King Solomon (in Hebrew - Shlomo) - the son of David from Bat Sheva, the third Jewish king. The splendor of his reign was etched in the memory of the people as a time of the highest flowering of Jewish power and influence, after which a period of disintegration into two kingdoms begins. The folk tradition knew a lot about his wealth, splendor and, most importantly, about his wisdom and justice. His main and highest merit is considered to be the construction of the Temple on Mount Zion - what his father, the righteous King David, aspired to.
Already at the birth of Solomon, the prophet Nathan singled him out among the other sons of David and recognized him worthy of the grace of the Most High; the prophet gave him another name - Edidya ("favorite of Gd" - Shmuel I 12, 25). Some believe that this was his real name, and "Shlomo" - a nickname ("peacemaker").
Solomon's accession to the throne is described in an extremely dramatic manner (Mlahim I 1 et seq.). When King David was dying, his son Adonijah, who became the eldest of the king's sons after the death of Amnon and Avshalom, planned to seize power while his father was still alive. Adonijah knew, apparently, that the king had promised the throne to the son of his beloved wife Bat Sheva, and wanted to get ahead of his rival. Formal law was on his side, and this secured him the support of the influential commander Yoav and the high priest Evyatar, and the prophet Nathan and the priest Zadok were on the side of Solomon. For some, the right of seniority was above the will of the king, and for the sake of the triumph of formal justice, they went over to the opposition, to the camp of Adonijah. Others believed that since Adonijah was not the firstborn son of David, the king had the right to give the throne to whoever he wanted, even to his youngest son Solomon.
The approaching death of the tsar prompted both parties to take an active part: they wanted to carry out their plans during the tsar's lifetime. Adonijah thought to attract supporters in a royal lush way of life: he started chariots, horsemen, fifty walkers, surrounded himself with a numerous retinue. When, in his opinion, the right moment for the implementation of the plan came, he arranged a feast outside the city for his followers, where he was going to proclaim himself king.
But on the advice of the prophet Nathan and with his support, Bat Sheva managed to convince the king to hasten to fulfill the promise given to her: to appoint Solomon as his successor and to anoint him immediately to the kingdom. The priest Zadok, accompanied by the prophet Nathan, Bnayaga and a detachment of royal bodyguards (kreti u-lash), took Solomon on the royal mule to the source of Gihon, where Zadok anointed him to the kingdom. When the sound of a horn was heard, the people shouted: "Long live the king!" The people spontaneously followed Solomon, accompanying him to the palace with music and jubilant shouts.
The news of Solomon's anointing frightened Adonijah and his followers. Adonijah, fearing Solomon's vengeance, sought salvation in the sanctuary, grasping the horns of the altar. Solomon promised him that if he behaved impeccably, “a hair would not fall from his head to the ground”; otherwise, he will be executed. Soon David died, and King Solomon came to the throne. Since Solomon's son, Rehavam, was one year old at the time of Solomon's accession (Mlahim I 14, 21; cf. 11, 42), it should be assumed that Solomon was not a "boy" when he ascended the throne, as could be understood from the text (ibid., 3, 7).
Already the first steps of the new king justified the opinion formed about him by King David and the prophet Nathan: he turned out to be an impassive and perspicacious ruler. Meanwhile, Adonijah asked the queen-mother to obtain royal permission for his marriage with Avishag, counting on the popular belief that the right to the throne belongs to the one of the king's close associates who gets his wife or concubine (cf. Shmuel II 3, 7 et seq.; 16, 22). Solomon understood Adonijah's plan and betrayed his brother to death. Since Adonijah was supported by Yoab and Evyatar, the latter was removed from the post of high priest and exiled to his estate in Anatot. Word of the king's anger reached Yoab, and he took refuge in the sanctuary. By order of King Solomon, Bnayagu killed him, since his crime against Avner and Amas deprived him of the right of refuge (see Shemot 21, 14). The enemy of the dynasty of David was also eliminated,Shimi, a relative of Shaul (Mlahim I 2, 12-46).
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However, we do not know about other cases of the use of the death penalty by King Solomon. In addition, in relation to Yoav and Shimi, he only fulfilled his father's will (ibid., 2, 1-9). Having consolidated his power, Solomon set about solving the problems facing him. Kingdom of David was one of the significant states in Asia. Solomon had to strengthen and maintain this position. He hastened to enter into friendly relations with the mighty Egypt; Pharaoh's campaign to Eretz Yisrael was directed not against the domain of Solomon, but against the Canaanite Gezer. Soon Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter and received the conquered Gezer as a dowry (ibid., 9, 16; 3, 1). This was even before the construction of the Temple, that is, at the beginning of the reign of Solomon (cf. ibid., 3, 1; 9, 24).
