Solomon (Bible)

Precondition

This article rests exclusively on the religious literature (Bible, Midrash, Coran…).
Pour historical and archaeological information to see Given archaeological on David and Solomon.
Pour of epigraphic information to see History of research on Pentateuque.

Solomon, wire and successor of king David

Solomon (Shlomo) is the second wire which the king David had of his wife, Bethsabée, that this one had taken in Urie.

When David was old, his/her Adonias son tried to be made proclaim heir. Then David orders to the priest Zadoc of oindre Solomon as king after him. David, dying, entrusts these words to his twelve year old son: “ I from go away by the way of all the ground. You will be strong and will show you a man, and you will take guard with God, your God, while walking in His ways, by keeping His statutes, His commands and His ordinances, as he is written in the law of Brace, so that you succeed in all that you will do and where that you will turn yourself ” (I Kings 2,2 and 3). After 40 years of rêgne, David dies. Solomon becomes thus king d' Israël.

A reign of peace and prosperity

With its advent in -970, Solomon must deal with many competitions and revolts within its kingdom. It eliminates the partisans from his Adonias half-brother. The Abyatar priest is exiled, Joab carried out. The Pharaon Siamon benefits from dead from David to organize a forwarding in Palestine. He takes and destroys Gézer. But in front of the army of Solomon, he prefers a peace of compromise. He gives his daughter in marriage to Solomon with for dowry Gézer. Solomon probably commits himself not attacking the Philistine pentapole.

Solomon organizes a military forwarding with Hamat and Zoba to control Tadmor (Palmyre) and the road of the caravans.

Its reign however marks a period of peace, prosperity and abundance. The king-builder makes set up in his capital of the colossal buildings (the Temple, the royal palace and fortifications of Jerusalem). He builds the first Temple of Jerusalem. It is in its fourth year of reign that Solomon started to build the temple, which was completed in seven years and half. It is the temple and either the gate vault, which was then the center of the public worship.

Decline

During his reign, Solomon took 700 wives and 300 concubines: it was the means of ensuring peace with the multiple city-states neighbors. But this situation involved difficulties: Solomon let develop pagan religions in his entourage “and it arrived, at the time of the old age of Solomon, that his wives diverted her heart near other gods” (I Kings 11,4 and 5). The inaccuracy of Solomon to keep alliance with God involved divine anger: “ Because you did that , (...) I will tear off you the kingdom (...) Seulement, I will not do it in your days, because of David, your father. But I will tear off it hand of tone wire . ” (I Kings 11,9 to 13)

At the end of the reign, the lifting of heavy taxes and the institution of the drudgery cause revolts which will lead to the partition of the kingdom of Israel after the death of Solomon (-931).

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