The legendary Solomon (1011-928 BC) is the third Jewish king, the son of David from Bathsheba. Under him, Israel reached the pinnacle of its influence and power. After the end of the reign of Solomon (965-928 BC), a period of civil strife and the collapse of the once united state began in the country. This monarch became famous for his wisdom and justice. His main achievement is considered to be the construction of the Temple, which righteous David so dreamed of.

Rise to power

Solomon was one of the youngest sons of his father, which did not prevent the influential prophet Nathan from singling him out among the other children of David. The capable boy grew up to be a worthy man. Formally, he was not listed as the heir to the throne, but a chain of several events led to the fact that he became the king of Israel.

After the death of his two eldest sons, David promised his beloved wife Bathsheba to transfer the throne to Solomon. Adonijah did not like this decision. This son of David, who became the eldest due to the death of Abshalom and Ammon, decided not to obey the will of his father. He was supported by several influential people, including the high priest Evyatar and the military commander Yoav. The prophet Nathan remained on Solomon's side.

Adonia's party openly announced his claims to power and began to gather new supporters. Meanwhile, the dying David ordered Solomon to be anointed as king (as is said about King Solomon). After performing the sacred ritual, the people swore allegiance to the heir. Adonijah, fearful of his brother’s revenge, took refuge in the sanctuary, but came out when the new ruler promised to spare his life.

David died soon after. Adonijah convinced Bathsania to ask his son for permission to marry Abishaga, one of his late father’s concubines. According to ancient laws, such a marriage gave the right to the throne. King Solomon, whose biography shows an example of a far-sighted politician, understood the plan of his rebellious brother and ordered the death of him and some of his high-ranking minions. This was the only time the monarch allowed the death penalty.

Foreign and domestic policy

Having defeated his dynastic rival, Solomon began to fully rule Israel. He hastened to make friends with Egypt. Having married the daughter of Pharaoh, the Jewish monarch received the city of Gezer as a dowry. The reign of Solomon was also marked by the continuation of friendship with the Phoenician sovereign Hiram, who had a good relationship still with David.

The ruler of the Jews loved horses and ordered the creation of the first Jewish cavalry. Neighboring kings and profitable trade provided large incomes. Solomon spent it on a grand scale, trying to achieve greatness in everything. His grandiose enterprises placed a heavy burden on the common population. Because of this, the authorities began a conflict with the tribes of Menashe and Ephraim. The story of King Solomon, for all the grandeur of his personality, was also different from his own mistakes. By forcing the obstinate tribes to work harder, the ruler strengthened their separate sentiments. It was partly for this reason that the disintegration of Israel after the death of Solomon became a natural and logical outcome of the internal Jewish conflict.

Construction of the Temple

As controversial as King Solomon was, the biography of this ancient monarch is best known for his construction of the Temple. His father David also conquered Jerusalem, which belonged to the Jebusites, and transferred the Ark of the Covenant there. He, together with the judges from the Sanhedrin, prepared a plan for the future Temple. David did not have time to complete the construction of the main religious building of the Jews and bequeathed the execution of this plan to his son.

King Solomon, whose biography is an example of one of the best diplomats of antiquity, enlisted the support of foreign specialists before starting to build the Temple. The ruler of the Phoenician city of Tire, Hiram, assisted him by sending many artisans and carpenters to Jerusalem (including his best architect Hiram Abiff).

Supplied from Lebanon Construction Materials: sandstone, cypresses, cedars. The stones were cut by the stonemasons of both Hiram and Solomon. The copper needed for utensils and temple columns was mined in the copper mines of Idumea, in the south of the Israelite Highlands. Almost 200 thousand workers were involved in construction.

Completion of construction

Construction of the Temple lasted seven years and was completed in 950 BC. e. Elders of all clans and tribes arrived for the celebration dedicated to his solemn consecration and lasting two weeks. He was transferred to the Temple after which the king read a prayer. Construction became a matter of national importance. It has become the personification of the unification of all Israel.

The temple was conceived as part of a complex that included the royal palace. This majestic building dominated all the buildings in Jerusalem. A separate entrance connected the religious building with Solomon's palace. The entire complex took another nine years to build.

Idolatry

According to the Torah, God appeared to Solomon twice. The first time this happened was during one of the sacrifices. King Solomon, whose biography characterizes him as an intelligent ruler, asked God for wisdom and talent to rule his own people (which was given to him).

