King Solomon in Haggadah. [↑]
The personality of King Solomon and stories from his life became a favorite subject of the Midrash. The names Agur, Bin, Yake, Lemuel, Itiel and Ukal (Mishlei 30, 1; 31, 1) are explained as the names of Solomon himself (Shir ha-shirim Rabba, 1, 1). Solomon ascended the throne when he was 12 years old (according to Targum Sheni to the book of Esther 1, 2-13 years old). He reigned for 40 years (Mlahim I, 11, 42) and, therefore, died at the age of fifty-two (Seder Olam Rabba, 15; Bereishit Rabba, C, 11. Compare, however, Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, VIII, 7 , § 8, where it is stated that Solomon ascended the throne at the age of fourteen and reigned for 80 years, cf. also Abarbanel’s commentary on Mlahim I, 3, 7). The Haggadah emphasizes the similarities in the fate of Kings Solomon and David: both of them reigned for forty years, both wrote books and composed psalms and parables, both built altars and solemnly carried the Ark of the Covenant, and, finally, both had the Ruach HaKodesh. (Shir Ha-Shirim Rabbah, 1. p.).
Bible and mythology
According to ancient legends, after the global flood that destroyed the highly developed state of Atlantis, human civilization had to be rebuilt. As the new society developed, people found remains of the past culture, which also included technological advances.
The acquired knowledge and artifacts were valued highly because they contributed to the progressive development of those states that acquired them. As a result, there was a need to transfer them in such a way that all knowledge remained secret from ordinary people not close to the management of the state.
Treatise "The Keys of Solomon"
Therefore, a ban was adopted among the rulers on the written recording of knowledge; all information was passed on by word of mouth. King Solomon was the first leader who recorded all the accumulated esoteric knowledge from different traditions in writing. From the well-known works of the king, his treatise “The Keys of Solomon” has reached us. The “Small Key” consists of five sections, one of them, “Goetia,” describes 72 demons, which in current science are considered to be human hormones.
These papers gained popularity due to the original way of reading information - for ease of perception, some of the information in the manuscript is drawn with diagrams and symbols. Among these drawings, the “Circle of Solomon” (represents a model of the planet Earth and was previously used in fortune telling) and the “Star of Solomon” (based on the Indian doctrine of chakras, used in amulets) are of great importance. It is also believed that Solomon became the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and the Book of Proverbs of Solomon.
The wisdom of King Solomon. [↑]
Solomon is given special credit for the fact that in a dream he asked only for the granting of wisdom to him (Psikta Rabati, 14). Solomon was considered the personification of wisdom, so a saying arose: “He who sees Solomon in a dream can hope to become wise” (Berachot 57 b). He understood the language of animals and birds. When conducting a trial, he did not need to interrogate witnesses, since at one glance at the litigants he knew which of them was right and which was wrong. King Solomon wrote the Song of Songs, Mishlei and Kohelet under the influence of the Ruach HaKodesh (Makot, 23 b, Shir Ha-shirim Rabba, 1. p.). Solomon's wisdom was also manifested in his constant desire to spread the Torah in the Country, for which he built synagogues and schools. Despite all this, Solomon was not distinguished by arrogance and, when it was necessary to determine the leap year, he invited seven learned elders to himself, in whose presence he remained silent (Shemot Rabbah, 15, 20). This is the view of Solomon by the Amoraites, the sages of the Talmud. Tannai, the sages of the Mishnah, with the exception of R. Yoseh ben Khalafta, portray Solomon in a less attractive light. Solomon, they say, having many wives and constantly increasing the number of horses and treasures, violated the prohibition of the Torah (Devarim 17, 16-17, cf. Mlahim I, 10, 26-11, 13). He relied too much on his wisdom when he resolved a dispute between two women about a child without testimony, for which he received a reprimand from the bat-kol. The Book of Kohelet, according to some sages, is devoid of holiness and is “only the wisdom of Solomon” (V. Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 21 b; Shemot Rabba 6, 1; Megillah 7a).
Beginning of reign
According to legend, not paying attention to the fact that Solomon was the last of David’s sons, the king wanted to make the youngest son his successor. But the eldest son Adonijah also fought for power, having the right to do so, because according to ancient traditions, the crown belonged to him. Therefore, the true heir created a special detachment of bodyguards led by Joab and Abiathar. And, taking advantage of the weakness of his parent, he tried to win over Nathan, the brave Benei and the royal guard, but did not receive support from David’s subjects.
