Gave him a name Solomon and promised that his reign would proceed in peace and tranquility (1 Chron. 22, 9-10). In addition, the Lord commanded through the prophet Nathan to name Solomon Yedidia(2 Kings 12:25).
Solomon loved God and walked according to his father's rule. His teacher is called the prophet Nathan. Thanks to the intervention of Nathan, young Solomon was anointed king and proclaimed king during his father's lifetime. Solemn anointing, at the behest of King David, was performed by the prophet Nathan and the priest Zadok in Gion (1 Kings 1:32-40). Before his death, David ordered Solomon to use the materials he collected to build the temple of God (1 Chron. 22, 6-16). He also left a testament to the heir to be firm and courageous, to keep the covenant of the Lord God and to give the opponents and associates of David the appropriate retribution and reward (1 Kings 2, 1-9).
Solomon's ascension to the throne thwarted the first attempt at the accession of his older brother, Adonijah. However, soon Adonijah turned to the young king with a request to give him Abishag, the girl who cared for the aged David, as his wife, hoping to fulfill his ambitions with her help. Solomon saw in this request a new encroachment on the throne, and according to his will Adonijah was killed. The chief commander Joab, who supported Adonijah, was also killed, and the high priest Aviathar was exiled to Anathoth; their places were taken by the commander Vanei and the high priest Zadok (1 Kings 2:12-35).
In the year of Solomon's accession, a son and future heir, Rehoboam, was born from Naamah the Ammonite (1 Kings 14:21). At the same time, the young king strengthened his power by marrying the daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh (1 Samuel 3, 1), receiving the city of Gezer as a dowry - an exceptional case in the annals of Egypt, which speaks of the recognition of the power of the kingdom of Israel.
Finally, the most important step of Solomon to consolidate his power was the sacrifice to God. In that era, for lack of a temple, "the people still offered sacrifices on high" (1 Kings 3:2), which is why Solomon went to Gibeon, where the main altar was located, to offer sacrifice to God there. Here the Lord appeared to him in a night dream and said: "Ask what to give you" (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon confessed himself a "little boy" before the greatness of God's people, and asked himself "an understanding heart to judge Your people and discern what is good and what is evil" (1 Kings 3:7-9). He also asked for "wisdom and knowledge, so that I could go out before this people and enter" (2 Chronicles 1, 10). The answer was pleasing to the Lord, and He gave Solomon:
"a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and no one like you will arise after you; [...] and riches and glory, so that there will be no one like you among kings all your days. And if you walk in my way, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, I will continue your days"(1 Kings 3, 11-14).
Although Solomon received numerous gifts from God, the first among them was the gift of understanding. Soon the king showed his wisdom in the trial of two harlot women who gave birth to babies at the same time, one of whom died at night when they slept in the same house. To resolve their dispute about who the surviving baby belongs to, the king ordered the child to be cut in two and given to each half. Then one woman agreed, and the other - the real mother - prayed that the child would be better given to another woman, but left alive. So the king established the truth and gave the child to his mother. The fame of Solomon's judgment spread throughout Israel and strengthened his power: people "began to fear the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to execute judgment" (1 Kings 3:16-28).
The wisdom of Solomon was "higher than the wisdom of all the sons of the East and all the wisdom of the Egyptians [...] and his name was in glory among all the surrounding nations" (1 Kings 4:30-31). An outstanding gift became a force that attracted and conquered the first people of other countries. Foreign kings, having heard about the wisdom of Solomon, sought to get to know him personally. Impressed by his mind, they brought him generous gifts, becoming his free tributaries (1 Kings 10:24-25). A striking example is the queen of Sheba - that is, the ruler of the distant Sabaean kingdom, who, taking with her especially abundant gifts, came to test Solomon and found him even wiser and richer than rumor represented him (3 Kings 10, 1 -3; 2 Chronicles 9, 1-12).
Solomon is called the author of 3,000 parables and 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32), some of which entered the canon of Holy Scripture.
The internal structure of the kingdom was ordered. The creation of the administrative apparatus, which began in the reign of David, continued. The list of Solomon's officials includes scribes, a descriptor, a military leader, priests, a royal friend, a chief over the officers (regional governors), a chief over the royal house and a chief over taxes (1 Kings 4:1-7). The entire state, with the exception of the inheritance of Judah, was divided into twelve regions, each of which was ruled by a special presiding officer (viceroy) (1 Kings 4, 7-19). To protect the vast kingdom, a permanent mobile army was created from 1400 war chariots and 12 thousand horsemen; 4,000 stalls were built for horses and chariots (2 Chronicles 1:14; 9:25).
The Israelites under Solomon, "as many as the sand by the sea, ate, drank and were merry" (1 Kings 4:20). The people lived quietly and in abundance, "each under his own vineyard and under his fig tree" (1 Kings 4:25). Israel achieved such material prosperity that gold and silver in Jerusalem were equated in price with a simple stone, and cedars - with sycamores (2 Chr. 9, 27). At the same time, labor service was imposed on the people (1 Kings 5:13), and the Canaanites who remained in the country were turned into quitrent workers and grass-roots overseers.
The most remarkable material monuments of the Solomon kingdom were its numerous buildings, the most important of which was the majestic Temple of God in Jerusalem. In fulfillment of God's command and paternal covenant, in 480, after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign (1 Kings 6:1), Solomon undertook the construction of the temple. Construction work lasted seven years, many tens of thousands of people were involved in them. When the work on the construction of the temple was completed, Solomon placed the silver, gold and things consecrated by David into its treasuries, after which he called the leaders of the people to transfer the Ark of the Covenant from Zion to the temple (1 Kings 7, 51; 8, 1). Solemnly placing the ark in a new place, the king blessed the people, led them in prayer to God and in offering sacrifices (1 Kings 8:54-55, 62). The Lord accepted and consecrated the new temple.