The second time the revelation occurred after the construction of the Temple. God promised to take the family of David under his protection if the people did not fall away from Solomon. However, closer to old age, the king began to tolerate pagan cults. Contemporaries associated this change with the influence of foreign wives of the monarch. On the Mount of Olives, Solomon even built a temple for Moloch and Kmosh - gods alien to the Jews. This act caused discontent among many zealous Jews. For this, God took away power over Israel from the son of Solomon, which led to the collapse of the country.

Ruler of Judea and Queen of Sheba

The biography of Solomon is connected with the legendary figure of the Ancient East - the Queen of Sheba. This woman ruled the Arabian state of Saba. Having heard about the glory and wisdom of the Jewish king, she arrived in Jerusalem in order to test him with riddles. This visit is described in detail in the Old Testament.

After the friendly visit of the ruler of Saba, a period of prosperity and prosperity began in Israel. Some researchers believe that Solomon had an affair with the queen love relationship. The emperors of Ethiopia descended from this connection. Their dynasty was called Solomon.

In Europe, interest in the plot of the relationship between the king of Israel and the queen of Sheba revived during the Renaissance. Frescoes by the famous artist Piero della Francesca were dedicated to the legendary ruler. In literature, the Queen of Sheba appeared in the works of Boccaccio, Heinrich Heine, Gustave Flaubert, Rudyard Kipling and many other writers.

six pointed star

To emphasize his respect for his late father, the Jewish king made his sign a state symbol and seal. This is how the famous six-pointed star of Solomon appeared. In the Middle Ages it was also associated with the occult pentagram and the Maltese cross used by the Knights of St. John.

The Star of Solomon was used in alchemy, magic, Kabbalah and other mystical practices. The king of Judah wore a signet ring on which this ancient symbol was depicted. With the help of a powerful artifact, Solomon subdued 72 genies - the fiery demons of the desert. The star was his military talisman. Solomon did not part with him in any battle.

Wisdom and death of Solomon

His creativity became an important embodiment. Historians believe that he was the author of several Old Testament books that are important parts of the Bible. During his lifetime, Solomon voiced more than a thousand parables, some of which formed the basis of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon. This work became the 28th part of the Tanakh. Solomon also authored the Book of Song of Songs and the Book of Ecclesiastes.

The death of King Solomon occurred in 928 BC. e in the fourth decade of his reign. Those close to him, not believing the death of the old man, did not bury the deceased until the worms began to eat his staff. In Arabic sources, Solomon is called Suleiman and is considered the forerunner of the Prophet Muhammad.

The real name of King Solomon (Shlomo) is Yedidiah (Beloved of God). He received the nickname Solomon - the Peaceful - because, unlike his father, King David, he practically did not fight.

The Holy Scripture says that Solomon was born in the capital of the Kingdom of Israel - Jerusalem.

King David had many wives. According to the Bible, Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3). However, polygamy played a role a cruel joke on Solomon. Solomon's spouses were idolaters, and, indulging them, the king built numerous pagan sanctuaries for them, which he himself regularly visited. For this, he was predicted that after his death his kingdom would disintegrate.

Having heard about wisdom and the fabulous wealth of King Solomon, the legendary Queen of Sheba visited him to test his wisdom and make sure of his wealth (according to other sources, Solomon himself ordered her to come to him, having heard about the miraculous and rich country Saba). The queen brought with her numerous gifts.

The state of Saba actually existed on Arabian Peninsula(there are mentions of it in Assyrian manuscripts of the 8th century BC).

The most profitable His marriage was to the daughter of Pharaoh, the ruler of powerful Egypt. It is believed that Solomon ended half a thousand years of hostility between the Jews and the Egyptians by taking the daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh as his first wife (Third Book of Kings, 9:16).

Traditionally it is believed that Solomon was the author three biblical books. In his youth, he wrote a love poem - “Song of Songs” (Shir Ha-Shirim), in maturity - a moralizing collection of “Proverbs” (Mishlei), and in old age - a sad book “Ecclesiastes” (Qoheleth), beginning with the words: “Vanity of vanities - everything is vanity."

In Orthodox and catholic church considered the author of the deuterocanonical Book Wisdom of Solomon.