King Solomon's Dream
David learned from the lips of the prophet about the ongoing conspiracy, so he managed to anoint Solomon as king with myrrh in order to transfer to him the gifts of the Holy Spirit needed to rule the country. At the same time, God set a condition for the autocrat that he should in no way deviate from serving the Almighty. Having received the promise, the Creator endowed Solomon with wisdom and patience.
King Solomon's Court
There is a legend about Solomon's court, which proves the rationality of the ruler. Two women came to the king with a request to determine who the true mother of the child was. And then Solomon gave cruel advice: do not argue, but cut the child in half, so that each gets half. One of the parishioners said that so be it, and the other fell into panic and despair. Thus, Solomon resolved the debate and found out who is the true parent and who is just pretending.
Jerusalem in the time of Solomon
Therefore, Adonijah's usurpatory attempts were doomed to fiasco: the young man fled and found his refuge in the Tabernacle. It is worth noting that the newly-minted king forgave his brother and ordered mercy, but the fate of his comrades Joab and Abiathar was sad: the first was executed, and the second was sent into exile. However, Adonijah could not escape severe punishment, for he tried to marry Abishag the Shunammite, a servant of King David, asking Bathsheba to intercede for him with Solomon. But the wise king considered that his brother again wanted to claim his rights to the throne and ordered Adonijah to be executed.
The power and splendor of the reign of King Solomon. [↑]
King Solomon reigned over all the high and low worlds. The disk of the Moon did not decrease during his reign, and good constantly prevailed over evil. Power over angels, demons and animals gave special shine to his reign. Demons brought him precious stones and water from distant lands to irrigate his exotic plants. Animals and birds themselves entered his kitchen. Each of his thousand wives prepared a feast every day in the hope that the king would be pleased to dine with her. The king of birds, the eagle, obeyed all the instructions of King Solomon. With the help of a magic ring on which the name of the Almighty was engraved, Solomon extracted many secrets from the angels. In addition, the Almighty gave him a flying carpet. Solomon traveled on this carpet, having breakfast in Damascus and dinner in Media. A wise king was once shamed by an ant, which he picked up from the ground during one of his flights, placed on his hand and asked: is there anyone in the world greater than him, Solomon. The ant replied that he considered himself greater, because otherwise the Lord would not have sent an earthly king to him and he would not have placed him in his hand. Solomon became angry, threw off the ant and shouted: “Do you know who I am?” But the ant replied: “I know that you were created from an insignificant embryo (Avot 3, 1), so you have no right to rise too high.” The structure of King Solomon's throne is described in detail in the Second Targum to the Book of Esther (1. p.) and in other Midrashim. According to the Second Targum, on the steps of the throne there were 12 golden lions and the same number of golden eagles (according to another version 72 and 72) one against the other. Six steps led to the throne, on each of which were golden images of representatives of the animal kingdom, two different ones on each step, one opposite the other. At the top of the throne was an image of a dove with a dovecote in its claws, which was supposed to symbolize Israel's dominion over the pagans. There was also a golden candlestick with fourteen cups for candles, seven of which were engraved with the names of Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Yaakov and Job, and on seven others the names of Levi, Kehat, Amram, Moshe, Aaron, Eldad and Hura (according to another version - Haggai). Above the candlestick was a golden jar of oil, and below was a golden bowl, on which were engraved the names of Nadab, Abihu, Eli and his two sons. 24 vines above the throne created a shadow over the king's head. With the help of a mechanical device, the throne moved according to Solomon's wishes. According to the Targum, all animals, using a special mechanism, extended their paws when Solomon ascended to the throne so that the king could lean on them. When Solomon reached the sixth step, the eagles lifted him up and seated him on a chair. Then a large eagle placed a crown on his head, and the rest of the eagles and lions rose up to form a shadow around the king. The dove descended, took a Torah scroll from the ark and placed it on Solomon's lap. When the king, surrounded by the Sanhedrin, began to examine the case, the wheels (ofanim) began to turn, and animals and birds uttered cries that made those who intended to give false testimony tremble. Another Midrash relates that when Solomon ascended the throne, an animal standing on each step lifted him up and passed him on to the next one. The steps of the throne were strewn with precious stones and crystals. After the death of Solomon, the Egyptian king Shishak took possession of his throne along with the treasures of the Temple (Mlahim I, 14, 26). After the death of Sancherib, who conquered Egypt, Hezkiyah again took possession of the throne. Then the throne successively went to Pharaoh Necho (after the defeat of King Yoshia), Nebuchadnezzar and, finally, Achashverosh. These rulers were not familiar with the structure of the throne and therefore could not use it. The Midrashim also describe the structure of Solomon's “hippodrome”: it was three farsangs long and three wide; in the middle of it were driven two pillars with cages on top, in which various animals and birds were collected.