Upon completion of the temple, Solomon began to build his magnificent palace, which took the next 13 years (1 Kings 7, 1). He also erected a wall around Jerusalem and a palace for his Egyptian wife, Pharaoh's daughter, due to which Jerusalem grew to the north. The biblical narrative, confirmed by archaeological finds, also testifies to the construction of garrison cities, where the chariot army stood, and casemate cities throughout the kingdom and, possibly, in the border areas in Hammat (1 Kings 9, 17-19; 2 Chronicles 8, 2 - 6). Public buildings, powerful city walls, four-column gates were built - parts of this urban planning program are evident in Gazor, Megiddo, Bethsamis, Tel Bet Mirsim, Gazer. The characteristic structure of a four-room Israeli house built of hewn stone took shape.
The prosperity of Israel under Solomon was a consequence of the blessing of God received by the king at the beginning of his reign. However, over time, devotion to the Creator began to weaken in the heart of Solomon. When, after the completion of the construction of the temple and the palace, the Lord appeared to him for the second time, a formidable warning was heard in the words of God against worshiping foreign gods (1 Kings 9, 1-9; 2 Chronicles 7, 11-22). But the king did not resist the temptation and eventually fell into idolatry, as his heart was corrupted by numerous foreign women whom he fell in love with. The king had 700 wives and 300 concubines - in addition to the Egyptian princess, among them were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites - and under their influence Solomon began to build temples and worship false gods - Astarte, Milhom, Hamus and Moloch ( 1 Kings 11:1-10).
Then the Lord informed Solomon that, for the unfaithfulness of the king, He would take away the kingdom from him. However, for the sake of David, God decided to reveal His judgment on Solomon after his death, leaving one tribe behind his offspring (1 Kings 11:11-13). The will of God was also confirmed by the prophecy of Ahijah the Silomite (1 Kings 11:29-39).
Not only external enemies rose up against Solomon - Ader and Razon, but also internal - Jeroboam. The king failed to kill the rebel who fled to Egypt. Meanwhile, the social ground for the separation of the northern tribes from the royal house was being prepared by duties and taxes, which the Israelites called "cruel work" and "heavy yoke" (1 Kings 12, 4), as well as the luxury of the royal court and the privileged position of the tribe of Judah. If we accept the dating of the book of Ecclesiastes by the last years of Solomon's life, it appears as evidence that the king who sinned, according to the words of St. Philaret of Chernigov, " did not remain without repentance, and the truth was not eclipsed in the soul of Solomon". The theme of the vanity of worldly life and the consciousness of "one thing for need" are the epitaph of the wise king:
Let us listen to the essence of everything: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is everything for a person.(Eccl 12, 13)
On the other hand, the Monk Joseph Volotsky, although he calls Solomon "wise", says that the king " died in sins" .
Solomon died after reigning in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years, and was buried in Zion (1 Kings 11:42-43). The throne passed to his son Rehoboam, but then Jeroboam returned and led a successful uprising of 10 tribes against Judah. So the judgment of God over the house of David and the Jewish people was expressed in the division of the kingdom into Israel (Northern) and Judah (South), which were no longer destined to unite and achieve their former power.
The death of Solomon and the division of the united kingdom are usually placed between and about BC. Since the Holy Scripture indicates the duration of his reign - 40 years, the accession is accordingly dated - in years. On the duration of Solomon's life, opinions differ much more. As a result, the authors of significant studies on Solomon present various versions of the dating. For example, Kaplinsky dates the birth to the year, accession to the year, and death and division of the kingdom to the year BC. . Dubnov believes that Solomon lived for 64 years. The version about the accession of Solomon at the age of twelve is found in the Armenian historian Moses of Khorensky. Standing apart is the ancient historian Flavius Josephus, who claims that Solomon lived for 90 years, of which he ruled for 80 years.
The significance of Solomon, his deeds and era made his name unforgettable for a number of reasons. The one whose name proclaimed him the king of "the world" is a type of Christ - God's great King-Peacemaker. Solomon occupies a unique place as the first builder of the temple of God in history. His glorified wisdom - the main gift Solomon requested from God - is revealed in the Holy Scriptures as his most enduring attribute. Jesus, the son of Sirach, praises Solomon in this way:
How wise were you in your youth, and like a river full of wisdom! Your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with mysterious parables; your name swept to the distant islands, and you were loved for your peace; for songs and sayings, for parables and explanations, countries were surprised at you.(Sir 47, 16-19)
Sacred Scripture contains a rather extensive narrative about Solomon - in the Third Book of Kings ch. 1-11 and in 2 Chronicles, ch. 1-9; the lost Book of Solomon's deeds is also known (1 Kings 11:41). The Bible also includes four books associated with Solomon's name: Proverbs, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Although the authorship of Solomon in relation to some of these texts is undisputed, they reveal the depth of wisdom, edification and prophetic gift that are traditionally attributed to this king. The significance of Solomon explains the appearance of other writings that began to be signed with his name (pseudo-epigraphs) - such as the Psalms of Solomon and the Songs of Solomon. By the time of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the image of Solomon among the Jews was widely recognized as the measure of wisdom and glory. This recognition determines the power of the words of the Lord when He says that He is "greater than Solomon" (Matt. 12:42; Lk. 11:31), and when He points out that "even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any other from" lilies of the field (Matt. 6:29).
