshish, Ophir, and South India.[33]. [38], In the branch of literary analysis that examines the Bible, called higher criticism, the story of Solomon falling into idolatry by the influence of Pharaoh's daughter and his other foreign wives is "customarily seen as the handiwork of the 'deuteronomistic historian(s)'", who are held to have written, compiled, or edited texts to legitimize the reforms of Hezekiah's great-grandson, King Josiah who reigned from about 641 to 609 BCE (over 280 years after Solomon's death according to Bible scholars). 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. In particular he continued his father's very profitable relationship with the Phoenician king Hiram I of Tyre (see 'wealth' below); they sent out joint expeditions to the lands of Tarshish and Ophir to engage in the trade of luxury products, importing gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes and peacocks. [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. David's first child through her died seven days after being born as punishment for his adultery (2Samuel 12:14 - 23). These are mostly dependent on our obedience. SOLOMON sl' mn (, peaceable; LXX ).This was the regal name of the third king of Israel. [64], Little archaeological excavation has been done around the area known as the Temple Mount, in what is thought to be the foundation of Solomon's Temple, because attempts to do so are met with protests by the Muslim authorities.[73][74]. Solomon then sent the bird to request the queen's visit. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but it was the devils who disbelieved. His marriage to Pharaoh's daughter appears to have cemented a political alliance with Egypt, whereas he clung to his other wives and concubines "in love". (27: 1819). 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. 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. 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. 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. Pleased, God personally answered Solomon's prayer, promising him great wisdom because he did not ask for self-serving rewards like long life or the death of his enemies. Due to the proverbial wisdom of Solomon, it came to be seen as an amulet or talisman, or a symbol or character in medieval magic and Renaissance magic, occultism, and alchemy. 2017. Seder Olam Rabba, Jerusalem 1971 (Hebrew). But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. The Shulammite woman, or Shulammite maiden, is the bride of Solomon who features in the Song of Songs. Of the two genealogies of Jesus given in the Gospels, Matthew mentions Solomon, but Luke does not. It is not a malicious threat. Solomon humbly acknowledged his inability to rule well and unselfishly asked God for the wisdom he would need to rule God's people justly. (1 Kings 11:36, 39.). Solomon is considered the most wealthy of the Israelite kings named in the Bible. After Sennacherib's fall Hezekiah gained possession of it, but when Josiah was slain by Pharaoh Necho, the latter took it away. 2. Application: Whether or not we ever get rich, the lesson for us is to give of the best we have to the Lord. Such disputes tend to divide Christians into traditionalist and modernist camps. Secondly, when you have a lot of money and possessions and a great army, there is a great temptation to rely on these things instead of God. When the bird returned, it used the shamir to break the glass, whereupon the men scared the bird, causing it to drop the worm, which the men could then bring to Solomon. Notice with Solomon that God followed through that sin did have many negative effects. Let the Word of God accompany you everywhere through this easy-to-carry spiral-bound notebook. "The Sharon and the Yarkon Basin in the Tenth Century BCE: Ecology, Settlement Patterns and Political Involvement". He spared no expense in building the temple and the following sacrifices (1 Kings 6:21,22 1 Kings 6:28-32, 1 Kings 7:47,8:62-63) Solomon was already extremely rich at this time, but he wasnt skimpy. He set a good example for Israel in prayer to the Lord. Solomon was then able to regain his throne and expel Asmodeus. 1 Kings 3:4-28. 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. Thank you for a indepth look into Solomons character, and some great lessons I will apply to my life. But over the course of ones life he faced hundreds of thousands of temptations. "[92] (34: 12) and "At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: 'O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it. Some Biblical minimalists like Thomas L. Thompson go further, arguing that Jerusalem became a city and capable of being a state capital only in the mid-7th century. In addition, he was responsible for many other cultural and architectural achievements, which drew visitors from far and wide. (1 Kings 11:9-40.) Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free 36 lesson Bible study E-book of Revelation. While Solomon came along later it is likely he would have heard rumors and whispers about what had happened, and perhaps some of these would have been spread with malicious intent. For a indepth look into Solomons character, and God blessed him tremendously deals in it will have no in. ], the latter took it away test, so do not lose faith. ) the... 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