During the construction of the Temple, Solomon was helped by angels. The element of miracle was everywhere. The heavy stones rose up on their own and fell to their proper place. Possessing the gift of prophecy, Solomon foresaw that the Babylonians would destroy the Temple. Therefore, he built a special underground box in which the Ark of the Covenant was subsequently hidden (Abarbanel to Mlahim I, 6, 19). The golden trees planted by Solomon in the Temple bore fruit every season. The trees withered when the pagans entered the Temple, but they will bloom again with the coming of Moshiach (Yoma 21 b). Pharaoh's daughter brought with her the paraphernalia of the idolatrous cult to Solomon's house. When Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, another Midrash reports, the archangel Gabriel came down from heaven and stuck a pole into the depths of the sea, around which an island was formed, on which Rome was later built, which conquered Jerusalem. R. Yoseh ben Khalafta, who always “takes the side of King Solomon,” believes, however, that Solomon, having married the daughter of Pharaoh, had the sole purpose of converting her to Jewry. There is an opinion that Mlahim I, 10, 13 should be interpreted in the sense that Solomon entered into a sinful relationship with the Queen of Sheba, who gave birth to Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the Temple (see Rashi’s interpretation of this verse). Others completely deny the story about the Queen of Sheba and the riddles she proposed, and understand the words malkat Sheva as mlechet Sheva, the kingdom of Sheba, which submitted to Solomon (V. Talmud, Bava Batra 15 b).
When to go?
The best time to travel is autumn or spring. According to local residents, tourists who come in the summer have their noses burnt on the plane's steps, but then they still, dying from the heat and sun, walk around historical places and explore the city. Summer in Jerusalem is catastrophically hot! So much so that even local residents try not to go out without special reasons.
Article on the topic
Bethlehem, Garden of Gethsemane, Dead Sea and other reasons to go to Israel
But in early autumn and spring the weather “whispers” - it’s hot during the day, but tolerable - about 25-28 degrees Celsius. A neat, slightly yellowish tan does not stick to the body as fiercely as in summer. However, in the evening a blessed coolness sets in - the city itself is located on a hill and a sharp change in temperature is a normal phenomenon. As night approaches, it can even get cold, but that’s by the standards of city dwellers. For visitors, this “cold” will be nothing more than a light and refreshing breeze.
The Fall of King Solomon. [↑]
The Oral Torah reports that King Solomon lost his throne, wealth, and even his mind for his sins. The basis is the words of Kohelet (1, 12), where he speaks of himself as the king of Israel in the past tense. He gradually descended from the heights of glory to the depths of poverty and misfortune (V. Talmud, Sanhedrin 20 b). It is believed that he again managed to seize the throne and become king. Solomon was overthrown from the throne by an angel who took the image of Solomon and usurped his power (Ruth Rabbah 2, 14). In the Talmud, Ashmadai is mentioned instead of this angel (V. Talmud, Gitin 68 b). Some Talmud sages of the first generations even believed that Solomon was deprived of his inheritance in the future life (V. Talmud, Sanhedrin 104 b; Shir ha-shirim Rabba 1, 1). Rabbi Eliezer gives an evasive answer to the question about the afterlife of Solomon (Tosef. Yevamot 3, 4; Yoma 66 b). But, on the other hand, it is said about Solomon that the Almighty forgave him, as well as his father, David, all the sins he committed (Shir ha-shirim Rabba 1. p.). The Talmud says that King Solomon issued regulations (takanot) about the eruv and washing of hands, and also included words about the Temple in the blessing on bread (V. Talmud, Berakhot 48 b; Shabbat 14 b; Eruvin 21 b).
End of reign and death
It is noteworthy that the king was a wise politician; during his reign, he managed to end famine, as well as bury the hatchet of war between the Jews and Egyptians. The Bible says that Solomon's beloved wife was a foreigner of a different faith. Therefore, the cunning woman persuaded her lover to build a pagan altar, which became a bone of contention between the Almighty and the ruler.