The New Testament Church, with the formation of the canon of worship and iconography, more accurately comprehended the place of Solomon in the life of the people of God. In his Great Canon, St. Andrew of Crete speaks of Solomon impartially:
"Wonderful Solomon and full of grace of wisdom, having sometimes done this evil thing before God, depart from Him [...] Sweetly attract our passions, defiled, alas to me, guardian of wisdom, guardian of prodigal wives, and strange from God(Tuesday, Canto 7).
Although Solomon's apostasy from the faith was not a complete apostasy, the Church does not glorify him for his charitable life, like all other honest forefathers. In the following of the Week of the holy forefathers, other forefathers are mentioned repeatedly, with specific indications of the features of their feat, and Solomon - only once: " Praise Adam, Abel, Seth [...] David and Solomon"(luminous).
A legend that helps some people deal with stressful situations is that a long time ago there lived King Solomon. The life of this wise ruler was not calm, so he turned to the court philosopher for advice. The Thinker told his master about a priceless magic ring on which "Everything passes" is carved.
“When strong anger or strong joy overtakes you, look at this inscription and it will sober you. In this you will find salvation from passions! ”The sage used to say to the king.
It took a long time, Solomon pacified his anger with the help of this precious gift. But one day, looking at this laconic inscription, Solomon did not calm down, but, on the contrary, lost his temper. And then the enraged king tore off the ring from his finger in the hope of throwing it away into the pond, but noticed that on the reverse side of the jewelry was written "And this will pass."
As for the biography of King Solomon, there are disputes to this day. Some believe that the son of David really lived, others are sure that the wise ruler is a biblical falsification. Be that as it may, Solomon is an integral character of the Christian and Islamic (Suleiman) religions, who left a mark on culture: his image is used in paintings, prose, poetry, films and cartoons.
Solomon was born in 1011 BC. in Jerusalem. The only source indicating the reality of the existence of the legendary ruler of the united kingdom of Israel is the Bible. Therefore, biographers and scientists cannot confirm or refute whether Solomon is a historical person to this day.
Judging by the description of God's book, Solomon is the son of the second king of Israel, David. According to the New Testament, the messiah from the lineage of David in the male line is.
Before ascending the throne, David was a simple shepherd, and at the same time he showed himself to be a man not only kind and trustworthy, but also strong and courageous: in order to protect his sheep, he could deal with a lion or a bear with his bare hands.
Solomon's parent, Bathsheba, was the daughter of Eliam and, according to the Bible, had a rare appearance: David, walking around his possessions, saw Bathsheba bathing, and her beauty struck the king on the spot. Therefore, David ordered to deliver the girl he liked, who at that time was considered the wife of Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in the army of David, to the palace. Bathsheba became pregnant, and then the treacherous David ordered the commander of the Hittite in a letter that the husband of his beloved did not return from the battlefield alive:
“Put Uriah where there will be the strongest battle, and retreat from him, so that he will be struck down and die” (Book of Samuel 11:15).
After this incident, David acquired ill-wishers, and Nathan (Nathan), who is listed in the Holy Scriptures as a prophet and one of the authors of the Book of Kings, cursed the leader, dooming his future to fratricidal conflicts.
Later, David repented of his treacherous act and on his knees begged God for forgiveness. The Prophet said that the Lord forgave the one who wished death to another person, but reminded:
"... for a lamb should pay four times."
Thus, in the life of David there was a lot of bitterness and sadness: his youngest son died, and his daughter Flamar was raped by his son Amnon (who died at the hands of his own brother). In due time, the king had a son. By naming the offspring Solomon, David and Bathsheba predetermined the future of their son, because the name Solomo in Hebrew meant “peace” (i.e. “not war”). In fact, Solomon was afraid of armed conflicts, so during his reign he did not use a large army.
The second symbolic name of Solomon - Jedidia (translated as "beloved of God") - was given to him in honor of the condescension of the Almighty to David, who admitted that he had committed one of the seven deadly sins - adultery. Bathsheba was a pious woman who always remained in the shadows. The beloved leader of the Israeli people did not go into the details of politics, but was engaged in raising children.
According to legend, not paying attention to the fact that Solomon was the last of the sons of David, the king wanted to make the younger offspring his successor. But the eldest son Adonijah also fought for power, having the right to do so, because according to ancient traditions, the crown belonged to him. Therefore, the true heir created a special detachment of bodyguards, led by Joab and Abiathar. And, taking advantage of the weakness of his parent, he tried to win over Nathan, the brave Vanei and the royal guard, but did not receive support from David's subjects.
David learned from the lips of the prophet about the ongoing conspiracy, so he managed to anoint Solomon with the world to reign in order to transfer to him the gifts of the Holy Spirit necessary to rule the country. At the same time, God set a condition for the autocrat that he should in no way deviate from serving the Almighty. Having received the promise, the Creator endowed Solomon with wisdom and patience.
There is a legend about Solomon's judgment, which proves the rationality of the ruler. Two women came to the king with a request to determine who was the true mother of the child. And then Solomon gave cruel advice: do not argue, but cut the child in half, so that each gets half. One of the parishioners said that so be it, and the other fell into panic and despair. Thus, Solomon resolved the debate and found out who is the true parent, and who is just pretending.
Therefore, Adoniah's usurping attempts were doomed to failure: the young man fled and took refuge in the Tabernacle. It is worth noting that the newly-minted king forgave his brother and ordered to pardon, but the fate of his associates Joab and Abiathar was sad: the first was executed, and the second was sent into exile. However, Adonijah could not escape severe punishment, for he tried to take Abishag the Sunamite, the servant of King David, as his wife, asking Bathsheba to intercede for him before Solomon. But the wise king considered that his brother again wanted to claim his rights to the throne and ordered the execution of Adonijah.
