Name Shlomo (Solomon) in Hebrew comes from the root “שלום” (shalom - “peace”, meaning “not war”), as well as “שלם” (shalem - “perfect”, “whole”).
Solomon is also mentioned in the Bible under a number of other names. So, sometimes he is called Jedidiah (“beloved of God”) - a symbolic name given to Solomon as a sign of God’s favor to his father David, after his deep repentance in the story of Bathsheba.
The name of King Solomon is associated with many myths and legends, let's look at some of them.
Queen of Sheba.
Having heard about the wisdom and fabulous wealth of King Solomon, the legendary Queen of Sheba visited him to test his wisdom and make sure of his wealth (according to other sources, Solomon himself ordered her to come to him, having heard about the wonderful and rich country of Saba). The queen brought with her numerous gifts.
The state of Saba actually existed on the Arabian Peninsula (it is mentioned in Assyrian manuscripts of the 8th century BC).
It flourished through the cultivation and trade of spices and incense.
At that time, spices were worth their weight in gold and Saba successfully traded them with many states.
Trade routes passed through the territory of Solomon's kingdom and the passage of caravans depended on the will and disposition of the king.
This was the real reason for the visit of the Queen of Sheba.
There is an opinion that she was only a “delegate”, “ambassador” of the country and was not a dynastic queen.
But only someone equal in status could speak to the king, so the envoys were “given” temporary status for negotiations.
In later Muslim legends, the name of the queen is revealed - Bilqis. Folk legends gave a romantic touch to this visit.
King Solomon, struck by the beauty of Bilqis, was inflamed with passion for her, she reciprocated his feelings, all questions about the progress of the caravans were settled and, upon returning home, allotted time Bilqis gave birth to a boy named Menelik.
The Ethiopians claim that their imperial dynasty descends from him.
Eastern legend telling about the Portrait of Solomon
The Queen of Sheba, amazed by the wisdom, gift of divination and personality of Solomon, decided to reveal the secret of his magical powers.
Having set a goal, she sent her best painter to Solomon. When the painter returned with the portrait, the queen of Arabia gathered the best of the best sages and soothsayers skilled in the science of physiognomy, and asked them to determine the source of Solomon’s wisdom and strength.
The queen, answered the sages, is a portrait of a cruel, arrogant, greedy person, obsessed with the desire for power and all the vices that exist in the world.
The queen did not believe it, and a dispute arose between the painter and the sages: the sages argued. That they could not have been mistaken and the portrait was probably painted inaccurately, while the painter claimed the opposite. Seeing the contradictions that arose, the Queen of Sheba decided to go to Solomon herself and resolve the doubts that tormented her.
Arriving at Solomon, she was convinced at first glance that the artist had painted the portrait with impeccable accuracy.
Kneeling before the great man, the queen of Arabia asked him to clarify the contradictions:
- At first, until I saw you, I thought that the artist had made a mistake, for my sages are the most knowledgeable in the science of physiognomy. Now I am convinced that they are completely unworthy people and their wisdom is empty.
“This is not so,” answered Solomon, “the sages are right, for all the vices that they listed were really given to me by nature and even in to a greater extent, than they saw in the portrait. However, I fought against them, gradually overcoming and dissolving them, until everything to the contrary became second nature to me. And this is my strength and greatest pride...
Another legend.
King Solomon had heard that the Queen of Sheba had goat hooves, that is, the devil was hidden under the image of a beautiful woman. To do this, he built a palace, the floor of which was made transparent, and he put fish there. When he invited the queen to enter, she instinctively lifted the hem of her dress, afraid to get it wet, thereby showing the king her legs. She had no hooves, but her legs were covered thick hair. Solomon said, “Your beauty is the beauty of a woman, and your hair is the hair of a man. In a man it is beautiful, but in a woman it is considered a flaw.”
King Solomon's ring.
This is one version of the parable of Solomon's ring.
Despite his wisdom, King Solomon's life was not calm.
And one day King Solomon turned to the court sage for advice with the request: -
- “Help me - there are a lot of things in this life that can make me angry.
I am very subject to passions, and this bothers me!”
To which the sage replied: “I know how to help you. Put on this ring - the phrase is carved on it: “ This will pass! " When strong anger or strong joy surges, look at this inscription, and it will sober you up.
In this you will find salvation from passions!"
Solomon followed the advice of the sage and found peace. But the moment came when, looking, as usual, at the ring, he did not calm down, but on the contrary, he lost his temper even more. He tore the ring off his finger and wanted to throw it further into the pond, but suddenly noticed that inside The ring has some kind of inscription.
He looked closer and read: "This too shall pass..."
Another version of the legend:
One day, King Solomon was sitting in his palace and saw a man walking down the street dressed from head to toe in golden robes.
Solomon called this man to him and asked: -
- “Aren’t you a robber?” To which he replied that he was a jeweler: -
- “And Jerusalem is a famous city, many wealthy people, kings and princes come here.”
Then the king asked how much the jeweler earns from this? And he proudly answered that there was a lot. Then the king grinned and said that if this jeweler is so smart, then let him make a ring that makes the sad people happy and the happy people sad. And if in three days the ring is not ready, he orders the jeweler to be executed. No matter how talented the jeweler was, on the third day he went to the king with fear with a ring for him. At the threshold of the palace he met Rahabam, the son of Solomon, and thought: “The son of a sage is half a sage.”
And he told Rahavam about his trouble. To which he grinned, took the nail and three sides scratched three rings hebrew letters- Gimel, Zain and Yod. And he said that with this you can safely go to the king.
Solomon turned the ring and immediately understood the meaning of the letters on three sides of the ring in his own way - and their meaning is the abbreviation גם זו יעבור “This too shall pass.” And how the ring spins, and all the time they come up different letters, this is how the world turns, and this is how the fate of a person turns. And thinking that now he was sitting on a high throne, surrounded by all the splendors, and that this would pass, he immediately became sad. And when Ashmodai threw him to the ends of the world and Solomon had to wander for three years, looking at the ring, he realized that this too would pass, and he felt happy.