At the decisive moment in the struggle for power, Solomon was supported by the high priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and most importantly, the commander of the capital's guard, Vanya. According to different chronologies m, dates of reign date back to the beginning of the 10th century BC. e., 972-932 BC e., 960s - approx. 930 BC e., 967-928 BC e., according to traditional Jewish chronology ca. 874-796 BC e.

Kingdom of Israel under Solomon

Solomon was the wisest and richest king of his time. The Bible describes how God appeared to him in a dream, at the moment when Solomon began to reign, and said: “Ask what you want.” Solomon asked himself for wisdom to rule the people, and the Lord said: “Because you did not ask for wealth and glory, but asked for wisdom and understanding, then wisdom and wealth are given to you, which no king had.”

Given from above "wisdom, artist of everything", allowed Solomon “to know the structure of the world and the action of the elements, the beginning, the end and the middle of times, the changing turns and changes of times, the circles of years and the position of the stars, the nature of animals and the properties of animals, the aspirations of the winds and the thoughts of people, the differences in plants and the strength of roots”

Solomon's son Rehoboam did not inherit his father's wisdom. He didn't find common language with his subjects. As a result 10 out of 12 knees separated from Jerusalem and created a separate kingdom of Israel.

Today the only surviving treasure of all Solomon's wealth is the 43 mm Solomon's garnet, which King Solomon gave to the high priest of the First Temple on the day the sanctuary opened.

King Solomon was a peaceful ruler and during his reign (he ruled for 40 years) there was not a single major war.

Solomon He also tried to develop crafts and maritime trade in Israel, bringing specialists from Phenicia for this purpose.

In the kingdom of Solomon there was so much wealth, that silver depreciated and became equivalent to a simple stone. The Third Book of Kings says on this matter (chapter 10, verse 27): “And the king made the silver in Jerusalem equal in value to simple stones, and the cedars, because of their abundance, made them equal to the sycamore trees that grow in low places.”

The flourishing of agriculture in Israel is evidenced by the fact that Solomon annually supplied Hiram with twenty thousand measures of wheat and twenty thousand measures of vegetable oil. Of course, farmers were subjected to brutal exploitation, but still such colossal supplies of agricultural products are possible only in conditions of prosperity.

Archaeological finds introduced us to many aspects of life of that time. In particular, they indicate a fairly high standard of living. Countless expensive bowls for cosmetics made of alabaster and ivory, bottles of various shapes, tweezers, mirrors and hairpins prove that Israeli women of that era cared about their appearance.

They used perfumes, blush, creams, myrrh, henna, balsam oil, cypress bark powder, red paint for nails and blue paint for eyelids. Most of these drugs were imported from abroad, and such imports are typical of a rich country.

Solomon wrote three thousand parables, of which only 513 were included in the book of Proverbs of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:32), Themes and main content of the Book of Proverbs.

The book of Proverbs contains a number of important topics, which can be divided into three parts:

Man's relationship to God;
A person's attitude towards himself;
His attitude towards others.

The most important thing that King Solomon did in his life- It was the Temple of Jerusalem that was built.

Building materials were supplied from Lebanon: sandstone, cypresses, cedars. The stones were cut by the stonemasons of both Hiram and Solomon. The copper needed for utensils and temple columns was mined in the copper mines of Idumea, in the south of the Israelite Highlands. Almost 200 thousand workers were involved in construction.

Grandiose construction and rapid economic development required labor, “and King Solomon imposed a duty on all Israel; the duty consisted of thirty thousand people.” Solomon divided the country into 12 tax districts, obliging them to support the royal court and army.

Tribe of Judah from which Solomon and David came, was exempt from taxes, which caused discontent among representatives of the remaining tribes of Israel. Solomon's extravagance and craving for luxury led to the fact that he was unable to pay off King Hiram, with whom he entered into an agreement during the construction of the Temple, and was forced to give him several of his cities as debt.

The priests also had reasons for dissatisfaction. King Solomon had many wives of different races and religions, and they brought their deities with them.

Solomon built temples for them where they could worship their gods, and at the end of his life he himself began to participate in pagan cults.

After the death of King Solomon, his kingdom split into two weak states, Israeli and Jewish, waging constant internecine wars.

The death of King Solomon occurred in 928 BC. e in the fourth decade of his reign. Those close to him, not believing the death of the old man, did not bury the deceased until the worms began to eat his staff.

A selection of facts: website

Proverbs Solomon

During the forty years that Solomon ruled the people of Israel, he became famous as a wise and just monarch. It was built under him main shrine Judaism - the Temple of Jerusalem on Mount Zion, which Solomon's father, King David, could not build.