Having thus secured his southern border, King Solomon renews the alliance with his northern neighbor, the Phoenician king Hiram, with whom King David was still on friendly terms (ibid., 5, 15-26). Probably, in order to get closer to neighboring peoples, King Solomon took as his wives Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites, who, presumably, belonged to the noble families of these peoples (ibid., 11, 1)
The kings brought rich gifts to Solomon: gold, silver, robes, weapons, horses, mules, etc. (ibid., 10, 24, 25). Solomon's wealth was so great that “he made silver in Jerusalem equal to stones, and made cedars equal to sycamore trees” (ibid., 10, 27). King Solomon loved horses. He was the first to introduce cavalry and chariots into the Jewish army (ibid., 10, 26). All his enterprises bear the stamp of a wide scale, a striving for grandeur. This gave splendor to his reign, but, at the same time, laid a heavy burden on the population, mainly on the tribes of Ephraim and Menashe. These tribes, differing in character and some features of cultural development from the tribe of Yehuda, to which the royal house belonged, have always had separatist aspirations. King Solomon thought to suppress their obstinate spirit with forced labor,but the results were exactly the opposite. True, the attempt of Ephraimite Yeroveam to raise an uprising during the life of Solomon ended in failure. The mutiny was suppressed. But after the death of King Solomon, his policy towards the "house of Yosef" led to the falling of ten tribes from the dynasty of David.
Great discontent among the prophets and people faithful to the Gd of Israel caused his tolerant attitude towards pagan cults, which were introduced by his foreign wives. The Torah says that he built a temple on the Mount of Olives for the Moabite god Kmos and the Ammonite god Moloch. The Torah connects this “deviation of his heart from the Gd of Israel” with his old age. Then there was a turning point in his soul. Luxury and polygamy corrupted his heart; relaxed physically and spiritually, he succumbed to the influence of his pagan wives and followed their path. This falling away from Gd was the more criminal because Solomon, according to the Torah, twice received the Divine revelation: the first time before the construction of the Temple, in Gibeon, where he went to make sacrifices, since there was a great bama. At night, the Most High appeared to Solomon in a dream and offered to ask Him for everything,whatever the king desires. Solomon asked for neither wealth, nor fame, nor longevity, nor victories over enemies. He asked only to grant him wisdom and the ability to govern the people. Gd promised him wisdom, wealth, and glory, and, if he obeyed the commandments, also longevity (ibid., 3, 4, etc.). The second time Gd appeared to him at the end of the construction of the Temple and revealed to the king that he had heeded his prayer at the consecration of the Temple. The Almighty promised that he would take this Temple and the dynasty of David under His protection, but if the people fall away from Him, the Temple will be rejected and the people will be expelled from the Country. When Solomon himself stepped on the path of idolatry, Gd announced to him that he would take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13). He asked only to grant him wisdom and the ability to govern the people. Gd promised him wisdom, wealth, and glory, and, if he obeyed the commandments, also longevity (ibid., 3, 4, etc.). The second time Gd appeared to him at the end of the construction of the Temple and revealed to the king that he had heeded his prayer at the consecration of the Temple. The Almighty promised that he would take this Temple and the dynasty of David under His protection, but if the people fall away from Him, the Temple will be rejected and the people will be expelled from the Country. When Solomon himself stepped on the path of idolatry, Gd announced to him that he would take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13). He asked only to grant him wisdom and the ability to govern the people. Gd promised him wisdom, wealth, and glory, and, if he obeyed the commandments, also longevity (ibid., 3, 4, etc.). The second time Gd appeared to him at the end of the construction of the Temple and revealed to the king that he had heeded his prayer at the consecration of the Temple. The Almighty promised that he would take this Temple and the dynasty of David under His protection, but if the people fall away from Him, the Temple will be rejected and the people will be expelled from the Country. When Solomon himself stepped on the path of idolatry, Gd announced to him that he would take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13). The second time Gd appeared to him at the end of the construction of the Temple and revealed to the king that he had heeded his prayer at the consecration of the Temple. The Almighty promised that he would accept this Temple and the dynasty of David under His protection, but if the people fall away from Him, the Temple will be rejected and the people will be expelled from the Country. When Solomon himself set foot on the path of idolatry, Gd announced to him that he would take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13). The second time Gd appeared to him at the end of the construction of the Temple and revealed to the king that he had heeded his prayer at the consecration of the Temple. The Almighty promised that he would accept this Temple and the dynasty of David under His protection, but if the people fall away from Him, the Temple will be rejected and the people will be expelled from the Country. When Solomon himself set foot on the path of idolatry, Gd announced to him that he would take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13).that will take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13).that will take away from his son the power over all Israel and give it to another, leaving the house of David only power over Judah (ibid., 11, 11-13).