Having got rid of a dynastic rival, Solomon became the full ruler of Israel. The wise king, for political purposes, married the daughter of Pharaoh Sheshenq I, since Egypt at all times was considered a country with exceptional fertility and untold riches (one has only to remember the treasures of the queen).
Having made a marriage proposal to the Nile beauty, the Jewish ruler received Tel Gezer, a biblical city in Israel (under Thutmose III, the country was dependent on the Egyptian rulers, so the city oppressed the Egyptians). The king also received most of the money from the Via Regia (“Royal Road”) trade route, which started from Egypt and stretched to Damascus.
It is also known that Solomon maintained friendly relations with the Phoenician king Hiram I the Great. When the son of David became a full-fledged ruler, he began to fulfill the will left by his father, and set about building the temple. Therefore, Solomon asked for assistance from Hiram, who possessed untold wealth, thus, the rulers entered into an alliance among themselves.
The Phoenician king sent Solomon cedar, cypress, gold, as well as builders, and in return received olive oil and wheat grain. However, the construction of the temple left Solomon in debt, so the leader of the Jewish people gave Hiram part of the southern lands.
Fresco "Solomon and the Queen of Sheba" Among other things, there is a legend about the Queen of Sheba, who, having learned about the wisdom of the ruler of the kingdom of Israel, decided to test Solomon with riddles. Rumor has it that after the visit of the queen, Israel became a prosperous and rich in gold country:
“And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a great abundance of spices and precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2-10).
It is worth noting that this biblical story later became the background for the creation of legends and traditions. Some writers embellished this story with Solomon's love affair with his unexpected guest from Sabaea, but in the sacred book about the "non-business" relationship between the Queen of Sheba and the son of David was silent. It is known that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
It is noteworthy that the king was a wise politician, during his reign he managed to end the famine, as well as bury the hatchet between the Jews and the Egyptians. The Bible says that Solomon's beloved wife was a non-Christian foreigner. Therefore, the cunning woman persuaded her lover to build a pagan altar, which became a bone of contention between the Almighty and the ruler.
For this, the angry God promised the autocrat that after his reign, misfortunes would fall upon Israel. But even shortly before the death of Solomon, everything was not cloudless in the country: because of construction projects, the royal treasury was empty, and besides, uprisings of the Edomites and Arameans (subjugated peoples) began.
The Talmud says that Solomon lived 52 years. The king died while overseeing the construction of a new altar. To exclude lethargic sleep, the body of the leader was not interred for a long time.
According to ancient legends, after the global flood that destroyed the highly developed state of Atlantis, human civilization had to be rebuilt. As the new society developed, people found the remains of the past culture, among which were also technological advances.
The acquired knowledge and artifacts were highly valued, as they contributed to the progressive development of those states that acquired them. As a result, there was a need to transfer them in such a way that all knowledge remained secret from ordinary people who were not close to the government of the state.
Therefore, among the rulers, a ban was adopted on the written fixation of knowledge, all information was passed from mouth to mouth. King Solomon was the first leader who recorded all the accumulated esoteric knowledge from different traditions in writing. From the famous works of the king, his treatise "The Keys of Solomon" has come down to us. The "Small Key" consists of five sections, one of them, "Goetia", describes 72 demons, which in modern science are considered to be human hormones.
These papers gained popularity due to the original way of reading information - for ease of perception, some of the information in the manuscript is drawn with diagrams and signs. Among these drawings, the “Solomon Circle” (represents a model of the planet Earth and was previously used in divination) and the “Star of Solomon” (based on the Indian teaching about chakras, used in amulets) are of great importance. It is also believed that Solomon became the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs of Solomon, and the Book of Proverbs of Solomon.
King Solomon (Shlomo, in Islam - Suleiman) (1011 - 928 BC) - one of the main characters of the Abrahamic "holy writings".
Solomon in the "holy scripture" is called the great and wise ruler, the bearer of all kinds of virtues (real and imaginary).
The merits of King Solomon are, among other things, the construction of the main (and only) Jewish Temple, located in Jerusalem, and the composition of several books of the biblical canon:
Solomon certainly could not have been the author of the last book mentioned: Ecclesiastes (The Conversation of the Desperate with His Ba) is a classic ancient Egyptian poem based on Egyptian religion and philosophy and echoing another Egyptian poem, the Harper's Song.
The authorship of the other listed works of the biblical canon also remains in question. For Jewish scribes of later times, King Solomon is the personification of an ideal ruler, and his era is a kind of “golden age” of the Hebrew state.
Therefore, it is not surprising that such close attention is paid to his figure.
The name Shlomo comes from the Hebrew word "shalom" - "peace (absence of war)", as well as from the word "shalem" - "whole, perfect", apparently, these are related words. Solomon is mentioned in the "Bible" under other names, for example - Jedidiah ("beloved of God, friend of God"); so his father, King David, called him when God forgave him for raping Bathsheba and killing her husband.
Shlomo appears to have been the rightful heir to the Jewish throne, as he was co-ruler with his father during the last years of his life. When David became very old, his other son, Adonijah, tried to usurp power. He entered into an agreement with the chief priest Aviathar and the commander Joab, announced to the people about his accession and arranged a magnificent celebration on this occasion.
However, Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, and the priest Nathan reported this to David. Adonijah decided to run away and hid in the tabernacle (camping temple). Solomon, who by that time had actually become the heir to the throne, agreed to pardon his brother if he surrendered and repented. He did so. Solomon executed the rest of the conspirators, then forming a new government.
Solomon is reported to have made a deal with God; he gave him great wisdom and patience, as requested by the new king, and Solomon swore to educate the people in fidelity to God.