Third version of the legend:
In his youth, King Solomon was given a ring with the words that when it is very difficult, sad, or scary for him, let him remember the ring and hold it in his hands.
Solomon's wealth was immeasurable, one more ring - will it greatly increase it? ...
Once upon a time, there was a crop failure in the kingdom of Solomon. Pestilence and famine arose: not only children and women died, even warriors were exhausted. The king opened all his bins. He sent merchants to sell valuables from his treasury in order to buy bread and feed the people. Solomon was confused - and suddenly he remembered the ring. The king took out the ring and held it in his hands...
Nothing happened. Suddenly he noticed that there was an inscription on the ring. What is this? Ancient signs... Solomon knew this forgotten language. " ALL WILL PASS",- he read. ...
Many years passed... King Solomon became known as a wise ruler. He got married and lived happily. His wife became his most sensitive and closest assistant and adviser. And suddenly she died. Grief and melancholy overwhelmed the king. Neither the dancers and singers, nor the wrestling competitions amused him... Sadness and loneliness.
Approaching old age. How to live with this?
He took the ring: “Everything passes”? Melancholy squeezed his heart. The king did not want to put up with these words: out of frustration he threw the ring, it rolled - and something flashed on the inner surface. The king picked up the ring and held it in his hands. For some reason, he had never seen such an inscription before: “THIS ALSO SHALL PASS.” ... Many more years have passed. Solomon turned into an ancient old man.
The king understood that his days were numbered and while he still had some strength, he needed to give the last orders, have time to say goodbye to everyone, and bless his successors and children. “Everything passes,” “This too will pass,” he remembered and grinned: that’s all passed. Now the king did not part with the ring. It has already worn out, the previous inscriptions have disappeared. With weakening eyes, he noticed something appeared on the edge of the ring. What are these, some letters again?
The king exposed the edge of the ring to the setting rays of the sun - the letters on the edge flashed: "NOTHING PASSES"- read Solomon...
King Solomon's Mines.
After the publication of King Solomon's Mines by Henry Rider Haggard in 1885, many adventurers lost their peace and went in search of treasures. Haggard believed that King Solomon owned diamond and gold mines.
From the Old Testament we know that King Solomon possessed enormous wealth. It is said that every three years he sailed to the land of Ophir and brought back gold, mahogany, precious stones, monkeys and peacocks.
Scientists have tried to find out what Solomon took to Ophir in exchange for these riches and where this country is located. The location of the mysterious country has not yet been clarified. It is believed that this could be India, Madagascar, Somalia.
Most archaeologists are confident that King Solomon mined copper ore in his mines. IN different places"real mines of King Solomon" periodically appeared.
In the 1930s it was suggested that the Solomon mines were located in southern Jordan. And only at the beginning of this century, archaeologists found evidence that, indeed, copper mines discovered on the territory of Jordan in the town of Khirbat en-Nahas could be the legendary mines of King Solomon.
Obviously, Solomon had a monopoly on copper production, which gave him the opportunity to make huge profits.
“Let the one who goes there follow the path indicated on the map and ascend through the snows that lie on the left breast of the Queen of Sheba.
On its northern slope begins the great road laid Solomon, from where it’s three days’ journey to the royal possessions...”
The Legend of King Solomon's Mines
Solomon - this legendary biblical king has always aroused great interest not only due to the legends about the Mines of King Solomon. Even in the biblical stories, Solomon appears as a controversial figure.
Having appointed Solomon as his successor, King David bypassed his eldest son, Adonijah. Having learned about this, Adonijah plotted against Solomon, but the plot was discovered. David, upset by the discord between his sons, did not punish Adonijah, but only took an oath from him that in the future he would not plot against Solomon; He made Solomon swear that he would not cause his elder brother any harm if he did not claim the throne. Soon David died and Solomon became king.
Adonijah seemed resigned to his fate. But one day he came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and began to ask her to help him marry Abishag the Shunammite, one of the concubines of the late King David. Bathsheba did not see anything reprehensible in this request and passed it on to Solomon. However, Solomon, hearing about his brother’s intention, became very angry. The fact is that, according to custom, the harem of the late king could only go to his direct heir, and Solomon regarded Adonijah’s desire to marry Abishag as the first step towards further claims to the throne. By order of Solomon, Adonijah was killed.
However, despite his outbursts of anger, Solomon was a peaceful ruler. Having inherited a large and strong state from his father (David), he reigned for forty years (972-932 BC). During this time he did not conduct a single great war. He did not even deal with the Aramaic Razon, who expelled the Israeli garrison from Damascus and declared himself king. This seemed at the time an incident of minor importance, and Solomon's mistake was that he failed to foresee what a serious threat to Israel the new Aramean kingdom would eventually become.
Solomon was a good administrator, diplomat, builder and trader. Solomon's historical merit was that he transformed a poor agricultural country with a patriarchal-tribal system into a single, economically and militarily strong state that enjoyed great authority in the international arena.
In his time, Israel was famous for the splendor of its capital and the unprecedented luxury of the royal court. Proof of Solomon's power and influence was also his monstrously large harem, the excessive splendor with which he surrounded himself, and the unusually domineering manner in which he treated his subjects, whom he treated as slaves.
With all these shortcomings, it cannot be denied, however, positive aspects reign of Solomon. After all, it was he who magnificently rebuilt Jerusalem and made it a real capital. The temple he erected became the only center and symbol of the Jewish religion. His merits in increasing the country's defense capability are undeniable - remember the construction of a system of fortified cities and the reorganization of the army by introducing war chariots.
Solomon also tried to develop crafts and maritime trade in Israel, bringing specialists from Phenicia for this purpose. The clear functioning of the state administration was ensured by an bureaucratic hierarchy built on Phoenician, Syrian and Egyptian models. Solomon was also a consummate diplomat. His greatest achievements in this field were his marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh and cooperation with King Hiram, without whose help he would not have been able to achieve his goals.