Solomon in old age
For this, the angry God promised the autocrat that after his reign, misfortunes would befall Israel. But even shortly before Solomon’s death, everything in the country was not rosy: due to construction projects, the royal treasury was empty, and in addition, uprisings of the Edomites and Arameans (conquered peoples) began.
The Talmud says that Solomon lived 52 years. The king died while overseeing the construction of a new altar. To prevent lethargic sleep, the leader’s body was not buried for a long time.
King Solomon (Suleiman) in Arabic literature. [↑]
Among the Arabs, the Jewish king Solomon is considered the “messenger of the Most High” (rasul Allah), as if the forerunner of Muhammad. Arab legends dwell in particular detail on his meeting with the Queen of Sheba, whose state is identified with Arabia. The name "Suleiman" was given to all great kings. Suleiman received four precious stones from the angels and set them in a magic ring. The inherent power of the ring is illustrated by the following story: Suleiman usually took off the ring when he washed himself and gave it to one of his wives, Amina. One day, the evil spirit Sakr took the form of Suleiman and, taking the ring from Amina’s hands, sat on the royal throne. While Sakr reigned, Suleiman wandered, abandoned by everyone, and ate alms. On the fortieth day of his reign, Sakr threw the ring into the sea, where it was swallowed by a fish, which was then caught by a fisherman and prepared for Suleiman’s dinner. Suleiman cut the fish, found a ring there and again received his former strength. The forty days he spent in exile were punishment for the fact that idols were worshiped in his house. True, Suleiman did not know about this, but one of his wives knew (Koran, sura 38, 33-34). Even as a boy, Suleiman allegedly overturned his father’s decisions, for example, when the issue of a child that was claimed by two women was being decided. In the Arabic version of this story, a wolf ate the child of one of the women. Daoud (David) decided the case in favor of the older woman, and Suleiman offered to cut the child and, after the protest of the younger woman, gave the child to her. Suleiman's superiority over his father as a judge is also manifested in his decisions about a sheep that was killed in a field (Sura 21, 78, 79), and about a treasure found in the ground after the sale of a plot of land; Both the buyer and the seller claimed the treasure.
Suleiman appears as a great warrior, a lover of military campaigns. His passionate love for horses led to the fact that, while once inspecting 1000 horses newly delivered to him, he forgot to perform the midday prayer (Quran, Sura 38, 30-31). For this he later killed all the horses. Ibrahim (Abraham) appeared to him in a dream and urged him to undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca. Suleiman went there, and then to Yemen on a flying carpet, where people, animals and evil spirits were with him, and birds flew in a close flock over Suleiman’s head, forming a canopy. Suleiman, however, noticed that there was no hoopoe in this flock, and threatened him with terrible punishment. But the latter soon flew in and calmed the angry king, telling him about the miracles he had seen, about the beautiful Queen Bilqis and her kingdom. Then Suleiman sent a letter to the queen with the hoopoe, in which he asked Bilqis to accept his faith, threatening otherwise to conquer her country. To test the wisdom of Suleiman, Bilqis asked him a series of questions and, finally convinced that he had far surpassed his fame, she submitted to him along with her kingdom. The magnificent reception given by Suleiman for the queen and the riddles she proposed are described in Sura 27, 15-45. Suleiman died at the age of fifty-three, after a reign of forty years.
There is a legend that Suleiman collected all the books on magic that were in his kingdom and locked them in a box, which he placed under his throne, not wanting anyone to use them. After Suleiman's death, the spirits spread a rumor about him as a sorcerer who himself used these books. Many people believed this.
An echo of haggadot and Muslim legends in the Middle Ages are the legends about Solomon and Merlin, Solomon and Morolf, Solomon and Kitovras in Byzantine and Slavic writing.
Image in culture
- 1614 – Rubens, painting “The Judgment of Solomon”
- 1748 – Handel, oratorio “Solomon”
- 1862 – Gounod, opera “The Queen of Sheba”
- 1908 – Kuprin Alexander, story “Shulamith”
- 1959 – King Vidor, drama “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”
- 1995 – Richard Rich, cartoon “Solomon”
- 1995 – Robert Young, drama “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”
- 1997 – Roger Young, documentary “King Solomon. The wisest of the wise"
- 1998 – Rolf Beyer, novel “King Solomon”
- 2012 – Vladlen Barbe, cartoon “The Seal of King Solomon”