Was there Solomon?

The mention of Solomon in the Bible confirms the fact of his existence as a real person who ruled the country. Some chroniclers also described him as a real historical figure.

Solomon's meeting with God

Folk legends speak of the wisdom and wealth of the King of kings. There is a legend that says that one day God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted in life. In response, the king asked the Almighty for wisdom to rule his people fairly. God replied that he would give him wisdom and longevity if the ruler lived according to the laws of God.

The Wisdom of King Solomon

Apparently, God kept his promise and gave the king wisdom. So, when resolving disputes between people, Solomon only needed one glance to understand who was right and who was wrong. Although wise, the king was not arrogant. If it was necessary to solve some problem that was beyond his strength, Solomon turned to the learned elders for help. Without interfering, the king waited until they made their decision.

State policy under Solomon

Solomon's kingdom occupied a fairly vast territory that united Israel and Judah. Being a skilled diplomat, the wise king established good neighborly relations with neighboring states. By marrying the daughter of the pharaoh, he ended the enmity with Egypt and received from his new relative the territories he had previously conquered. From the noble families of Phenicia, Solomon took many concubines into his harem, which brought him closer to the Phoenician king Hiram, Israel's northern neighbor.

Trade with South Arabia, Ethiopia and East Africa flourished in the State of Israel. In his homeland, King Solomon contributed to the active dissemination of the law of God and was involved in the construction of schools and synagogues.

Ring of Wisdom

The legend of Solomon sounds different. One day, being in sadness, the king turned to a sage for help. “There are a lot of things around that distract and prevent you from concentrating on more important things.” important matters" - these were his words. To which the sage took out the ring and handed it to the king. On the outside of the gift was engraved the inscription: “Everything shall pass.” Solomon calmed down and began to rule the state again.

After some time, the wise king began to feel sad again; the inscription no longer calmed him down. Then he took off the ring, deciding to get rid of it, and at that moment he saw on its inside the second phrase - “This too shall pass.” Having calmed down, Solomon put the ring back on and never parted with it again.

Magic and King Solomon

Legend has it that the king wore a magic device that allowed him to control the elements of nature, as well as communicate equally with angels and demons. The treatise “The Keys of Solomon” is also known, containing information on demonology and secret sciences. The legend says that he himself gave this book to the king, and he kept it under his throne.

According to legend, the book “The Keys of Solomon” was a means of opening the door leading to the mysteries of the wisdom of the world. Its oldest copy is now kept in the British Museum. The book, written in Kabbalistic symbols, reveals the art of summoning demons.

But the Israeli king communicated not only with dark forces. Legends say that during the construction of the temple, Solomon asked, and they helped lift huge stones without any effort. The king also freely, with the help of his magic ring, communicated with birds and animals.

After Solomon's death, Israel was divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. People are left with numerous legends about the life of the wisest of kings and the famous “Song of Songs” of Solomon, included in the Old Testament canon and reflected in world literature, fine arts and music.

IN Holy Scripture There is one biblical character who is shrouded in a whole trail of myths and legends. His image is considered integral to the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, and his wisdom and justice have been sung by entire generations of writers and poets. According to biblical sources, he acts as the wisest of people, a fair judge who knew how to find an original solution in the most unusual situations. Fantastic qualities were also attributed to this person, such as power over genies, understanding the language of animals.

And although a number of historians deny his physical existence, citing the fact that he and his deeds are described only in biblical sources, but in culture different nations he is referred to as a real man with all its advantages and disadvantages. Pictures from his life and deeds were often depicted on the stained glass windows of medieval churches, miniatures of Byzantine manuscripts, paintings by artists and in numerous works of writers. And the phrase “Solomon’s solution” has existed for many centuries as popular expression. Yes, we are talking about Solomon, the third king of Israel.

Shlomo, Solomon, Suleiman- this name is known to almost every educated person, regardless of his age and attitude to religion. Experts are still arguing about his biography, but the generally accepted version is that he was one of the younger sons of King David, a former simple warrior who served the King of Seoul and became famous for his fantastic victory over Goliath. After this brave and resourceful fighter replaced the king of Seoul on the throne of Israel, he began to actively develop his native state. However, like any ruler, David also made mistakes. One of them was the sin of adultery, which he committed with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his subordinates, who was subsequently sent to certain death.