Thanks to Solomon's business savvy, Israel was a prosperous country. The Third Book of Kings says on this matter (chapter 10, verse 27): “And the king made the silver in Jerusalem equal in value to simple stones, and the cedars, because of their abundance, made them equal to the sycamore trees that grow in low places.” This, of course, is a hyperbole typical of oriental style, but we have data proving that to a certain extent it is true. It is known that annual income Solomon, consisting of trade profits, taxes and tribute from Arab vassals, amounted to six hundred and sixty-six talents (about twenty-two thousand eight hundred and twenty-five kilograms of gold), not counting supplies in kind collected from the Israeli population.
The flourishing of agriculture in Israel is evidenced by the fact that Solomon annually supplied Hiram with twenty thousand measures of wheat and twenty thousand measures vegetable oil. Of course, farmers were subjected to severe exploitation, but still such colossal supplies of agricultural products are possible only in conditions of prosperity.
Archaeological finds have introduced us to many aspects of life of that time. In particular, they indicate a fairly high standard of living. Countless expensive bowls for cosmetics, made of alabaster and ivory, different shapes bottles, tweezers, mirrors and hairpins prove that Israeli women of that era took care of their appearance. They used perfumes, blushes, creams, myrrh, henna, balsam oil, cypress bark powder, red paint for nails and blue for eyelids. Most of these drugs were imported from abroad, and such imports are typical of a rich country. In addition, archaeologists have confirmed the rapid process of urban growth, which Yahwist conservatives fought so fiercely against back in the time of David.
Agriculture was still the leading branch of the national economy, but landowners lived mainly in cities. Since all the Canaanite cities were surrounded by fortified walls, they became increasingly overpopulated. Houses, mostly two-story, were built on every free piece of land along narrow and cramped streets.
The main part of the Israelite dwelling was a large room on the ground floor. Women prepared food and baked bread there, and the whole family gathered there for joint meals. There was no furniture. Even wealthy people they ate and slept on mats. The rooms on the upper floor were accessed by stone steps or wooden ladders. In the summer they slept on the roofs, where a refreshing breeze blew. They ate a lot of onions and garlic. The main food product was fried and boiled wheat, various cereals, lentils, cucumbers, beans, fruits and honey. Meat was eaten only on holidays. They drank mainly sheep and cow's milk, wine was consumed very moderately.
From what sources did King Solomon draw his wealth?
For a long time, scientists questioned everything said about this in the Bible - it was very fantastic and vague. In the Third Book of Kings (chapter 10, verses 28, 29) we read: “And the king’s horses Solomon brought from Egypt and from Kuva; royal merchants bought them from Kuva for money. The chariot from Egypt was received and delivered for six hundred shekels of silver, and the horse for one hundred and fifty. In the same way they delivered all this with their own hands to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Aramaes.”
It only says that King Solomon bought horses and chariots, but nothing is said that he also sold them. Meanwhile, as a result of archaeological research, it has been precisely established that he was involved in mediation in trade between Egypt and Asia, trading in horses and chariots.
In 1925, an American archaeological expedition discovered the ruins of the city of Megiddo in the historical Ezreel Valley (Yes, yes, gentlemen, this is the same Biblical Armageddon, the place where the last battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil should take place). This city was of great strategic importance: it protected the northern borders of the valley, and the trade route from Asia to Egypt passed through it. David and Solomon turned Megiddo into a strong fortress, although the city itself existed already in the third millennium BC. It was there that the secret of Solomon was revealed. Among the ruins, stables built by him for four hundred and fifty horses were discovered. They were located around a large area where horses must have been ridden and watered and where horse fairs may have taken place. The size and location of these stables on the main trade route prove that Megiddo was the main base for the horse trade between Asia and Egypt. Solomon bought horses in Cilicia and sold them, in all likelihood, to Egypt, from where he in turn exported chariots, selling them in Mesopotamian markets.
As the Bible reports, Solomon, with the help of Phoenician specialists and sailors, built a merchant fleet that stood in the port of Ezion-Geber in the Gulf of Aqaba and traveled to the country of Ophir every three years, bringing gold and exotic goods from there.
Bible students were interested in two questions:
1) where was the mysterious country of Ophir?
2) what could such an agricultural country as Canaan export to Ophir?
There is still debate about which country is named Ophir in the Bible. They call it India, Arabia, Madagascar. The famous American orientalist Albright came to the conclusion that we're talking about about Somalia. Other scientists pay attention to the frescoes in one of Theban temples. It depicts a dark-skinned queen from a certain country of Punt. The signature under the fresco states that Egyptian ships were brought from this country
gold, silver, ebony and mahogany, tiger skins, live monkeys and black slaves. The assumption was born that Punt and the biblical Ophir are one and the same.
The answer to the second question was given by archeology. In 1937, archaeologist Nelson Gluck came across a copper mine in the desert valley of Wadi al-Arab. The ruins of the stone barracks in which the miners lived, and a wall to protect against attacks from the bandit tribes of the desert, convinced Gluck that this was Solomon's mine. Near the Gulf of Aqaba, where the ruins of the port of Ezion Geber had already been discovered under a layer of sand, Gluck made even more important discovery. On a vast site surrounded by a fortress wall, there were a large number of copper smelting furnaces. The chimneys had their openings facing north, from where constant sea winds blew. In this ingenious way, it was possible to easily maintain the temperature required for melting.
Thanks to these discoveries, we learned that Solomon was not only a shrewd horse trader, but also an industrialist. In all likelihood, he held a monopoly on the production of copper, which allowed him to dictate prices and make those huge profits described in the Bible.
The glory of Solomon's wisdom, his wealth and the luxury of his court spread throughout the world. Ambassadors from the most different countries arrived in Jerusalem to conclude treaties of friendship and trade agreements. Almost every day, residents of the capital greeted motorcades of exotic guests bringing generous gifts to the Tsar. And they were undoubtedly proud that their hometown had become such a large commercial and diplomatic center.
