Solomon was the third of the kings to rule over Israel, and stood at the head of the united kingdom of Israel during its heyday - from 965 to 928. BC. Translated from Hebrew, "Solomon" means "peacemaker." The time of his reign is marked as the era of the greatest development of Jewish power.
During the forty years that Solomon ruled over the people of Israel, he became famous as a wise and just monarch. Under him, the main shrine of Judaism was built - the Jerusalem Temple on Mount Zion, which Solomon's father, King David, could not build.
Was there a 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
Popular legends speak of the wisdom and wealth of the King of Kings. There is a legend that once 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 justly rule his people. God answered that he would give him wisdom and longevity if the ruler lived according to the laws of God.
The wisdom of King Solomon
As you can see, God kept his promise and gave the king wisdom. So, when resolving disputes between people, Solomon needed one glance to understand who was right and who was wrong. Wise and wealthy, 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 the rule of Solomon
The kingdom of Solomon occupied a rather vast territory that united Israel and Judah. As a skilled diplomat, the wise king established good-neighborly relations with neighboring states. By marrying the daughter of the pharaoh, he put an end to the enmity with Egypt and received as a gift from a new relative the territories he had previously conquered. From the noble families of Phenicia, Solomon took many concubines into his harem, which made him closer to the Phoenician king Hiram, Israel's northern neighbor.
Trade with South Arabia, Ethiopia and East Africa flourished in the Israeli state. In his homeland, King Solomon contributed to the active spread of the law of God, was engaged in the construction of schools and synagogues.
Ring of Wisdom
The legend of Solomon's ring sounds different. Once, being in sorrow, the king turned to a sage for help. “There is a lot of everything around that distracts and prevents you from concentrating on more important matters,” such were his words. To which the sage took out the ring and handed it to the king. On the outside of the gift the inscription was engraved: "Everything will pass." Solomon calmed down and again began to rule the state.
After some time, the wise king was depressed again, the inscription on the ring no longer reassured him. Then he took off the ring, deciding to get rid of it, and at that moment he saw on its inner part the second phrase - "This too will pass." Having calmed down, Solomon put on the ring again and never parted with it.
Magic and King Solomon
Legend has it that the king wore a magic ring that allows him to control the elements of nature, as well as communicate on an equal footing with angels and demons. Also known is the treatise "The Keys of Solomon", containing information on demonology and secret sciences. The legend says that the devil 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 to open the door leading to the mysteries of the wisdom of the world. The oldest copy is now in the British Museum. The book, written in kabbalistic symbols, reveals the art of evoking demons.
But the Israeli king communicated not only with the dark forces. Legends say that during the construction of the temple, Solomon asked angels, and they helped to lift huge stones without any effort. The king also freely, with the help of his magic ring, communicated with birds and animals.
After the death of Solomon, 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 the world of fiction, art and music.