The beautiful woman became the wife of David, and from this marriage in 1011 BC. e. A boy was born, to whom happy parents gave the name Shlomo, literally translated from Hebrew as “peace.” True, the sin committed by David was not in vain: he had powerful ill-wishers, one of whom was Nathan, one of the host of prophets and authors of the Book of Kings. His curse haunted David for a long time, who had to beg the Almighty for forgiveness for a long time. The unpredictability of David’s actions also affected the principle of succession to the throne. Having a full-fledged successor to the throne, his eldest son Adonijah, he decided to give the kingdom to the youngest - Solomon.

This step provoked a severe crisis in the country, which almost ended in a full-fledged war. Adonia even managed to form a special detachment of bodyguards, but he did not receive the desired support in the army and in the church environment. The unsuccessful heir had to seek refuge in the Tabernacle, and his closest associates were captured and punished by execution or exile. Adonijah himself was pardoned by Solomon, but this only briefly extended his earthly existence. Having decided to marry Abishag the Shunammite, a servant of King David, he crossed the line of what was permitted and was executed.

After the dynastic rival was eliminated, Solomon became the sole ruler of Israel. He was endowed with remarkable wisdom, did not accept a military solution to conflicts, therefore, among his first actions as a full-fledged king, he made a rapprochement with Egypt. Despite the scandalous departure of Jews from this country, this state was strong and possessed enormous wealth. It is better to have such countries, even if not as allies, but as friends, so Solomon invited Pharaoh Shoshenq I, then ruling in Egypt, to give him his daughter as a wife. Together with the Nile beauty, he received the city of Tel Gezer as a dowry, as well as the opportunity to charge a fee for the passage of trade caravans along the Royal Road Via Regia, which stretched from Egypt to Damascus.

The second direction of friendly diplomacy was the Phoenician kingdom. Having established ties with its ruler Hiram I the Great, who promised to supply the necessary building materials to Israel, he was able to begin the grandiose construction of the temple. Phenicia received wheat and olive oil from Israel as payment for cypress, gold and workers. In addition, part of the southern Israeli lands was given to the Phoenicians.

The legend about his communication with the ruler of Sabea, the Queen of Sheba, speaks about Solomon’s remarkable mental abilities. A competent and wise woman came to Israel to test Solomon with a series of riddles. The King of Israel passed this test with honor, for which the guest gave the wise ruler great amount gold, precious stones and incense. Contemporaries claimed that after this visit Israel became prosperous and wealthy.

It is interesting that, as a brilliant politician, Solomon rejected forceful solutions to conflicts. In fact, it came from him that the degree of guilt, as well as the amount of punishment for the perpetrator, should be determined by a judge - a person absolutely independent of any of the parties to the conflict. It is believed that Solomon became the first such judge, and as an example of his work in this field, the case of two women sharing one child is given. Seeing that both mothers insisted that the baby belonged only to them, Solomon made a completely non-trivial decision. He ordered the servants to bring a sword, with which he was going to cut the unfortunate baby into two parts, so that each of the women would receive her part of the child. Based on the reaction of the petitioners to such a cruel decision, he was able to find out which of them real mother, and who is an impostor.

Of course, royal life was not characterized by tranquility. But according to legend, a magic ring helped Solomon maintain his composure. This little thing, received from the court philosopher, enabled the king to find salvation from various passions. On the outside of the ring there was an inscription engraved: “Everything passes,” and on the inside it continued: “This too will pass.” Looking at these inscriptions, the king pacified his anger, calmed down, after which he found an ingenious solution to the most complicated cases.

Such an innovation is also attributed to Solomon. According to ancient legends, our planet was once beset by a terrible flood that destroyed the powerful civilization of Atlantis. The surviving people formed a new society, and from the old only ancient artifacts remained, including things that had a technological purpose. Among the leaders of newly emerging countries, such discoveries were highly valued, because they gave an advantage over competitors. All knowledge of this kind is exclusively through oral transmission, so that the most important information does not go to hostile neighbors.

Solomon was the first to abandon this practice. He began to record esoteric knowledge in writing. Among the treatises attributed to him are the Keys of Solomon, in one of the sections of which there is a mention of 72 demons. Modern science considers this to be encrypted knowledge about the amount of human hormones. To make the information easier to read, these works were supplemented with a large number of diagrams and symbols. A significant part of these drawings is used in esotericism to this day. In addition to the Keys of Solomon, his authorship is also attributed to the Books of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, and the Book of Proverbs.

