SOLOMON (sOl'o-mon), (Pleb she/-a-mo', pacific), a son of King David by Bath-shcba (a Sam. xii:21; t Chron. iii:5).
The reign of Solomon over all Israel, although second in importance only to that of David, has so little variety of incident as to occupy a far less space in the Bible narrative. In the declining age of David, his eldest surviving son, Adonijah, endeavored to place himself on the throne, by the aid of Joab, the chief captain, and Abiathar, one of the chief priests, both of whom had been as sociated with David's early sufferings under the persecution of Saul. The aged monarch did not for a moment give way to the formidable usurpa tion, but at the remonstrance of his favorite, Bath-sheba, resolved forthwith to raise Solomon to the throne. To Joab he was able to oppose the celebrated name of Benaiah ; to Abiathar, his' colleague Zadok and the aged prophet Nathan. The plot of Adonijah was at once defeated by this decisive measure; and Solomon, being anointed by Nathan, was solemnly acknowledged as king. The date of this event is, as nearly as can be ascertained, B. C. to15.
The death of David would seem to have fol lowed very quickly upon these transactions. At least, no public measures in the interval are re corded, except Solomon's verbal forgiveness of Adonijah. But after the removal of David, the first events of which we hear are the destruction of Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei, son of Gera, with the degradation of Abiathar.
1. Personal History. After this, the his tory enters upon a general narrative of the reign of Solomon; but we have very few notices of time. and cannot attempt to fix the order of any of the events. All the information, however, which we have concerning him, may be consolidated under the following heads: (t) His traffic and wealth; (2) his buildings; (3) his ecclesiastical arrange ments; (4) his general administration ; (5) his seraglio; (6) his enemies.
(1) Wealth. The overflowing wealth in which he is so vividly depicted is not easy to reduce to a modern financial estimate; partly because the num bers are so often misunderstood, and partly be cause it is uncertain what items of expenditure fell on the general funds of the government. But abandoning all attempt at numerical estimates, it cannot be doubted that the wealth of Solomon was very great ; and it remains for us to consider from what sources it was supplied.
The profound peace which the nation enjoyed as a fruit of David's victories, stimulated the in dustry of all Israel. The tribes beyond the Jor dan had become rich by the plunder of the Hagar cnes, and had a wide district where their cattle might multiply to an indefinite extent. The agri cultural tribes enjoyed a soil and climate in some parts eminently fruitful, and in all richly reward ing the toil of irrigation ; so that, in the security of peace, nothing more was wanted to develop the resources of the nation than markets for its various produce. In food for men and cattle, in
timber and fruit trees, in stone, and probably in the useful metals, the land supplied of itself all the first wants of its people in abundance. For exportation, it is distinctly stated, that wheat, barley, oil, and wine, were in chief demand; to which we may conjecturally add, wool, hides, and other raw materials. The king undoubtedly had large districts and extensive herds of his own; but besides this, he received presents in kind from his own people and from the subject nations; and it was possible in this way to make demands upon them. without severe oppression, to an extent that is unbearable where taxes must be paid in gold or silver. He was himself at once monarch and merchant. By his intimate commercial union with the Tyrians he was put into the most favorable of all positions for disposing of his goods; and by the aid of their enterprise and experience carried on a lucrative trade with various countries.
(2) The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, although not strictly commercial, rose out of commercial intercourse, and may perhaps be here noticed. The territory of Sheba, accord ing to Strabo, reached so far north as to meet that of the Nabathwans, although its proper seat was at the southernmost angle of Arabia (see SIIEBA). The very rich presents made by the queen show the extreme value of her commerce with the Hebrew monarch : and this early inter change of hospitality derives a peculiar interest from the fact, that in much later ages—those of the Alaccabees and downwards—the intercourse of the Jews with Sheba became so intimate, and their influence, and even power, so great. Jewish circumcision took root there, and princes held sway who were called Jewish (3) His Buildings. Besides the great work which has rendered the name of Solomon so famous—the Temple at Jerusalem—we are in formed of the palaces which he built, viz., his own palace, the queen's palace, and the house of the forest of Lebanon, his porch (or piazza), for no specified object, and his porch of judgment, or law court. He also added to the walls of Jeru salem, and fortified Mill° On the city of David,' 2 Citron. xxxii :5), and many other strongholds. In all these works he had the aid of the Tyrians, whose skill in hewing timber and in carrying stone, and in the application of machines for con veying heavy masses, was of the first impor tance.