Difference between revisions of "5. Id King Solomon"

Revision as of 09:33, 14 April 2015

Solomon is one of Israel's most famous ancient kings and also the king of David, who had forced the 12 Israelite tribes to come together as one. Although he was not the eldest, his mother, Bathsheba, and a prophet named Nathan, helped him greatly with his rise to power. After becoming king, he crushed his enemies and placed men that stayed true to him in important leadership positions in the military, government, and in the temples. Solomon gained alliances and power through his multiple marriages. According to the Bible, he had 700 wives and 300 misstresses. Though the numbers are quite obviously exaggerated, he certainly made alliances through marrying female relatives of powerful Near Eastern leaders. One of King Solomon's most famous women was the queen of Sheba. Sheba is said to have been a kingdom rich in gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Later myths suggest that the queen may have had a child with King Solomon. He continued developing the nation's military. He also fortified cities and towns and divided Israel in 12 administrative regions, responsible for taxes and organizing labor forces to support the central government.

In the first reading of 1 Kings, God tells King Solomom, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." He already had riches, but because he lacked knowledge of how long he would live or whether he would be able to overpower his enemies, he asked for wisdom.

King Solomon, desperately wanting to build the temple, among other things, made Jeroboam the overseer of the much-hated forced labor. To keep the hatred of the labor laws in check, Solomon used the knowledge that they were building a holy place to his advantage. He also used his feared stone cold hand. Jeroboam, however, was a clever instigator and initiated a revolt, but was soon condemned to death by Solomon. Jeroboam then escaped from Solomon and fled to egypt.

Reygan Jones

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