Solomon

SOLOMON, son of David, succeeded his father on the throne of Israel c. 974 and reigned to c. 937 B.C. In the story of David's intrigue with Bathsheba (2 Samuel xi.—xii. 25) Solomon is the second child of the union, born after David had made her his wife, and after the death of the illegitimate child. But in the lists of David's children, 2 Samuel v. 14, 1 Chronicles iii. 5, xiv. 4, he seems to be the fifth child of the union, a discrepancy indi cative of the uncertainty attaching to many particulars of his history. The name Solomon may mean "peaceful"; according to I Chron. xxii. 6-19, David was directed by Yahweh so to name his son as symbolizing the "peace and quietness" which, in contrast to the turbulence of his own reign, should be the characteristics of Solomon's. A variant reading in 2 Sam. xii. 24, however, states that Bathsheba herself chose the name, which is not im probable, for other instances are found in the Old Testament where the mother, not the father, names a child. The following verse says that the prophet Nathan gave to the child the name Jedidiah, "beloved of Yahweh," the first element in which is from a root akin to David. This name is found nowhere else, and pre sumably never came into common use.

The

contrast to the summary notices given in the books of Kings to the beginning of a new reign the circum stances of Solomon's accession are related with very full detail. To call Solomon "not the true heir to the throne" is mistaken. for in the case of a monarchy such as that of Israel there was no rule that the king's eldest son was his legitimate successor; the king might nominate any one of his sons to take his place : yet it is probable that Solomon had not been regarded as the son most likely to succeed David. The eldest son, Amnon, had been slain by Absalom, the third son, who was himself killed in an abortive revolt against his father. Of the intermediate son, Chileab, nothing is known.

When David was evidently on the point of death his son Adonijah, who "was born after Absalom," set to work to ensure for himself the right of succession. Like Absalom he was a man

of fine appearance, and seemingly popular. He appears also to have been a favourite with his father (r Kings i. 6). He sur rounded himself with a royal bodyguard, and enlisted the aid of the two foremost men in David's court, the warrior Joab and the priest Abiathar. At a feast he prepared he seems to have received support from the men of Judah and most of the king's sons, but his deliberate exclusion of the prophet Nathan, the warrior Benaiah, the "mighty men," and Solomon, from the in vitation would suggest that the question of the succession had already been the subject of palace intrigue, and that there was a "pro-Solomon" party.

At Nathan's instigation Bathsheba reminded the feeble old king of an oath he had sworn to make Solomon his successor, which story the prophet came in and confirmed. Whether this was really the case or not—on one view of the narrative it would seem that David in his weakness was persuaded that he had made such a promise—the king immediately caused Nathan, Benaiah and Zadok the priest, to proclaim Solomon. This action met with approval on the part of the citizens, and Adonijah's party, rather surprisingly, collapsed without a struggle, he himself seeking asylum at the altar, and being sentenced to confinement in his own house.

Subsequently Joab was killed by Benaiah, and Abiathar replaced by Zadok, at Solomon's command, Adonijah having been previ ously slain for preferring a request that Abishag, the damsel who had cherished David in his last days, should be given to him as wife. This would, according to Oriental ideas, have been equi valent to claiming the succession, and it is indeed difficult to be lieve the story that Adonijah made such a request through Bath sheba. It is possible that this narrative, and also the instruction given by David to Solomon that Joab should be slain, are invented to palliate the ruthlessness with which Solomon removed from his path those who had challenged his position.