Rehoboams acceptance of the foolish advice given by the youth to rule the people more harshly than his father had angered the people. He raised a levy to build the walls of Jerusalem and a house for the Lord. He loves Jehovah, and he follows the good advice that his father David gave him. 4. Confusion arising from religious pluralism. Both claimed to have given birth to the baby. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". King Solomon composed 3000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. The discovery of the Trumpeting Place confirms that the existing SW corner of the mount was part of Herods 606 x 606 ft temple complex, as described by Josephus. His wealth was so immense that precious metals were as common in . He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. For nearly 400 years Solomon's Temple stood as the focal point for worship of the L ORD. Because no other witnesses lived in the house, the women were left to dispute who the living child belonged to and who was the true mother. Tim Chester. Required fields are marked *. Solomon's legacy is quite full of contrary themes. He entered life as a humble shepherd, rose to found a dynasty, and became a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (x) Rehoboam's rejection of the elders' advice to rule Israel less harshly. It was a place for pilgrimage for the Jews living in Palestine and the Jews of the Diaspora. The eighth chapter of 2 Chronicles recounts Solomons successful military operations in Syria. He established international trade with the neighboring countries. He traded in copper, horses, timber, silver and gold. to 962 B.C. He also exerted control over northern trade routes, taking or building the cities of Hamath and Tadmor in the region of Zobah (Hamath-zobah; vv. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. palace and temple, therefore breaking the covenant rule of brotherhood. 1 Kings 11:1-3 states that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Wives as in more than one. 2) He was a good trader and a successful merchant. In addition to infantry, he had at his disposal impressive chariotry and cavalry. rain and drought. twenty years that it took Solomon to erect the two buildings, the Temple of Yahweh and the royal palace 11 Hiram king of Tyre had provided Solomon with all the cedar wood, juniper wood and gold that he wanted. Adonijah, the eldest son of King David, was the natural heir to the crown. He built other places of worship/shrines on hill tops vs. 32. However, it is clear from the Kings account that the Israelites were not made slaves in the sense of having all their freedom taken away or in never having time off. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Judah retained Jerusalem as the capital city. Some of Solomons most famous achievements were his building projects, particularly the temple in Jerusalem. Solomons Porch belonged to, or was joined to, the Womans Court and contained the East Gate to the Temple complex. The Israelites failure to effect Gods commands to destroy all the cultic objects and temple used in the worship of Canaanite gods. . the new situation in Canaan made the Israel compromise the worship of Yahweh with that of Canaanite duties leading to Syncretism e.g. He wrote the book Ecclesiastics. The Canaanite religion had the following features/ qualities; Symbols/idols/images were made to represent each god/goddess e.g. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 8. Achievements 1) He made Israel rich by establishing trade with other countries 2) He was a good trader and a successful merchant. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Solomon is known for being the king of Israel who built the first Temple in Jerusalem. To this day, Jerusalem remains Israel's most sacred and holy city. 11. Father - King DavidMother - BathshebaBrothers - Absalom, AdonijahSister - TamarSon - Rehoboam, Nehemiah 13:26Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? (I Kings 16:29 34) Poverty dehumanizes the unit of humanity. She imported her Baal religion to Israel. (1 Kings 11:3). Elijah means Yahweh is my God He established and developed trade links with other countries which led to economic prosperity in Israel/ He was a successful merchant. See I Kings 10 for a sample of his greatness.) King Solomon was born on c. 990 BCE in Jerusalem in the United Kingdom of Israel . Answers (i) He was poet and composed proverbs for religious purposes. He is known for stories told in the Bible about his wisdom. He reportedly became a man of excess and enriched himself from tribute and the products of the land. Although David was anointed king in Hebron (2 Samuels 5:3), he established the walled city of Jerusalem as the capital of his kingdom. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. c. 931 BCE (agedc.58 59) Jerusalem, United Kingdom of Israel. He was a good trader and a successful merchant. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. He also constructed other cities (Megiddo) and a palace for himself. Although some scholars claim to have discovered artifacts that corroborate the biblical account of his reign in the early 10th century bce, others claim that the archaeological record strongly suggests that the fortified cities and even the Temple of Jerusalem actually emerged more than a century later. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 12. tribes of Judah and Benjamin exempted from forced labour and payment of taxes. Aside from all his great achievements, Solomon lost his loyalty to God. By the end of this article, you will find out some of the interesting facts the Bible accounted for about Solomon. Ancient Israel enjoyed its golden age of power, wealth, and influence during the reigns of David and Solomon, with Solomons reign a zenith never again achieved during the old covenant era. Palestine was destined to be an important centre because of its strategic location for trade by land and sea. The country was divided into 12 major districts, with each district providing for the kings court during one month each year. How Did Jehoahaz And Jehoash Influence Israel? This led to introduction of idolatry in Israel. 7) He had great wisdom. Feast of in-gathering celebrated at the beginning of the agricultural year. Solomon wrote notable books in the Bible. King Solomon exploited the mineral deposits in Israel for example, there used to be copper mining in the region of Edam (1 Kings 9:28). He gave King Hiram of Tyre an area of Israels land to pay off his debts thus treating the nations land as his own personal property. Festivals and feasts were celebrated in honour of the gods and goddesses e.g. It was a centre for Jewish learning where the teaching of the law was conducted. However, when the Israelites settled in Canaan the Canaanite influence on them was great and they started to fall away from the worship of Yahweh. In two previous posts I wrote about why we should look to the Old Testament to find examples for us to follow, whether of things to avoid, or of things to emula He was a good trader and a successful merchant. SELECTED ASPECTS OF AFRICAN RELIGIOUS HERITAGE. Solomon constructed a pool for himself (Ecclesiastics 2:6). Having finished his account of Solomons construction and dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 27, the Chronicler describes in todays passage what this golden age looked like. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. She brought him gifts, but Solomon gave her even more (9:112). He is a rewarder of our life activities. 9) He dedicated the temple of God with great rejoicing. The nature gods proved more relevant than Yahweh (The God of the desert.). The crowning achievement of Solomon's reign is the building of the Temple which his father, King David, had dreamt about. Tradition recognizes Solomon as an ambitious builder of public works. Solomon had many foreign wives who brought with them the worship of foreign gods to Israel. Deeply moved by love for her son, the first woman whose baby was alive said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! It was polytheistic/ comprised of many gods and goddesses e.g. SOLOMON is a teen-ager when he becomes king. In the Hebrew Bible, King David is famous for slaying the Philistine giant Goliath and expanding Israel into a large kingdom centered in Jerusalem. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. . He married many foreign wives who brought with them the worship of foreign gods to Israel. The introduction of forced labour and heavy taxation led to discontentment among the Israelites and this made them rebellious. Solomons mother was Bathsheba, formerly the wife of Davids Hittite general, Uriah. 34). 6) He was a diplomatic ruler. Solomons fame and wisdom achieved international renown. Author: Alan Millard PhD. Solomon 's strengths and weaknesses as a king are listed below: One of King Solomon strengths were being responsible for building the first temple located in Jerusalem. To guard against the temptations to turn to the worship of the Canaanite gods, Yahweh through Moses had forewarned the Israelites that when they enter Canaan, they were supposed to destroy all the worshipping places e.g. What were the accomplishments of King David and king Solomon? It was predominantly a nature religion related to forces of nature e.g. Solomons greatest sin was taking too many foreign women as wives. One particularly celebrated episode in the reign of Solomon is the visit of the Queen of Sheba, whose wealthy southern Arabian kingdom lay along the Red Sea route into the Indian Ocean. He was a child of promise. Wise man. King David was not born into royalty. Diplomatic relations by marrying daughters of foreign kings. He overtaxed his subjects to maintain high standard of living in his royal court/ was extravagant. "In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee." (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon was a young man, about twenty years of age, when his father David died and he became king. In his old age, he got freed from the entanglements of idolatry, luxury, and lust, B. C. 977. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Ex 34:16. Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones (9:1). "Biography of King Solomon: The Wisest Man Who Ever Lived." This is well explained and I understand better. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines; his wives had a powerful influence over him. He founded the Judaean dynasty and united all the tribes of Israel under a single monarch. (Deut 5:8 10 and Lev 26:1) Once Solomon's kingship was firmly established, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and promised him anything he asked. What miracles did Solomon perform? temples/shrines and cultic objects (Ex .34:13). Material evidence for Solomons reign, as for that of his father, is scant. - African Paradise World. Cut him in two!" King Saul became jealous of David's success. Urbanization leads people to lose their identity/change values which may lead to degeneration of morals. Your email address will not be published. He is considered to be Israels greatest King, whose reign ushered in the period in which the First Temple was built. David has a weakness however, women. She asked her husband, Ahab to build high places for the idols. Biography of King Solomon: The Wisest Man Who Ever Lived. Suleiman the Magnificent (November 6, 1494-September 6, 1566) became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1520, heralding the "Golden Age" of the Empire's long history before his death. 1:1 - 5) A conspiracy by Solomon's half-brother Adonijah tried to rob Solomon of the throne. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Kingship in Israel was hereditary. Feast of weeks celebrated during the wheat harvest. He was the son of David and Bathsheba, the former wife of Uriah the Hittite whom David had killed to cover his infidelity with Bathsheba while her husband was on the battlefront. . King Solomons wisdom attracted people from different regions. Solomon is said to have fulfilled the commercial destiny of Palestine and brought it to its greatest heights. The demand for fortresses and garrison cities throughout his homeland and empire made it necessary for Solomon to embark on a vast building program, and the prosperity of the nation made such a program possible. The other factor that led to the spread of idolatry in Israel dates back to around 922 B.C. 8:1718). However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. He is known for stories told in the Bible about his wisdom. (2021, December 6). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 1) He made Israel rich by establishing trade with other countries. 1948 Civil War and War of Independence- relying on smuggled weapons and WW2 vets the Army was able to win the civil war and then fight off 5 Arab nations. Mass media /pornography where people spend time listening and watching T.V, videos and films. Materialism, love/craving for earthly possessions/wealth at the expense of spiritual development. He also composed songs like Song of Solomon and Song of Songs and poems in Ecclesiastes. In the biblical account of his reign, God tells Solomon he will punish him for his apostasy by breaking up his kingdom after his death. It does not store any personal data. He traded in copper, horses, timber, silver and gold. 5) He is remembered for his amazing administrative skills. Updates? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Your email address will not be published. (The achievements of King Solomon were indeed amazing. . The reigns of these Four kings, King Saul, King Ishbosheth, King David and King Solomon, cover a period of 120 years. King Solomon's greatest achievement was building the Temple in Jerusalem, the center of Israel's religious life. Before David dies, he appoints as king his son Solomon, who is 12 years old at the time, with these words: "I go the way of all the earth. He is recorded as a prophet in both Judaism's Talmud and Islam's Quran and one of his major legacies and first projects when he became king was the building of a temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was the only place where sacrifices to God were offered by the priests. His aim was the control of a great overland trading route. 1. He was also the second (after his father, David) and last king of a unified Israel, which was at the height of its power during his reign. King Solomon later died, and his son Rehoboam followed after him as king. King Solomon's Accomplishments Commonly called the First Temple, Solomon's Temple housed the Ark of Covenant | Image credit: ancient.eu Aside from the display of wisdom through his judgments, Solomon achieved a lot. . King Solomon's old age. As we learned in the last installment in this series, King David brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem's Mount Moriah"the gate of heaven"but because he had been a warrior who had blood on his hands . The images of these gods would be kept in the places of worship where the worshipers went to ask for whatever needs they had. ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES OF KING SOLOMON. Dont kill him!". Wisdom From Above:How Does It Relates To Earthly Wisdom?. King Solomon Hill is the name assigned to a blues singer and guitarist who recorded a handful of songs in 1932. He was also the second (after his father, David) and last king of a unified Israel, which was at the height of its power during his reign. What was one of the problems caused by Solomon's many wives? From the above we conclude that Jeroboam set a bad example for all the Kings who came after him in Israel. 6) He worshipped idols. 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