One day, a rumor spread about the arrival of a caravan of the Queen of Sheba from distant Arabia. The people took to the streets and enthusiastically greeted the queen, who was riding accompanied by a large crowd of courtiers and slaves. At the end of the procession was a long row of camels laden with luxurious gifts for Solomon.
Who was this legendary queen, the heroine of one of the most exciting biblical tales?
This is now known, and the story of this discovery is so curious that it is worth telling.
In Muslim legends, the name of the Queen of Sheba is Bilqis. It is known that her father served, in today's terms, as prime minister in the mysterious kingdom of Ophir. Most likely, Bilqis received the powers of the queen only for the duration of her trip to Israel.
Back in the nineteenth century, southern Arabia, the birthplace of spices and incense, which the ancient Romans called Happy Arabia (Arabia felix), was closed to Europeans. The “unfaithful dogs” who dared to set foot in the land of Muhammad were threatened with death. And yet there were brave souls in whom curiosity and thirst for adventure were stronger than fear. The Frenchman E. Halévy and the Austrian Dr. E. Glaser dressed as Arabs and went to the forbidden country. After many adventures and difficulties, they came across the ruins of a huge city in the desert, which, as it later turned out, was called Merib. There, in particular, they discovered and brought to Europe a number of mysterious inscriptions.
The sensational discovery aroused enormous interest in scientific circles. Arab merchants, sensing the situation, began a brisk trade in Meribian inscriptions. Thus, in the hands of scientists there were several thousand stone fragments covered with writings based on the Palestinian alphabetic system. Among the fragmentary information about gods, tribes and cities, the names of four South Arabian states were also read: Minea, Hadhramaut, Qataban and Sawa.
Mention of the country of Sava is also found in Assyrian documents of the eighth century BC. It says that Mesopotamia conducted a lively trade with this country, buying there mainly spices and incense. The Sheba kings bore the title “mukarrib”, which means “priest-prince”. Their residence was the city of Merib, the ruins of which were found in the south of the Arabian Peninsula (in today's Yemen). The city was located in the mountains, at an altitude of two thousand meters above the level of the Red Sea. Among the countless columns and walls, the old legendary temple of Haram Bilqis, near Merib, stood out for its splendor. It was an oval structure with a beautiful portal, to which stone steps lined with bronze led. Numerous columns and pilasters, as well as fountains in the vast courtyard, give a complete picture of the former splendor of the temple. From the inscriptions we learn that it was erected in honor of the Arab god Ilumkug.
As a result of careful research, it was possible to establish what were the sources of prosperity of the Sheba kingdom. A huge dam, twenty meters high, raised the level of the Adganaf River, from where an extensive network of irrigation canals led. Thanks to irrigation, Sava was a land of extraordinary fertility. Residents were mainly engaged in growing various kinds spices, which were exported to a number of countries. This continued until 542 AD, when the dam collapsed due to constant raids and wars. The blooming garden was swallowed up by the desert sands.
One can guess why the Queen of Sheba gathered to visit Solomon. The trade route, called the Road of Incense, along which the inhabitants of the Sheba kingdom exported their goods to Egypt, Syria and Phenicia, ran along the Red Sea and crossed the territories subject to Israel. Therefore, the safe progress of the caravans depended on the goodwill of Solomon. The Queen of Sheba came with a purely practical purpose: generous gifts and a promise of a share in the profits to persuade the Israeli king to conclude a treaty of friendship.
But popular imagination passed over the nature of the visit in silence and gave everything a romantic tint. Solomon, supposedly struck by the queen’s bright beauty, became inflamed with passion for her and had a son by her. The Abyssinians to this day claim that it is from him that the Negus dynasty descends.
An interesting story is described in one of the books of the Talmud - Midrash. According to the beliefs of the ancient Semites, one of the characteristic features the devil - goat's hooves. Solomon He feared that under the guise of a beautiful woman, the devil was hiding in his guest. To check if this was so, he built a pavilion with a glass floor, put fish there and invited Bilquis to go through this hall. The illusion of a real pool was so strong that the Queen of Sheba, having crossed the threshold of the pavilion, did what any woman instinctively does when entering the water - she lifted her dress. Just for a moment. But Solomon managed to see what was carefully hidden: the queen’s legs were human, but not very attractive - they were covered with thick hair.
Instead of remaining silent, Solomon exclaimed loudly: he did not expect that such beautiful woman there may be such a disadvantage. This story is also found in Muslim sources.
It is worth citing one more legend associated with Solomon.
In the treasury of the temple in Axum, the former capital of Abyssinia, the Ark of the Covenant is supposedly kept. How did he get there? Tradition says that he was kidnapped from the temple Solomon his son and the Queen of Sheba, leaving a counterfeit in Jerusalem. Thus, the original Mosaic Ark of the Covenant is supposedly located in Axum. It is the greatest shrine of the Abyssinians, and no one living has the right to see it. During the Muscovite holiday, in honor of the end of the rainy season, a copy of the ark is put on public display.
Solomon became the embodiment of wisdom for subsequent generations of the Jewish people. And this is not surprising. The years of his reign were the period of the highest economic and political prosperity of Israel, the only period of power, peace and prosperity in the history of the country.
True, only the bright sides of the reign have been preserved in the memory of generations Solomon, the shadow ones are consigned to oblivion. And between
There were a lot of these shadow sides, and they need to be remembered in order to recreate a true picture of that era. We know what enormous profits trade and copper production brought to Solomon. And yet he cannot be called a zealous and far-sighted owner. His extravagance and craving for oriental luxury led to the fact that he was unable to return one hundred and twenty talents to Hiram and was forced to transfer twenty Galilean cities to the Tyrian king in payment of the debt. This was the step of a bankrupt who found himself in a financial impasse.