As the meaning of his name confirms, Solomon was a peaceful ruler and did not want to wage any wars. Nevertheless, he created a united state of Israel and Judah, which occupied a significant territory. The basis of the wealth of the treasury under Solomon was the trade route from Egypt to Damascus, which passed through its territory; Solomon also traded horses and chariots, carried out intermediary transactions.
Only it was hardly possible to earn such fabulous wealth on this, which is attributed to the legendary king. Archaeologists have found that in the time of Solomon in the kingdom of Israel there were many copper mines and smelting furnaces, apparently, this was the main source of replenishment of the budget.
Solomon was friends with the rulers of neighboring countries, including the Egyptian pharaoh, thus, the centuries-old enmity between Jews and Egyptians ended. To strengthen the friendship, Solomon took Pharaoh's daughter as his first wife. He was also on friendly terms with the Phoenician king Hiram - he was in his debt, in repayment of which he ceded to Hiram some villages on the territory of his country.
The Israeli king did not even dare to deal with Razon, a rebellious Aramean who expelled Jewish representatives from Damascus and declared himself ruler.
Solomon was an excellent administrator, diplomat, builder and entrepreneur. Having received from his father a not particularly rich state, living in a patriarchal tribal way of life and of little interest to anyone, he made it a real ancient superpower, which neighboring countries were forced to reckon with - even such powerful ones as Egypt.
The kingdom of Israel itself became rich and prosperous, and first of all it concerns Jerusalem - Solomon made it a luxurious metropolis, moreover, the only center of the Jewish religion. Meanwhile, it is not at all necessary to idealize King Solomon. It was a rather powerful ruler who saw only his slaves in his subjects.
The luxury at his court reached madness, and one of the symbols of this luxury was the monstrous size of the harem of Solomon. The king led his country to prosperity with an iron hand, often not caring about ordinary subjects or showing violence against them. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba A famous story was that the queen of the Sabaean state, located on the Arabian Peninsula, once came to Solomon. In the "Bible" their relationship is described vaguely and mysteriously, however, apparently, King Solomon was in love with her.
Jewish tradition considers King Solomon, son of King David, who lived in the 10th century B.C.E. e., the wisest of men. Hearing a lot about his brilliant mind, the Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia to Israel (according to other sources, Solomon himself ordered her to come to him, having heard about the wonderful and rich country of Saba), to check this with the most difficult questions; Solomon answered all of them with brilliance. “There was nothing unknown to the king that he did not explain to her,” the Bible summarizes their meeting (10:3).
There is another legend: King Solomon heard that the Queen of Sheba has goat hooves, that is, the devil is hiding under the image of a beautiful woman. To do this, he built a palace, the floor of which he made transparent, and launched fish into it. When he invited the queen to enter, she instinctively lifted the hem of her dress, afraid to wet it, thereby showing the king her legs. She had no hooves, but her legs were covered with thick hair. Solomon said, “Your beauty is the beauty of a woman, and your hair is the hair of a man. For a man it is beautiful, but for a woman it is considered a flaw.
The Bible reports that King Solomon composed 3,000 parables and more than 1,000 songs, and kings from all over the world sent messengers to him to learn his wise words (5:12,14). Tradition attributes to him the authorship of three biblical books: Song of Songs, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Solomon's reputation as a wise man was strengthened most of all by the case of two harlots who got into an argument over who the baby belonged to. One said that a few days ago they both gave birth to sons. But last night, another woman's child died, and she replaced her dead child with her living one. In the morning, getting up to feed the baby, she immediately realized: the dead child in her arms was not her son. Another woman insisted that the living child was hers, and the first harlot was lying.
Solomon gave the order to bring a sword and ordered the executioner to cut "a living baby in two and give half of one and half of the other." “Please, my lord,” one of the women screamed in horror, “give her this child and do not kill him.” The other remained adamant: “Let it be neither for me nor for you - chop!” - "Give the living child first ... she is his mother," Solomon ordered.
"And all Israel heard of the judgment...and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute judgment" (3:16-28).
However, let's not be picky and bow before the "extraordinary wisdom" of Solomon. Let's just say that there are many cases of this kind. All peoples have always had judges who combined insight with simplicity. We restrict ourselves to only two cases. The judges that will be discussed did not receive the gift of wisdom from God in a dream.
Someone climbed to the very top of the bell tower to fix something there. He had the misfortune to fall down, but at the same time he had the good fortune not to even hurt himself. But his fall became fatal for the person on whom he fell: this person died. Relatives of the deceased brought the fallen to court. They accused him of murder and demanded either the death penalty or damages. How to resolve such a dispute? It was necessary to give some satisfaction to the relatives of the deceased. At the same time, the judge did not consider himself entitled to accuse of murder, even involuntary, a person who himself was a victim of an accident. The judge ordered that of the relatives of the deceased, who was especially persistent in litigation and demanded revenge most loudly, to climb himself to the top of the bell tower and rush from there to the defendant - the unwitting murderer whom he charged with the obligation to be at that time in the very place where the victim died . Needless to say, the annoying quarrel immediately abandoned his ridiculous claim.
The second interesting case occurred with the Greek judge. A young Greek was saving up money to pay the courtesan Theonida for her possession. Meanwhile, one night he had a dream that he enjoyed the delights of Theonida. When he woke up, he considered that it would be unwise to spend money for the sake of one moment. At one time he told his friends about his love intentions, and now he told them about his dream and his decision to give up the pleasure of becoming Theonida's lover. The courtesan, offended by this turn of affairs, and most importantly, annoyed that she had not received the money, brought the young man to court, demanding a reward. She assured that she retained the right to the amount that the young man was going to offer her, for it was she who, although in a dream, satisfied his desire. The judge, who was by no means any Solomon, issued a decree before which our priests are obliged to bow: this pagan, whom God did not enlighten with the light of true piety, invited the young Greek to bring the promised amount and throw the money into the pool so that the courtesan could enjoy the sound and contemplation gold coins, just as the young man enjoyed the ghostly intimacy.