Unfortunately, even wise government officials find it difficult to resist temptations. Solomon, like his kingdom, which he built for many years, was destroyed by love. Legends say that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. One of the wives, whom the king loved very much, was a foreigner. A smart woman was able to persuade Solomon to build a pagan altar. Its construction quarreled Solomon with the Almighty, who personally promised to send various misfortunes to the arrogant ruler and his country. And so it happened. Numerous construction projects left the royal treasury empty, unrest began among the Edomites and Aramites on the outskirts, and Solomon himself died at the age of 52 while overseeing the construction of the ill-fated altar. Subsequently, the prediction of the Almighty came true: ancient Israel split. And although the Jews still had ups and downs in development, the ancient Jews were not able to achieve the prosperity of the times of Solomon.

Solomon is the third Jewish king, the legendary ruler of the united Kingdom of Israel in 965-928 BC. e., during its peak period. Son of King David and Bathsheba (Bat Sheba), his co-ruler in 967-965 BC. e. During the reign of Solomon, the Jerusalem Temple, the main shrine of Judaism, was built in Jerusalem.

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 regarding his 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 primary source used to justify the historicity of Solomon as a real person. In addition, his name is mentioned in the works of some ancient authors, as Josephus Flavius ​​wrote about.

Apart from biblical accounts written down more than 400 years after Solomon's death, no historical evidence of his existence has been found. Nevertheless, he is generally considered a historical figure. There is particularly detailed factual information on this reign in the Bible, with many personal names and numbers. The name of Solomon is associated mainly with the construction of the Jerusalem Temple, 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 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, remarkable intelligence.

King David intended to transfer the throne to Solomon, although he was one of his youngest 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, declared himself the successor to the throne, scheduling 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 “the horns of the altar” (1 Kings 1:51); after his repentance, Solomon pardoned him. After coming to power, Solomon dealt with the 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, Benaiah, was appointed by Solomon as the new commander of the troops.

God gave Solomon kingship on the condition that he would not deviate from serving God. In exchange for this promise, God endowed Solomon with unprecedented wisdom and patience.

The basis of Solomon's wealth was the trade route from Egypt to Damascus that passed through his domain. 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 villages in the south of his lands.

According to the biblical narrative, 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 gifted the queen, giving “everything she wanted and asked for.” After this visit, according to the Bible, unprecedented prosperity began in Israel. 666 talents of gold came to King Solomon per year. Subsequently, the story of the Queen of Sheba became overgrown with numerous legends, including speculation about her love affair with Solomon. The Christian rulers of Ethiopia considered themselves descended from this connection (see Solomon dynasty).

It is believed that Solomon ended the half-thousand-year feud between Jews and Egyptians by taking the daughter of an 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 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 Solomon’s reign. Thus, the entire reign of Solomon passed quite calmly.

Solomon died in 928 BC. e. at the age of 62 years. According to legend, this happened while he was overseeing the construction of a new altar. To avoid a mistake (assuming that this could be a lethargic dream), those close to him did not bury him until the worms began to sharpen his staff. Only then was he officially declared dead and buried.

The enormous costs of building the temple and palace (the latter took twice as long to build as the temple) depleted the state treasury. Not only prisoners and slaves, but also ordinary subjects of the tsar served construction duty. Even during Solomon’s lifetime, uprisings of the conquered peoples (Edomites, Arameans) began; immediately after his death, an uprising broke out, as a result of which the single state split into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah).

According to the Koran, Suleiman (Suleiman) was the son of the prophet Daoud. 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 a huge kingdom that extended to Yemen in the south. In 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 to 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 the pentagram (five-pointed star) the Seal of Solomon. It is believed that the Star of Solomon formed the basis of the Maltese cross of the Knights of St. John.

In occult teachings (magic, alchemy, Kabbalah, etc.), the pentacle with the name “Star of Solomon” is considered a 12-pointed star. Due to the larger number of rays, a circle is formed in the center of the star. Often a symbol was inscribed in it, thanks to which the pentacle was believed to help in intellectual work and enhance 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. A. I. Kuprin used the image of King Solomon and the motif of the “Song of Songs” in his story “Shulamith” (1908). Based on the corresponding legend, the peplum “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” (1959) was filmed.