As follows from biblical legends, the entire burden of expenses for construction, armament and maintenance of the royal court fell primarily on the shoulders of the Canaanite population. Suffice it to remember that more than two hundred thousand people were forced annually into forced labor in Lebanese forests, in quarries on the banks of the Jordan and on construction sites. This monstrous system of slave labor was no different from the system of the pharaohs during the construction of the great pyramids. If we take into account that, according to the census conducted by David, there were one million two hundred thousand men in Israel and Judah at that time, then it is not difficult to imagine what a huge percentage of his subjects the king exploited in forced labor. Such economic coercion could not but entail profound social changes. Every year the gap between the rich and the powerless poor, exhausted by taxes and labor obligations, widened. Discontent grew among the lower classes and fermentation began. Even the priests, who in David's time were allies of the king, had reason to grumble.
Subsequent generations, remembering the greats merits of Solomon, they forgave him for idolatry, which he practiced openly even in the courtyard of the Jerusalem Temple. But of course this outraged the priests of his day. The king's huge harem contained women of all races and religions. There were Hittite women, Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, Egyptians, Philistines, Canaanites, etc. Along with their customs, they brought their gods to the palace. Solomon, especially last years life, remained under the strong influence of his favorites and, succumbing to their persuasion, established various idolatrous cults.
It is known, for example, that in the courtyard of the temple they practiced the cult of Baal, Astarte and Moloch. And since the masses, especially in the north of the country, treated the Canaanite gods very favorably, the example of the king did not at all contribute to the strengthening of Yahwism.
David and Solomon True, they united all the tribes in a single state, but they never achieved spiritual unity. Political and racial antagonism continued to exist between the tribes of northern and southern Canaan. Even David was fully aware of the alienation between both groups of the population and on his deathbed he said about Solomon: “To him I have commanded to be the leader of Israel and Judah” (1 Kings,
chapter 1, verse 36). In this regard, Solomon made a fatal mistake, unforgivable for a major statesman. He divided his country into twelve tax districts, obliged to supply a certain amount of agricultural products for the needs of the royal court and army.
It is striking that the list of districts does not include the territory of Judah. From this we can conclude that Judah, the tribe of David and Solomon, was exempt from taxes. Such a privilege was bound to embitter other tribes, especially proud tribe Ephraim, constantly competing with Judah for priority in Israel. Already in the reign of David on the building state power menacing cracks appeared. The revolt of Absalom and Ziba was, in essence, a rebellion of the northern tribes against the hegemony of Judah. These tribes supported Ishbosheth and Adonijah as contenders for the throne against David and Solomon, which proves the strength of internal conflicts that ultimately led to a split in the state.
Solomon's biggest mistake was that he never cared about strengthening the foundations of his state. Because of his shortsightedness and selfishness, he thoughtlessly exacerbated the dangerous antagonism between the tribes, which after his death led to disaster. The first dangerous signs were revealed during the life of Solomon, when a rebellion broke out among the tribe of Ephraim under the leadership of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was defeated, but he managed to escape to Egypt, where Pharaoh Shusakim greeted him very cordially. This was the second warning, since it proved that Egypt harbors some hostile intentions towards the kingdom of Israel and therefore supports everyone who contributes to its weakening and split. And indeed, five years later after the death of Solomon Shusakim invaded Judea and barbarously plundered the Temple of Jerusalem (about 926 BC).
Serious historical consequences Solomon was also powerless in relation to Razon, who, even during the reign of David, declared himself king of Damascus. Despite the fact that the usurper constantly ravaged the northern borders of Israel, Solomon never dared to give him a decisive rebuff. After the split between Israel and Judah, the Aramean kingdom of Damascus gained great power and fought with Israel for many years. This made it easier for Assyria to conquer Syria in the eighth century BC and, in 722 BC, to conquer Israel and drive the ten tribes of Israel into Babylonian slavery.
After the fall of Assyria, a struggle broke out between the Neo-Babylonian kingdom and Egypt for Syria and Canaan, ending in 586 with the conquest of Judea and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans.
Based on these facts, it must be said that the reign of Solomon, with all its splendor and apparent wealth, was not prosperous. As a result of the disastrous policies and despotism of the king, Israel, shaken by internal social conflicts, was steadily heading towards destruction. It is not surprising that immediately after the death of the king, the power that David had created with such difficulty fell apart into two separate weak states engaged in constant internecine wars.
Today the only remaining treasure of all the wealth Solomon is a 43mm Solomon's Garnet, which King Solomon gave to the High Priest of the First Temple on the opening day of the sanctuary. Pomegranate is considered a symbol of prosperity and prosperity in Israel. From the temple itself, destroyed in 587 BC. Nebuchadnezzar II, nothing remained, and today only a fragment of the Second Temple, erected on the site of the first - the Western Wall of Jerusalem, 18 meters high, reminds us of the Jerusalem Temple. Massive stones, weighing up to 700 tons, are held together only by the force of their own weight.
Well, perhaps it’s time to return directly to the Biblical narrative. So.
Solomon was eighteen years old when he sat on the throne of his father David, but his reign was very firm. Solomon's brother Adonijah came to Bathsheba and said:
Persuade your son to give me Abishag as my wife.
Bathsheba asked Solomon about this, and the king said:
Why do you ask only Abishag for him? Ask also for the kingdom. Adonijah is deceitful.
Solomon sent his commander Benaiah, and he killed Adonijah. And Solomon married the daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh.
WISDOM OF SOLOMON
One night God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said:
Ask for what to give you.
And Solomon answered:
I became king instead of David, but I am a small boy - I don’t know anything. My people can neither be numbered nor surveyed. Give me, your servant, a reasonable heart to judge the people, to distinguish between good and evil.
It’s good that you didn’t ask for a long life for yourself, or wealth, or the souls of your enemies, said God. - It’s good that you asked for reason to be able to judge. I will give you a reasonable heart, which has never existed before and will never exist after you. But I will also give you what you did not ask for - wealth and fame. And you will keep my statutes and commandments, and I will prolong your days.
In the morning King Solomon brought sacrifices and made a great feast.