King Solomon reigned for forty years. The atmosphere of the end of his reign is in complete harmony with the mood of the book of Coelet. Having experienced all the joys of life, having drunk the cup of pleasure to the bottom, the author is convinced that it is not pleasure and pleasure that constitute the goal of life, they do not give it content, but the fear of God.
King Solomon in Haggadah
The personality of King Solomon and stories from his life became the favorite subject of Midrash. The names Agur, Bin, Yake, Lemuel, Itiel and Ukal (Mishley 30, 1; 31, 1) are explained as the names of Solomon himself (Shir ha-shirim Rabba, 1, 1). Solomon came to the throne when he was 12 years old (according to Targum Sheni to the book of Esther 1, 2-13 years old). He reigned for 40 years (Mlahim I, 11, 42) and, therefore, died fifty-two years of age (Seder Olam Rabba, 15; Bereishit Rabba, S, 11. Compare, however, Josephus Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews, VIII, 7, § 8, where it is stated that Solomon ascended the throne at fourteen years of age and reigned for 80 years, cf. also Abarbanel's commentary on Mlahim I, 3, 7). The Haggadah emphasizes the similarity in the fate of the kings Solomon and David: both of them reigned for forty years, both wrote books and composed psalms and parables, both built altars and solemnly carried the ark of the covenant and,finally, both had ruach ha-kodesh. (Shir a-shirim slave, 1.p.).
The wisdom of King Solomon
Solomon is given special credit for the fact that in a dream he asked only for the granting of wisdom to him (Psikta Rabati, 14). Solomon was considered the personification of wisdom, so there was a saying: "He who sees Solomon in a dream can hope to become wise" (Berachot 57 b). He understood the language of animals and birds. When making the court, he did not need to interrogate witnesses, since at one glance at the litigants he found out which of them was right and who was wrong. King Solomon wrote the Song of Songs, Mishlei and Koelet under the influence of Ruach ha-kodesh (Makot, 23 b, Shir ha-shirim Rabba, 1 p.). Solomon's wisdom was also manifested in his constant striving to spread the Torah in the Country, for which he built synagogues and schools. For all that, Solomon was not distinguished by arrogance, and when it was necessary to determine the leap year, he invited seven learned elders, in whose presence he kept silence (Shemot Rabba, 15, 20). This is the view of Solomon the Amoraes, the sages of the Talmud. Tannai, sages of the Mishna, with the exception of r. Yose ben Khalafta, portray Solomon in a less attractive light. Solomon, they say, having many wives and constantly increasing the number of horses and treasures, violated the prohibition of the Torah (Dvarim 17, 16-17, cf. Mlahim I, 10, 26-11, 13). He relied too much on his wisdom when he resolved the dispute between two women about the child without testimony, for which he received a censure from the Bat-Kol. The book of Koelet, according to some sages, is devoid of holiness and is “only the wisdom of Solomon” (V. Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 21 b; Shemot Rabba 6, 1; Megila 7a).having many wives and constantly increasing the number of horses and treasures, he violated the prohibition of the Torah (Devarim 17, 16-17, cf. Mlahim I, 10, 26-11, 13). He relied too much on his wisdom when he resolved the dispute between two women about the child without testimony, for which he received a censure from the bat-kol. The book of Koelet, according to some sages, is devoid of holiness and is “only the wisdom of Solomon” (V. Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 21 b; Shemot Rabba 6, 1; Megila 7a).having many wives and constantly increasing the number of horses and treasures, he violated the prohibition of the Torah (Devarim 17, 16-17, cf. Mlahim I, 10, 26-11, 13). He relied too much on his wisdom when he resolved the dispute between two women about the child without testimony, for which he received a censure from the bat-kol. The book of Koelet, according to some sages, is devoid of holiness and is “only the wisdom of Solomon” (V. Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 21 b; Shemot Rabba 6, 1; Megila 7a).
