Solomon is remembered for many things, possibly including having written some of Proverbs, which is subtitled "Wise Sayings of Solomon" in Eugene Peterson's The Message. Another feat of importance is the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. Chapter 6 of I Kings outlines its impressive dimensions (90 feet long, 30 feet wide, 45 feet high, plus a "porch across the 30-foot width ... that extended out 15 feet" (The Message) and explains that the building work took place 480 years after Moses led the children of Israel out of captivity in Egypt and in the 4th year of Solomon's reign.
The temple is described in detail, including "engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on ... the walls of both the Inner and the Main Sanctuary" (I Kings 6: 29-30). They used cedar and cypress, high-quality stone and bronze which was fashioned by the artist Hiram (from the northern city of Tyre on the coast). There was a grand and impressive ceremony for the installation of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (see I Kings 8:6-9). Great sacrifices were also offered (I Kings 8: 62 on). Unfortunately, slave labour was employed.
Solomon also engaged in the ship-building business and these are said to have brought back gold from the land of Ophir, a place whose location may have been India, Saudi Arabia, or perhaps northern Africa.
News of Solomon's wealth, wisdom, and building feats spread abroad and soon brought a visit by the Queen of Sheba (perhaps southern Arabia).This meeting has been recorded in many works of art. Figure 1 (below) shows a modern rendition. Apparently the artist used his cousin and her brother as his models and he was probably influenced by the visit of the famous Ballet Russes in his choice of costumes. You may like to listen to the wonderful "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" by George Frederic Handel.
But, as indicated by Joyce in a previous post, all was not well. He forgot about the one God of his father David. Things started to go awry. Rebels like Jeroboam popped up. He had fled to Egypt but returned at Solomon's passing, at which time Solomon's son Rehoboam became king of Judah (southern kingdom, as opposed to Israel, the northern kingdom). But there was great tension with Jeroboam setting up false gods all over the place.
Amidst the trouble, there is a recorded healing - see I Kings 13: 6 where the king asks "the holy man" to pray to God, with the result that his arm was completely healed. This paves the way for the entrance of Elijah some generations later. But that is a topic for another post.
Julie Swannell
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