Solomon's Court
And then two women came to him. The first one said:
We live in the same house. Both gave birth to sons. This woman's son died: she slept with him at night. She woke up, took my son, and gave me her own, dead one.
Then the second woman shouted:
No! Mine is alive and yours is dead.
And so they cursed in front of King Solomon and pulled the baby in different directions.
“Come on, cut the child with a sword,” King Solomon ordered. - Let everyone have half.
And then the first of them screamed in horror:
Give the child to her, just let him live!
No! Neither me nor you! Cut him with your sword! - said the second.
So the mother showed herself,” said King Solomon and turned to the first woman: “Take your son, mother!”
The people heard about this judgment, and people began to fear King Solomon, for they felt the wisdom of God in him. And the wisdom of King Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the East.
King Solomon spoke three thousand parables, and his songs were a thousand and five.
SOLOMON THE CREATOR
Solomon entered into an agreement with Hiram, who ruled in Tire. Hiram floated cedar and cypress wood across the sea, and Solomon supplied him with wheat. Solomon imposed duties on the entire people: they needed heavy bearers, stonemasons, and supervisors for supervision.
Huge expensive stones were brought to Jerusalem for the foundation of buildings, and these stones were then hewn.
In the fourth year of his reign, King Solomon began to build the temple according to the drawings that David left him. The temple took seven years to build. A coppersmith was invited from Tire to make vessels for service in the temple.
The tabernacle was transferred from the City of David and placed in the temple in Jerusalem. When the priests left the sanctuary, the temple was filled with a cloud.
QUEEN OF SHAB
The Queen of Sheba heard about the glory of King Solomon and came to him to test him with riddles. She brought with her incense, gold and precious stones.
King Solomon explained all her words, and the Queen of Sheba did not know anything that King Solomon did not know. She saw his house, his table and servants, and the queen was delighted:
I didn’t believe the words about you until I came and saw everything with my own eyes. But they didn’t tell me half of what you actually have here. You exceed the word of mouth.
She gave King Solomon unprecedented incense, and he gave her everything she wanted.
Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon
SINS OF KING SOLOMON
King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women, and when he grew old, his wives persuaded him to other gods. King Solomon began to serve Astarte, the Sidonian goddess, and built a temple for Chemosh, the Moabite god, and Molech, the Ammonite god.
God was angry with King Solomon:
Because you did not keep my covenant, I will tear your kingdom away from you. I'll leave your son alone a small part. But for the sake of David your father, all this will happen after your death.
JERBOAM
Jeroboam was a courageous man, and Solomon made him overseer of the quitrents. It happened that Jeroboam left Jerusalem, and in the field he met the prophet Ahijah. Ahijah tore his clothes into twelve pieces and said:
Take ten portions for yourself, for God is taking the kingdom from the hands of Solomon and giving you ten tribes.
Solomon wanted to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Egypt and lived there until the death of King Solomon.
DEATH OF KING SOLOMON
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. They buried him in the City of David. After King Solomon, his son Rehoboam ascended the throne.
All the Israelites gathered in the city of Shechem to make Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king.
“Your father has placed a heavy yoke on us,” the Israelites told Rehoboam. - Make our life easier, and we will serve you faithfully.
Come see me in three days. “I’ll think about it,” Rehoboam replied.
Rehoboam called the elders, and they said to him:
If you are a servant of the people today, they will forever be your slave. Lighten the people's burden!
Rehoboam called the young people for council.
Tell the elders: my father beat you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions. Your father’s yoke was hard for you, mine will be even harder.
And Rehoboam listened to the young men.
As soon as he announced his decision, the children of Israel dispersed to their tents and revolted from the house of David.
Rehoboam reigned in Judah, Jeroboam reigned in Israel. All their days they were at enmity with each other.
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From the book New Bible Commentary Part 1 (Old Testament) by Carson Donald1:1 - 11:43 Solomon
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From the book Myths and Legends of the Peoples of the World. Biblical stories and legends author Nemirovsky Alexander IosifovichSolomon Psalm 71 is one of two in the book of Psalms that mentions Solomon at the beginning. (The other is Psalm 126.) This is a prayer that says to ruling king, perhaps recently ascended the throne, reigned long and justly; for him to be
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From the author's bookSolomon King David had many wives and children. His firstborn Absalom rebelled against his father and was killed. David's grief was immeasurable. Adonijah, the second son born after Absalom, was very handsome, and David spoiled him. Adonijah, the son of Haggith, spoke proudly.
In the Holy Scriptures, there is one biblical character who is shrouded in a whole train of myths and legends. His image is considered integral to the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, and his wisdom and justice have been sung by entire generations of writers and poets. According to biblical sources, he acts as the wisest of people, a fair judge who knew how to find an original solution in the most unusual situations. Fantastic qualities were also attributed to this person, such as power over genies, understanding the language of animals.
And although a number of historians deny his physical existence, citing the fact that he and his deeds are described only in biblical sources, but in culture different nations he is referred to as a real man with all its advantages and disadvantages. Pictures from his life and deeds were often depicted on the stained glass windows of medieval churches, miniatures of Byzantine manuscripts, paintings by artists and in numerous works of writers. And the phrase " Solomon's solution"has existed for many centuries as popular expression. Yes, we are talking about Solomon, the third king of Israel.
Shlomo, Solomon, Suleiman- this name is known to almost every educated person, regardless of his age and attitude to religion. Experts are still arguing about his biography, but the generally accepted version is that he was one of the younger sons of King David, a former simple warrior who served the King of Seoul and became famous for his fantastic victory over Goliath. After this brave and resourceful fighter replaced the king of Seoul on the throne of Israel, he began to actively develop his native state. However, like any ruler, David also made mistakes. One of them was the sin of adultery, which he committed with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his subordinates, who was subsequently sent to certain death.