The power and splendor of the reign of King Solomon
King Solomon reigned over all the upper and lower worlds. The disk of the Moon did not decrease during his reign, and good constantly prevailed over evil. Power over angels, demons and animals gave a special splendor to his reign. Demons brought him precious stones and water from distant lands to irrigate his exotic plants. Animals and birds entered his kitchen themselves. Each of his thousand wives prepared a feast every day in the hope that the king would be pleased to dine with her. The king of birds, the eagle, obeyed all the orders of King Solomon. With the help of a magic ring, on which the name of the Most High was engraved, Solomon elicited many secrets from the angels. In addition, the Almighty gave him a flying carpet. Solomon moved on this carpet, having breakfast in Damascus and dining in Media. A wise king was once shamed by an ant,whom he raised from the ground during one of his flights, put him on his arm and asked: is there anyone in the world greater than him, Solomon. The ant replied that he considered himself greater, because otherwise the Lord would not have sent an earthly king to him and he would not have put him in his hand. Solomon got angry, threw off the ant and shouted: "Do you know who I am?" But the ant replied: "I know that you are created from an insignificant embryo (Avot 3, 1), therefore you have no right to ascend too much."that you were created from an insignificant embryo (Avot 3, 1), therefore you have no right to ascend too much. "that you were created from an insignificant embryo (Avot 3, 1), therefore you have no right to ascend too much."
The arrangement of the throne of King Solomon is described in detail in the Second Targum to the book of Esther (1. p.) And in other Midrashs. According to the Second Targum, there were 12 golden lions on the steps of the throne and the same number of golden eagles (according to another version 72 and 72) one against the other. Six steps led to the throne, on each of which there were golden images of representatives of the animal kingdom, two different on each step, one opposite the other. At the top of the throne was an image of a dove with a dovecot in its claws, which was supposed to symbolize the rule of Israel over the pagans. There was also a gold candlestick with fourteen candlesticks fortified, seven of which were engraved with the names of Adam, Noach, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Yaakov and Job, and seven others - the names of Levi, Keat, Amram, Moshe, Aaron, Eldad and Hura (according to another version - Haggaya). Above the candlestick was a golden jug of oil, and below was a golden bowl, on which the names of Nadab, Abigu, Eli and his two sons were engraved. The 24 vines above the throne created a shadow over the king's head. With the help of a mechanical device, the throne was moved at the request of Solomon. According to Targum, all animals with the help of a special mechanism extended their paws when Solomon ascended the throne so that the king could lean on them. When Solomon reached the sixth step, the eagles lifted him up and sat him on a chair. Then a large eagle put a crown on his head, and the rest of the eagles and lions climbed up to form a shadow around the king. The dove descended, took a Torah scroll from the ark and laid it on Solomon's lap. When the king, surrounded by Sanhedrin, proceeded to investigate the case, the wheels (ofanim) began to turn, and the animals and birds let out cries,awe those who intended to give false testimony. In another Midrash, it is said that during the procession of Solomon to the throne, an animal standing at each step lifted it up and passed it on to the next. The steps of the throne were strewn with precious stones and crystals. After the death of Solomon, the Egyptian king Shishak took possession of his throne along with the treasures of the Temple (Mlahim I, 14, 26). After the death of Sancheriv, who conquered Egypt, Hizkiyahu again took possession of the throne. Then the throne was successively given to Pharaoh Necho (after the defeat of King Yoshiya), Nevuhadnetsar and, finally, Ahasuerus. These rulers were not familiar with the structure of the throne and therefore could not use it. The Midrashim also describe the structure of Solomon's "hippodrome": it had three farsangs in length and three in width; in the middle of it were driven two pillars with cages at the top,in which were collected various animals and birds.
Angels helped Solomon in the construction of the Temple. The element of wonder was everywhere. The heavy stones went up and down on their own. With the gift of prophecy, Solomon foresaw that the Babylonians would destroy the Temple. Therefore, he arranged a special underground box, in which the ark of the covenant was subsequently hidden (Abarbanel to Mlahim I, 6, 19). The golden trees planted by Solomon in the Temple bore fruit every season. The trees withered when the pagans entered the Temple, but they will bloom again with the coming of the Messiah (Yoma 21 b). Pharaoh's daughter brought with her to the house of Solomon the idolatrous cult. When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, another Midrash reports, the archangel Gabriel descended from heaven and stuck a pole into the depths of the sea, around which an island was formed, on which Rome was later built, which conquered Jerusalem. R. Yose ben Khalafta,who always "takes the side of King Solomon," however, believes that Solomon, having married Pharaoh's daughter, had the sole purpose of converting her to Jewry. There is an opinion that Mlahim I, 10, 13 should be interpreted in the sense that Solomon entered into a sinful relationship with the Queen of Sheba, who gave birth to Neuhadnetsar, who destroyed the Temple (see Rashi's interpretation of this verse). Others completely deny the story of the Queen of Sheba and the riddles she proposed, and the words of Malat Sheba are understood as Mlekhet Sheba, the kingdom of Sheba, submitted to Solomon (V. Talmud, Bava Batra 15 b).gave birth to Nevuhadnetsar, who destroyed the Temple (see Rashi's interpretation of this verse). Others completely deny the story of the Queen of Sheba and the riddles she proposed, and the words of Malat Sheba are understood as Mlekhet Sheba, the kingdom of Sheba, submitted to Solomon (V. Talmud, Bava Batra 15 b).gave birth to Nevuhadnetsar, who destroyed the Temple (see Rashi's interpretation of this verse). Others completely deny the story of the Queen of Sheba and the riddles she proposed, and the words of Malat Sheba are understood as Mlekhet Sheba, the kingdom of Sheba, submitted to Solomon (V. Talmud, Bava Batra 15 b).
