King Solomon Essay, Research Paper

King Solomon ruled all of Israel in an outstanding manner from 977 to 937 BCE ( 12 ) . Despite his wealth and power, Solomon is known to history for his wisdom and as the builder of the Temple of Jerusalem. He has been credited with authoring all or parts of three books of the Bible ( Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon ) .

King Solomon was the swayer of ancient Israel who reigned from 961-922 BC ( 8 ) . He is the boy of David and Bathsheba. Solomon succeeded his male parent as male monarch and his district extended from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the boundary line of Egypt. With his wealth he built the great Temple of Jerusalem. In 950 BCE Solomon & # 8217 ; s family included 700 married womans and 300 other kept womans ( 1 ) . To see the future peace and security of his land, Solomon yielded to the usage of the times and made many domestic confederations with capable races and folks by get marrieding foreign adult females.

An able decision maker, Solomon kept the land of Israel mostly integral, strengthened its protection, and made confederations with several environing states. He united his already strong place and even extended his influence by adept diplomatic negotiations instead than war ( 8 ) . International commercialism and a big copper-mining industry aided in Solomon s wealth. Contact with other states showed his advanced intelligence. Solomon displayed political and administrative wisdom and showed himself equal to his male parent by taking full advantage of the opportunity for economic enlargement.

The Song of Solomon is a book of the Old Testament. It is a alone aggregation of love poesy. In Christian versions of the Bible it normally appears after the Book of Ecclesiastes. In the Hebrew Bible it is found after the Book of Job. It is believed to be written by King Solomon, but the existent writer or writers of the book are unknown. It is a non-religious topic so it did non look in all pre-Christian Judaic literature. The Song of Solomon, besides known as the Song of Songs, is rather titillating for the Bible. It was included in the Hebrew Bible despite important resistance. Some have regarded the book as a dramatic verse form, while others see it fundamentally as love wordss.

Solomon carefully cultivated ties of friendly relationship, which had existed between Israel and the land of Tyre. This had great economic advantages. The biggest bond was with Egypt, which was cemented by his matrimony to the girl of the reigning Pharaoh. Solomon showed outstanding power, since he was able to claim and partly enforce authorization over Palestine. The of import and strategic Canaanite City of Gezer is said to hold revolted against Pharaoh and after being destroyed, to hold been handed over to Solomon as a belongings of matrimony with Pharaoh & # 8217 ; s girl when she was given to him in matrimony. Solomon took of import stairss to farther prosperity and to travel a large part of the national income into the royal exchequer to finance his life style and his edifices. His division of the state into 12 territories must hold been a extremely efficient thing to make, but it was reformed as one after his reign.

One of the chief beginnings of the tremendous gross required to back up Solomon & # 8217 ; s superb reign was direct revenue enhancement in the signifier of money, goods, or unpaid labour that furnished for his edifice undertakings. Besides revenue enhancements in money and green goods, Solomon required big contributions of free labour from the hapless whom he practically pushed into bondage.

Another of import beginning of gross for the royal exchequer was that he expanded trade to a singular grade. The usage of the Arabian camel brought a enormous addition in trade. Caravans could now go through comeuppances because of the camel s ability to travel without H2O for a couple yearss. Solomon s fleets traded in the Mediterranean and Red seas, and his topics mined gold in what is now Saudi Arabia. By therefore exerting control over virtually all the trade routes both to the E and the West of the Jordan, Solomon increased the gross by bear downing tolls from the merchandisers go throughing through his districts.

The building of the Cu refinery at ancient Ezion-geber is good, and points to practical cognition and accomplishment, which was the consequence of long experience. Copper became the male monarch & # 8217 ; s chief export and his merchandisers & # 8217 ; chief stock in trade. Tyrian mariners were able to assist Solomon in constructing his fleet and in supplying the accomplishment to run it. Archeology tends to turn out that Phoenician mariners and craftsmans aided Solomon in edifice and runing his fleet in the Red Sea, and besides believed that Phoenician technicians built the haven of Ezeion-geber for him.

Solomon must hold been making concern with, and viing with the celebrated Queen of Sheba. Her strenuous journey to Jerusalem by camel, going over 12s 100 stat mis of inhospitable terrain, about surely determined concern grounds every bit good as the pleasance of seeing Solomon and hearing his wisdom ( 5 ) . The visit must hold involved trade pacts, which regulated the just exchange of the merchandises of Arabia for the merchandises of Palestine, peculiarly Cu. The Queen & # 8217 ; s visit and conversations with Solomon were obviously extremely successful.