The conquests of Father David brought Solomon the largest and most enduring kingdom in the history of Europe. Therefore, he had enough time for abstract reflections, and funds for grandiose construction. It was he who built the first Temple in Jerusalem (see ch. 43), which stood until 586 BC. e.
In order to build the Temple, he imposed exorbitant taxes and sent 10,000 Israelis every month to forced labor in Lebanon to pay for building materials purchased there. The combination of exorbitant taxes with forced labor caused resentment among the people, still remembering the bitter Egyptian slavery. How much the murmuring intensified when it became clear that "extraordinary taxes" continue to be collected even after the completion of the construction of the Temple.
The king's excessive hypersexuality, even by ancient standards, also caused criticism. No Jew in history has ever had as many wives as Solomon. The Bible reports that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many, if not most of them, were noble foreigners, through whom the king maintained good relations with their countries. Unfortunately, the monarch did not influence the religious beliefs of his non-Jewish wives so much as they seduced her husband into their faith. The Bible says so about the king who built the magnificent Temple: “His heart was not completely (given) to the Lord his God, like the heart of David his father; he also built sanctuaries for idols, so that his Gentile wives would have a place to pray” (11:3-10).
In anger, God declared to Solomon that he would take away the kingdom from his descendants, leaving only the tribe of Judah under their rule - and then only for the sake of "My servant" David and "for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."
However, even if Solomon did not shine with wisdom, but would drink all his life lying under an olive tree with his ladies, then he would remain in the eternal memory of mankind as the most refined and refined writer of all times and peoples. Three outstanding works belong to his pen, which brought him worldwide fame and glorified his people through the ages. Exquisite love-lyrical poem "Song of Songs", full of wisdom "Parables" and poisoned by melancholy and expectation of imminent death "Ecclesiastes".
It is believed that he wrote the Song of Songs full of romantic sensuality as a young man, the wise and judicious Proverbs in the middle of his life, and the gloomy Ecclesiastes in his declining years.
The main idea of Ecclesiastes is contained in the second verse of the book: "Vanity of vanities ... all is vanity" (1:2). The author of the book, who calls himself Ecclesiastes, writes that he was the king of Israel and the son of King David (hence the authorship is attributed to Solomon), he gained great wisdom, but saw that his life was still as meaningless as if he were nothing and didn't study. The book concludes: “There is no better good for a man than to eat and drink, so that his soul may be well with his labor” (2:24).
Ecclesiastes especially despises those who dedicate their lives to the accumulation of money. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money” (5:9) - he says in one place and in another remarks: “As he came out naked from the womb, so he will leave as he came; and for his labor he will not carry anything in his hand ... and what profit does he have that he labored for the wind? (5:14-15).
One of the book's most embarrassing features is its complete denial of the afterlife and belief in retribution and punishment. The Ecclesiastes insists that God treats good people just the same as bad people: offering sacrifices and those who do not offer sacrifices ... This is bad in everything that is done under the sun, because there is one fate for everything ”(9: 2-3). To reinforce his point, Ecclesiastes emphasizes that after death “there is no work, no plan, no knowledge” (9:10).
For such conclusions, as well as for the indulgence of polytheism, Solomon is condemned in the text of the Bible. But despite such a strict condemnation of the king, the image of the young royal sage prevails in the Jewish tradition. Solomon's name remains popular with Jews. It expresses the parents' hope that their son will be as wise and successful as his ancient namesake.
The oral Torah reports that King Solomon lost his throne, wealth and even reason for his sins. The basis is the words of Kohelet (1, 12), where he speaks of himself as the king of Israel in the past tense. He gradually descended from the height of glory to the lowlands of poverty and misfortune (V. Talmud, Sanhedrin 20 b). It is believed that he again managed to seize the throne and become king. Solomon was overthrown from the throne by an angel who took the form of Solomon and usurped his power (Ruth Rabbah 2, 14). In the Talmud, instead of this angel, Ashmadai is mentioned (V. Talmud, Gitin 68 b). Some sages of the Talmud of the first generations even believed that Solomon was deprived of his inheritance in the future life (V. Talmud, Sanhedrin 104 b; Shir a-shirim Rabbah 1, 1). Rabbi Eliezer gives an evasive answer to the question about the afterlife of Solomon (Tosef. Yevamot 3, 4; Yoma 66 b). But, on the other hand, it is said about Solomon that the Almighty forgave him, as well as his father, David, all the sins he committed (Shir a-shirim Rabbah 1. p.).
In his youth, King Solomon was presented with a ring with the words that when it will be very difficult for him, whether it is sad, whether it is scary - let him remember the ring and hold it in his hands. Solomon's wealth was not measured, one more ring - will it greatly increase it?
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Once in the kingdom of Solomon there was a crop failure. Pestilence and famine arose: not only children and women died, even the soldiers were exhausted. The king opened all his bins. He sent merchants to sell valuables from his treasury to buy bread and feed the people. Solomon was in turmoil - and suddenly he remembered the ring. The king took out the ring, held it in his hands ... Nothing happened. Suddenly he noticed that there was an inscription on the ring. What's this? Ancient signs… Solomon knew this forgotten language. EVERYTHING PASSES, he read.