The fall of King Solomon
The Oral Torah reports that King Solomon lost his throne, wealth, and even reason for his sins. The basis is the words of Koelet (1, 12), where he speaks of himself as the king of Israel in the past tense. He gradually descended from the peak of glory to the lowlands of poverty and misery (V. Talmud, Sanhedrin 20 b). It is believed that he again managed to seize the throne and become king. An angel who overthrew Solomon from the throne 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 ha-shirim Rabba 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 ha-shirim Rabba 1. p.). The Talmud says that King Solomon issued decrees (takanot) on eruv and washing hands, and also included the words about the Temple in the blessing on bread (V. Talmud, Berachot 48 b; Shabbat 14 b; Eruvin 21 b).
King Solomon (Suleiman) in Arabic literature
Among the Arabs, the Jewish king Solomon is considered "the messenger of the Most High" (rasul Allah), as it were, the forerunner of Muhammad. Arab legends dwell in particular detail on his meeting with the Queen of Sheba, whose state is identified with Arabia. The name "Suleiman" was given to all great kings. Suleiman received four precious stones from the angels and set them in a magic ring. The inherent power of the ring is illustrated by the following story: Suleiman usually took off the ring when he washed and gave it to one of his wives, Amina. Once the evil spirit Sakr took the form of Suleiman and, taking the ring from the hands of Amina, sat on the royal throne. While Sakr reigned, Suleiman wandered, abandoned by everyone, and ate alms. On the fortieth day of his reign, Sakr threw the ring into the sea, where he was swallowed by a fish that was then caught by a fisherman and prepared for Suleiman's supper. Suleiman cut the fish, found a ring there and again received his former strength. The forty days that he spent in exile were the punishment for the worship of idols in his house. True, Suleiman did not know about this, but one of his wives knew (Koran, Sura 38, 33-34). As a boy, Suleiman allegedly canceled the decisions of his father, for example, when the question of a child was being decided, for which two women claimed. In the Arabic version of this story, the wolf ate the child of one of the women. Daud (David) decided the case in favor of the older woman, and Suleiman offered to cut the child and, after the younger protest, gave the child to her. Suleiman's superiority over his father as a judge is also manifested in his decisions about a sheep that committed harm in the field (sura 21, 78, 79), and about the treasure found in the ground after the sale of the land; both the buyer and the seller claimed the treasure.
Suleiman appears to be a great warrior, a lover of military campaigns. His passionate love for horses led to the fact that, once examining 1000 newly delivered horses to him, he forgot to perform the midday prayer (Koran, sura 38, 30-31). For this he later killed all the horses. In a dream Ibrahim (Abraham) appeared to him and urged him to take a pilgrimage to Mecca. Suleiman went there, and then to Yemen on a flying carpet, where people, animals and evil spirits were with him, the birds flew in a close flock over Suleiman's head, forming a canopy. Suleiman, however, noticed that there was no hoopoe in this flock, and threatened him with terrible punishment. But the latter soon flew in and calmed the angry king, telling him about the miracles he had seen, about the beautiful queen Bilkis and her kingdom. Then Suleiman sent a letter to the queen with a hoopoe, in which he asked Bilkis to accept his faith,otherwise threatening to conquer her country. To test the wisdom of Suleiman, Bilkis offered him a number of questions and, finally convinced that he had far surpassed the glory of himself, she submitted to him along with her kingdom. Sura 27, 15-45 speaks of the magnificent reception given by Suleiman for the queen and the riddles she proposed. Suleiman died fifty-three years of age, after forty years of reign.
There is a legend that Suleiman collected all the books on magic that were in his kingdom and locked them in a box, which he placed under his throne, not wanting anyone to use them. After the death of Suleiman, the spirits started talking about him as a sorcerer who himself used these books. Many believed it.
The legends of Solomon and Merlin, Solomon and Morolf, Solomon and Kitovras in the Byzantine and Slavic writing are an echo of agadot and Muslim legends in the Middle Ages.