The beautiful woman became the wife of David, and from this marriage in 1011 BC. e. a boy was born to whom happy parents They gave the name Shlomo, literally translated from Hebrew as “peace.” True, the sin committed by David was not in vain: he had powerful ill-wishers, one of whom was Nathan, one of the host of prophets and authors of the Book of Kings. His curse haunted David for a long time, who had to beg the Almighty for forgiveness for a long time. The unpredictability of David’s actions also affected the principle of succession to the throne. Having a full-fledged successor to the throne, his eldest son Adonijah, he decided to give the kingdom to the youngest - Solomon.
This step provoked a severe crisis in the country, which almost ended in a full-fledged war. Adonia even managed to form a special detachment of bodyguards, but he did not receive the desired support in the army and in the church environment. The unsuccessful heir had to seek refuge in the Tabernacle, and his closest associates were captured and punished by execution or exile. Adonijah himself was pardoned by Solomon, but this only briefly extended his earthly existence. Having decided to marry Abishag the Shunammite, a servant of King David, he crossed the line of what was permitted and was executed.
After the dynastic rival was eliminated, Solomon became the sole ruler of Israel. He was endowed with remarkable wisdom, did not accept a military solution to conflicts, therefore, among his first actions as a full-fledged king, he made a rapprochement with Egypt. Despite the scandalous departure of Jews from this country, this state was strong and possessed enormous wealth. It is better to have such countries, even if not as allies, but as friends, so Solomon invited Pharaoh Shoshenq I, then ruling in Egypt, to give him his daughter as a wife. Together with the Nile beauty, he received the city of Tel Gezer as a dowry, as well as the opportunity to charge a fee for the passage of trade caravans through Royal Road Via Regia, which stretched from Egypt to Damascus.
The second direction of friendly diplomacy was the Phoenician kingdom. Having established ties with its ruler Hiram I the Great, who promised to supply Israel with the necessary Construction Materials, he was able to begin the grandiose construction of the temple. As payment for cypress, gold and workers, Phenicia received wheat and olive oil. In addition, part of the southern Israeli lands was given to the Phoenicians.
The legend about his communication with the ruler of Sabea, the Queen of Sheba, speaks about Solomon’s remarkable mental abilities. Competent and wise woman came to Israel to test Solomon with a series of riddles. The King of Israel passed this test with honor, for which the guest gave the wise ruler a huge amount of gold, precious stones and incense. Contemporaries claimed that after this visit Israel became prosperous and rich.
It is interesting that, as a brilliant politician, Solomon rejected forceful solutions to conflicts. In fact, it came from him that the degree of guilt, as well as the amount of punishment for the perpetrator, should be determined by a judge - a person absolutely independent of any of the parties to the conflict. It is believed that Solomon became the first such judge, and as an example of his work in this field, the case of two women sharing one child is given. Seeing that both mothers insisted that the baby belonged only to them, Solomon made a completely non-trivial decision. He ordered the servants to bring a sword, with which he was going to cut the unfortunate baby into two parts, so that each of the women would receive her part of the child. By the reaction of the petitioners to such a cruel decision, he was able to find out which of them was the real mother and which was an impostor.
Of course, royal life was not characterized by tranquility. But according to legend, Solomon was helped to maintain his composure magic ring. This little thing, received from the court philosopher, enabled the king to find salvation from various passions. On the outside of the ring there was an inscription engraved: “Everything passes,” and on the inside it continued: “This too will pass.” Looking at these inscriptions, the king pacified his anger, calmed down, after which he found an ingenious solution to the most complicated cases.
Such an innovation is also attributed to Solomon. According to ancient legends, our planet was once beset by a terrible flood that destroyed the powerful civilization of Atlantis. The surviving people formed a new society, and from the old only ancient artifacts remained, including things that had a technological purpose. Among the leaders of newly emerging countries, such discoveries were highly valued, because they gave an advantage over competitors. All knowledge of this kind is exclusively through oral transmission, so that the most important information does not go to hostile neighbors.
Solomon was the first to abandon this practice. He began to record esoteric knowledge V in writing. Among the treatises attributed to him are the Keys of Solomon, in one of the sections of which there is a mention of 72 demons. Modern science considers this encrypted knowledge about the amount of human hormones. To make the information easier to read, these works were supplemented with a large number of diagrams and symbols. A significant part of these drawings is used in esotericism to this day. In addition to the Keys of Solomon, his authorship is also attributed to the Books of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, and the Book of Proverbs.
Unfortunately, even wise government officials find it difficult to resist temptations. Solomon, like his kingdom, which he built for many years, was destroyed by love. Legends say that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. One of the wives, whom the king loved very much, was a foreigner. Clever woman was able to persuade Solomon to build a pagan altar. Its construction quarreled Solomon with the Almighty, who personally promised to send various misfortunes to the arrogant ruler and his country. And so it happened. Numerous construction projects left the royal treasury empty, unrest began among the Edomites and Aramites on the outskirts, and Solomon himself died at the age of 52 while overseeing the construction of the ill-fated altar. Subsequently, the prediction of the Almighty came true: ancient Israel split. And although the Jews still had ups and downs in development, the ancient Jews were not able to achieve the prosperity of the times of Solomon.
The legendary Solomon (1011-928 BC) is the third Jewish king, the son of David from Bathsheba. Under him, Israel reached the pinnacle of its influence and power. After the end of the reign of Solomon (965-928 BC), the country began a period of civil strife and the collapse of the once single state. This monarch became famous for his wisdom and justice. His main achievement is considered to be the construction of the Temple, which the righteous David so dreamed of.
Rise to power
Solomon was one of the youngest sons of his father, which did not prevent the influential prophet Nathan from singling him out among the other children of David. The capable boy grew up to be a worthy man. Formally, he was not listed as the heir to the throne, but a chain of several events led to the fact that he became the king of Israel.
After the death of his two eldest sons, David promised his beloved wife Bathsheba to transfer the throne to Solomon. Adonijah did not like this decision. This son of David, who became the eldest due to the death of Abshalom and Ammon, decided not to obey the will of his father. He was supported by several influential people, including the high priest Evyathar and the military commander Yoav. The prophet Nathan remained on Solomon's side.