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Many years passed... King Solomon became known as a wise ruler. He got married and lived happily. His wife became his most sensitive and close assistant and adviser. And suddenly she died. Grief and longing seized the king. Neither dancers and songstresses, nor competitions of wrestlers amused him ... Sadness and loneliness. Approaching old age. How to live with it? He took the ring: "Everything passes"? Sadness gripped his heart. The king did not want to put up with these words: out of annoyance he threw the ring, it rolled - and something flashed on the inner surface. The king raised the ring and held it in his hands. For some reason, he had never seen such an inscription before: "THIS WILL PASS."
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Many more years have passed. Solomon turned into an ancient old man. The king understood that his days were numbered and while there was still some strength, he needed to give the last orders, have time to say goodbye to everyone, bless the successors and children. “Everything passes”, “This will also pass,” he remembered, grinning: that's all gone. Now the king did not part with the ring. It has already worn out, the old inscriptions have disappeared. With weakening eyes, he noticed: something appeared on the edge of the ring. What is it, 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" - Solomon read ...
Despite his wisdom, King Solomon's life was not peaceful. And once King Solomon turned for advice to the court wise man with a request: “Help me - a lot in this life can drive me crazy. I am very subject to passions, and this hinders me!” To which the sage replied: “I know how to help you. Put on this ring - the phrase is engraved on it: “It 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 there came a moment when, looking, as usual, at the ring, he did not calm down, but, on the contrary, lost his temper even more. He tore the ring off his finger and was about to throw it far into the pond, but suddenly noticed that there was some kind of inscription on the inside of the ring. He looked closer and read: "This too shall pass."
After the publication of Henry Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines in 1885, many adventurers lost their peace and went in search of treasure. Haggard believed that King Solomon owned diamond and gold mines.
It is known from the Old Testament that King Solomon had 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 been clarified to this day. It is believed that this may be India, Madagascar, Somalia.
Most archaeologists are convinced 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 mines of Solomon were located in southern Jordan. And only at the beginning of our century, archaeologists found evidence that, indeed, the 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 the production of copper, which gave him the opportunity to make huge profits.
When King Solomon descended from the mountain, after meeting the sunrise, those gathered at the foot said:
You are a source of inspiration for us. Your words change hearts. And your wisdom enlightens the mind. We yearn to listen to you. Tell us who are we?
He smiled and said:
You are the light of the world. You are stars. You are the temple of truth. The universe is in each of you. Dip your mind into your heart, ask your heart, listen through your love. Blessed are those who know the language of God.
- What is the sense of life?
Life is a journey, a goal and a reward. Life is a dance of love. Your purpose is to flourish. To be is a great gift to the world. Your life is the history of the universe. And therefore life is more beautiful than all theories. Treat life like a holiday, because life is valuable in itself. Life is made up of the present. And the meaning of the present is to be in the present.
Why do misfortunes haunt us?
What you sow is what you reap. Unhappiness is your choice. Poverty is a human creation. And bitterness is the fruit of ignorance. By accusing, you lose strength, and by lusting, you dissipate happiness. Wake up, for a beggar is one who is not self-aware. And those who do not find the Kingdom of God inside are homeless. The one who wastes time becomes poor. Don't make life a waste. Don't let the crowd ruin your soul. May wealth not be your curse.
- How to overcome adversity?
Don't judge yourself. For you are divine. Don't compare or divide. Thank you for everything. Rejoice, for joy works wonders. Love yourself, for everyone loves those who love themselves. Bless the dangers, for the brave find bliss. Pray in joy - and misfortune will bypass you. Pray, but don't bargain with God. And know that praise is the best prayer, and happiness is the best food for the soul.
- What is the path to happiness?
Happy are those who love, happy are those who give thanks. Happy are the peaceful. Happy are those who find heaven in themselves. Happy are those who give with joy, and happy are those who receive gifts with joy. Happy seekers. Happy are the awakened ones. Happy are those who listen to the voice of God. Happy are those who fulfill their destiny. Happy are those who know Unity. Happy are those who have tasted the contemplation of God. Happy are those who are in harmony. Happy are the beauties of the world who see through. Happy are those who open themselves to the sun. Happy flowing like rivers. Happy ready to accept happiness. Happy are the wise. Happy are those who realize themselves. Happy are those who love themselves. Happy are those who praise life. Happy are the creators. Happy free. Happy are those who forgive.
What is the secret to abundance?
Your life is the greatest treasure in the treasury of God. And God is the treasure of the human heart. The wealth within you is inexhaustible, and the abundance around you is limitless. The world is rich enough for everyone to become rich. So the more you give, the more you get. Happiness is at your doorstep. Open to abundance. And turn everything into the gold of life. Blessed are those who find treasures within themselves.
- How to live in the world?
Drink from every moment of life, for unlived life breeds sorrow. And know what is inside, so is outside. The darkness of the world - from the darkness in the heart. Happiness is the sunrise. Contemplation of God is dissolution in the light. Enlightenment is the radiance of a thousand suns. Blessed are those who thirst for light.
- How to find harmony?
Live simply. Don't harm anyone. Don't envy. Let doubts cleanse, not bring impotence. Dedicate your life to beauty. Create for creativity, not for recognition. Treat others as revelations. Transform the past by forgetting it. Bring something new into the world. Fill your body with love. Become the energy of love, for love spiritualizes everything. Where there is love, there is God.
- How to achieve the perfection of life?
Solomon (heb. שְׁלֹמֹה, Shlomo; Greek Σαλωμών, Σολωμών in the Septuagint; lat. Solomon in the Vulgate; Arabic سليمان Suleiman in the Koran) - the third Jewish king in the 6th to 928 united kingdom of Israel, the legendary ruler of Israel 5-98 n. e., during its heyday. The son of King David and Bathsheba (Bat Sheva), his co-ruler in 967-965 BC. e. During the reign of Solomon in Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Temple was built - the main shrine of Judaism.