On the acme of Mount Moriah, S

olomon built the Temple of Jerusalem for God himself. This was originally traveling to be done by David, but was left for Solomon for grounds described in the Bible. The sole concentration of spiritual ritual in the Temple, together with the institutionalization of the scriptural injunction sing the pilgrim’s journey festivals, transformed Jerusalem – despite its unpromising natural characteristics – into an of import political and commercial centre during Solomon’s reign ( 6 ) . Solomon’s temple was rectangular, with three suites, a portico with two columns in forepart, a chief hall, and a cella or shrine with a raised platform. The ornaments of the temple included lilies, palmettos, and cherubim, along with a winged king of beasts with human caput, a sphinx.

The legion archaeological discoveries have cast a batch of visible radiation on the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, although the temple itself has been absolutely destroyed. It is now known that the program of it was Phoenician, as would be expected since an designer built it from Tyre. Archeology has furnished testimony that Solomon & # 8217 ; s edifice and industrial activities were even more extended than might be concluded from the vivid history in the Book of Kings. There is, nevertheless, grounds to confirm the scriptural notices that Solomon used Phoenician accomplishment in his sea ventures, and in the building of the brilliant temple at Jerusalem.

One other note of wisdom comes from the Biblical narrative of two adult females fighting for the rights to a kid. They both lived in the same house and both bore a kid on the same twenty-four hours. When one female parent lost her kid, she claimed that the other kid was hers. They went to Solomon to decide the state of affairs, and he told them to cut the babe in half. Bing the wise King, he knew that the existent female parent of the kid would non wish for her kid to decease. When the other adult females agreed to cut the kid in half, the kid was given to the obvious female parent.

Although really interesting, it is difficult to happen difficult nucleus grounds of King Solomon s escapades, edifices, and wisdom. Many bookmans believe that most of the books and narratives of Solomon are greatly overdone. He is mentioned in the Bible more than any male monarch is, other than his male parent David. That is likely why bookmans have trouble believing in him. Whoever the writer or writers, Solomon s Hagiographas are full of wisdom, and his creative activity of the Temple of Jerusalem will everlastingly be known.

Attached is something that I found while seeking my subject. It seemed really interesting to me, and I thought it should be included someway.

Ancient clayware lends acceptance to Bible, King Solomon & # 8217 ; s Temple

Associated Press

This clayware piece, believed to be 3,000 old ages old, may incorporate the oldest mention to King Solomon & # 8217 ; s Temple aside from the Bible.

NEW YORK & # 8212 ; Talk about keeping on to a reception.

A late discovered piece of clayware entering a contribution to the & # 8220 ; House of Yahweh & # 8221 ; may incorporate the oldest reference outside the Bible of King Solomon & # 8217 ; s Temple. The 3 1/2-by-4-inch artefact is about 3,000 old ages old ; dating to a clip when male monarchs sent messages inscribed on clayware.

It is ill-defined where it was discovered and how it made its manner into the antiquities market and subsequently to London aggregator Shlomo Moussaieff. But extended testing has convinced several bookmans of its genuineness.

& # 8220 ; This doesn & # 8217 ; t turn out the Bible, but it does vividly supply a context and a world to the universe of the Bible, & # 8221 ; said Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review, which reported on the discovery in its November-December issue. & # 8220 ; It merely provides a world that is slightly arresting in its way. & # 8221 ;

Solomon & # 8217 ; s Temple was by and large believed to hold been built sometime in the tenth century BC, and to hold lasted for some four centuries until it was destroyed by Babylonian soldiers.

The Bible often refers to the temple by the Hebrew term for & # 8220 ; the house of the Lord. & # 8221 ; But that term has been found complete in merely one lettering other than the Bible: a bleached sherd of sixth-century BC clayware from Arad, an ancient town now in contemporary Israel, harmonizing to Shanks. ( 7 )

Bibliography

1 ) Davy, Adam. Early English Text Society. N. Turner & A ; Co. , 1878.

2 ) Elkin, Benjamin. The Wisest Man in the World. New York: Parents Magazine Press,1968.

3 ) Elkins, William R. Song of Songs. New York: Vantage Press Inc. , 1956.

4 ) Fisher, Vardis. The Valley of Vision. Canada: McLeod, George J. , 1951.

5 ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.theology.edu/lec17.htm

6 ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.snunit.org.il/njeru/eb32s.htm

7 ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.detnews.com/1997/nation/9711/04/11040063.htm

8 ) New Catholic Encyclopedia. Volume 13, 421-2. 1967.

9 ) Russell, L. M. God with us The Christian Century Dec. 1991: 108.

10 ) Texas Studies in Lit. and Lang. A Journal of the Humanities. Volume 18, 362-80.1976.

11 ) The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion. 378-9. 1965.

12 ) The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. Volume 9, 636-7. New York: KTAV Publishing House inc. , 1969.

13 ) Young, P. Solomon so Long? History Today Aug. 1996: 3-4.