Adonia's party openly announced his claims to power and began to gather new supporters. Meanwhile, the dying David ordered Solomon to be anointed as king (as is said about King Solomon). After performing the sacred ritual, the people swore allegiance to the heir. Adonijah, fearful of his brother’s revenge, took refuge in the sanctuary, but came out when the new ruler promised to spare his life.
David died soon after. Adonijah convinced Bathsania to ask his son for permission to marry Abishaga, one of his late father’s concubines. According to ancient laws, such a marriage gave the right to the throne. King Solomon, whose biography shows an example of a far-sighted politician, understood the plan of his rebellious brother and ordered the death of him and some of his high-ranking minions. This was the only time the monarch allowed the death penalty.
Foreign and domestic policy
Having defeated his dynastic rival, Solomon began to fully rule Israel. He hastened to make friends with Egypt. Having married the daughter of Pharaoh, the Jewish monarch received the city of Gezer as a dowry. The reign of Solomon was also marked by the continuation of friendship with the Phoenician sovereign Hiram, who had good relations with David.
The ruler of the Jews loved horses and ordered the creation of the first Jewish cavalry. Neighboring kings and profitable trading gave large incomes. Solomon spent it on a grand scale, trying to achieve greatness in everything. His grandiose enterprises placed a heavy burden on the common population. Because of this, the authorities began a conflict with the tribes of Menashe and Ephraim. The story of King Solomon, for all the grandeur of his personality, was also distinguished by his own mistakes. By forcing the obstinate tribes to work harder, the ruler strengthened their separate sentiments. It was partly for this reason that the disintegration of Israel after the death of Solomon became a natural and logical outcome of the internal Jewish conflict.
Construction of the Temple
As controversial as King Solomon was, the biography of this ancient monarch is best known for his construction of the Temple. His father David also conquered Jerusalem, which belonged to the Jebusites, and transferred the Ark of the Covenant there. He, together with the judges from the Sanhedrin, prepared a plan for the future Temple. David did not have time to complete the construction of the main religious building of the Jews and bequeathed the execution of this plan to his son.
King Solomon, whose biography is an example of one of the best diplomats of antiquity, enlisted the support of foreign specialists. The ruler of the Phoenician city of Tyre, Hiram, assisted him by sending many artisans and carpenters to Jerusalem (including his best architect Hiram Abiff).
Building materials were supplied from Lebanon: sandstone, cypresses, cedars. The stones were cut by the stonemasons of both Hiram and Solomon. The copper needed for utensils and temple columns was mined in the copper mines of Idumea, in the south of the Israelite Highlands. Almost 200 thousand workers were involved in construction.
Completion of construction
Construction of the Temple lasted seven years and was completed in 950 BC. e. Elders of all clans and tribes arrived for the celebration dedicated to his solemn consecration and lasting two weeks. He was transferred to the Temple after which the king read a prayer. Construction became a matter of national importance. It has become the personification of the unification of all Israel.
The temple was conceived as part of a complex that included royal palace. This majestic building dominated all the buildings in Jerusalem. A separate entrance connected the religious building with Solomon's palace. The entire complex took another nine years to build.
Idolatry
According to the Torah, God appeared to Solomon twice. The first time this happened was during one of the sacrifices. King Solomon, whose biography characterizes him as an intelligent ruler, asked God for wisdom and talent to rule his own people (which was given to him).
The second time the revelation occurred after the construction of the Temple. God promised to take the family of David under his protection if the people did not fall away from Solomon. However, closer to old age, the king began to tolerate pagan cults. Contemporaries associated this change with the influence of foreign wives of the monarch. On the Mount of Olives, Solomon even built a temple for Moloch and Kmosh - gods alien to the Jews. This act caused discontent among many zealous Jews. For this, God took away power over Israel from the son of Solomon, which led to the collapse of the country.
Ruler of Judea and Queen of Sheba
The biography of Solomon is connected with the legendary figure of the Ancient East - the Queen of Sheba. This woman ruled the Arabian state of Saba. Having heard about the glory and wisdom of the Jewish king, she arrived in Jerusalem in order to test him with riddles. This visit is described in detail in the Old Testament.
After the friendly visit of the ruler of Saba, a period of prosperity and prosperity began in Israel. Some researchers believe that Solomon had a love relationship with the queen. The emperors of Ethiopia descended from this connection. Their dynasty was called Solomon.
In Europe, interest in the plot of the relationship between the King of Israel and the Queen of Sheba revived during the Renaissance. Frescoes by the famous artist Piero della Francesca were dedicated to the legendary ruler. In literature, the Queen of Sheba appeared in the works of Boccaccio, Heinrich Heine, Gustave Flaubert, Rudyard Kipling and many other writers.
six pointed star
To emphasize his respect for his late father, the king of Judah made his sign state symbol and seal. This is how the famous six-pointed star of Solomon appeared. In the Middle Ages it was also associated with the occult pentagram and the Maltese cross used by the Knights of St. John.
The Star of Solomon was used in alchemy, magic, Kabbalah and other mystical practices. The king of the Jews wore a signet ring with this image on it. ancient symbol. With the help of a powerful artifact, Solomon subdued 72 genies - the fiery demons of the desert. The star was his military talisman. Solomon did not part with him in any battle.
The Wisdom and Death of Solomon
His creativity became an important embodiment. Historians believe that he was the author of several Old Testament books that are important parts of the Bible. During his lifetime, Solomon voiced more than a thousand parables, some of which formed the basis of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon. This work became the 28th part of the Tanakh. Solomon also authored the Book of Song of Songs and the Book of Ecclesiastes.
The death of King Solomon occurred in 928 BC. e in the fourth decade of his reign. Those close to him, not believing the death of the old man, did not bury the deceased until the worms began to eat his staff. In Arabic sources, Solomon is called Suleiman and is considered the forerunner of the Prophet Muhammad.