The 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. For example, he is called Jedidiah (“beloved of God or friend of God”), a symbolic name given to Solomon as a sign of God's favor towards his father David after his deep repentance for adultery with Bathsheba.
In the Haggadah, the names Agur, Bin, Yake, Lemuel, Itiel and Ukal are also attributed to King Solomon.
The Bible is the main source that is used to justify the historicity of the existence of Solomon as a real person. In addition, his name is mentioned in the writings of some authors of antiquity, as Josephus wrote about.
Except for the biblical accounts recorded more than 400 years after Solomon's death, no historical evidence of his existence has been found. Nevertheless, he is considered to be a historical figure. According to this reign, the Bible has a particularly detailed fact sheet with many personal names and figures. The name of Solomon is associated mainly with the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II, and several cities, the construction of which was also associated with his name.
At the same time, a completely plausible historical outline is adjacent to obvious exaggerations. For the later periods of Jewish history, the reign of Solomon represented a kind of "golden age". As happens in such cases, all the blessings of the world were attributed to the "sun-like" king - wealth, women, a remarkable mind.
King David intended to pass the throne to Solomon, although he was one of his younger sons. When David became decrepit, his other son, Adonijah, tried to usurp power. He entered into a conspiracy with the high priest Abiathar and the commander of the troops, Joab, and, taking advantage of David's weakness, announced himself as the successor to the throne, appointing a magnificent coronation.
Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, as well as the prophet Nathan (Nathan) notified David about this. Adonijah fled and hid in the Tabernacle, grasping "by the horns of the altar" (1 Kings 1:51), after his repentance, Solomon had mercy on him. After coming to power, Solomon dealt with other participants in the conspiracy. So, Solomon temporarily removed Abiathar from the priesthood and executed Joab, who tried to hide on the run. The executor of both executions, Vanei, Solomon appointed the new commander of the troops.
God gave Solomon the kingship on the condition that he would not deviate from the service of God. In exchange for this promise, God endowed Solomon with unprecedented wisdom and patience.
The basis of Solomon's well-being was the trade route from Egypt to Damascus that passed through his possessions. He was not a warlike ruler, although the states of Israel and Judah, united under his rule, occupied a significant territory. Solomon maintained friendly relations with the Phoenician king Hiram. Great building projects left him indebted to Hiram. To pay off the debt, Solomon was forced to cede to him the villages in the south of his lands.
According to the biblical story, having learned about the wisdom and glory of Solomon, the ruler of the Sabaean kingdom came to Solomon "to test him with riddles." In response, Solomon also gave gifts to the queen, giving "everything she wanted and asked for." After this visit, according to the Bible, an unprecedented prosperity began in Israel. In a year, 666 talents of gold came to King Solomon. Subsequently, the story of the Queen of Sheba acquired numerous legends up to assumptions about her love affair with Solomon. The Christian rulers of Ethiopia considered themselves descended from this connection (see Solomonic Dynasty).
It is believed that Solomon ended the half-thousand-year-old enmity between the Jews and the Egyptians by taking the daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh as his first wife.
According to the Bible, Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3), among whom were foreigners. One of them, who by that time had become his beloved wife and had a great influence on the king, convinced Solomon to build a pagan altar and worship the deities of her native land. For this, God was angry with him and promised many hardships to the people of Israel, but after the end of the reign of Solomon. Thus, the whole reign of Solomon passed quite calmly.
Solomon died in 928 BC. e. at the age of 62. According to legend, this happened while he was overseeing the construction of a new altar. In order to avoid a mistake (assuming that it could be a lethargic dream), the associates did not bury him until the worms began to sharpen his staff. Only then was he officially declared dead and buried.
Huge expenses for the construction of the temple and the palace (the latter was built twice as long as the temple) exhausted the state treasury. Construction duty was served not only by captives and slaves, but also by ordinary subjects of the king. Even during the life of Solomon, uprisings of the conquered peoples (Edomites, Arameans) began; immediately after his death, an uprising broke out, as a result of which a single state broke up into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah).
According to the Qur'an Suleiman (Suleiman) was the son of the prophet Daud. From his father, he learned a lot of knowledge and was chosen by Allah as a prophet, and he was given mystical power over many creatures, including jinn. He ruled over a vast kingdom, which extended to the south as far as Yemen. In the Islamic tradition, Suleiman is known for his wisdom and justice. He is considered a model ruler. It is no coincidence that many Muslim monarchs bore his name.
Islamic tradition has some parallels with the Haggadah, where Solomon is presented as "the wisest of men who could speak with the beasts, and they obeyed him." In the Jewish tradition there is a motif of humility of this proud king.
According to legend, under Solomon, the sign of his father David became the state seal. In Islam, the six-pointed star is called the Star of Solomon. At the same time, medieval mystics called Solomon's seal a pentagram (five-pointed star). It is believed that the star of Solomon formed the basis of the Maltese cross of the knights of John.
In occult teachings (magic, alchemy, Kabbalah, etc.), the 12-pointed star is considered a pentacle with the name "Star of Solomon". Due to the greater number of rays, a circle forms in the center of the star. Often a symbol was inscribed in it, thanks to which, as expected, the pentacle helped in intellectual work and strengthened talents.
The image of King Solomon inspired many poets and artists: for example, the German poet of the 18th century. F.-G. Klopstock dedicated a tragedy in verse to him, the artist Rubens painted the painting The Judgment of Solomon, Handel dedicated an oratorio to him, and Gounod an opera. used the image of King Solomon and the motif of the Song of Songs in his story Shulamith (1908). Based on the relevant legend, the peplum "Solomon and the Queen of Sheba" (1959) was filmed.
