§ 54. Solomon's Palace, I Kgs. 71-12, 924a, II Chr. 811 Annals of Solomon of Leb anon Hall of ment I Kgs. 7 1And Solomon was building his palace thirteen years, until he House had completely finished his palace. There also he built the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and and its height thirty cubits, upon three rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams Judg upon the pillars. 3And it was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams, that were upon the pillars; and the number of the pillars was fifteen in a row. 4And there were window-frames in three rows, and window was over against window in three tiers. 5And all the doors and windows were made with square frames: and door was over against door in three tiers.t "And the hall of pillars he made fifty cubits long and thirty cubits broad; and a porch before them and pillars and a threshold" before them. 7And he made the throne-hall where he was to judge, even the Hall of Judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling. palace And his palace, where he was to dwell, in another court farther in from Private the Hall of Judgment, was of the same workmanship. He also made a of Solopalace for Pharaoh's daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), similar to mon his hall. 9 24a And Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David Egyp to her palace which Solomon had built for her. and his tian queen con 79All these were of costly stones, hewn according to measurements, sawed Matewith saws, both on the interior and on the exterior, even from the foundation rials to the coping, and from the exterior to the great court. 10 And the foundation used in was of costly great stones-stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. struct ing the 11And above were costly stones, hewn according to measurements, and cedar palace wood. 12And the great encircling court had three courses of hewn stone and a course of cedar beams; even so it was round about the inner court of the temple of Jehovah and the court of the porch of the palace.▾ § 55. Solomon's Resources and Wealth, I Kgs. 910-15, 17b-23, 26-28, 1011, 12, 14-29, II Chr. 81-10, 17, 18, 910, 11, 13-28 Annals of Solomon I Kgs. 9 10Now at the end of twenty years, during which Solomon had built the Solotwo buildings: the temple of Jehovah and the king's palace, "Hiram the king of Tyre mon's having furnished Solomon with cedar and cypress wood and with gold as much as he pay ment for the mate rial fur § 54 This narrative appears to have been the conclusion of the original account of Solomon's building enterprises. In the Gk. text it stands at the end of 7, but the fact that 12b has been left nished behind indicates that it was the work of a later editor. The description is so brief that it is at points scarcely intelligible and the statistical element is prominent. It has all the characteristics by Hiof a passage taken directly from the original annals of Solomon. With this the detached passage, 924, logically belongs. Cf. 78. For the plan of Solomon's palace, cf. accompanying diagram. P72 Doubtless so named because the four rows of supporting cedar of Lebanon pillars gave the effect of a forest or else because the wood came from Lebanon. 472 So Gk. and Luc. Heb., four. 72 Gk. and Luc., shoulder-pieces. 73 So Gk. Heb. omits, and the number of the pillars. t75b So Gk, and Luc. The Heb. is but a dittography of 4. 76 The meaning of this word is doubtful. Projecting roof and cornice have been suggested, but all are only conjectural. 712 Incorporating two words which have been preserved in the Gk. and Luc. $55 Following the account of Solomon's building enterprises are a series of miscellaneous notices intended further to illustrate his resources, wealth, and wisdom. The order is far from logical. The Gk. and Chr. each differ from the Heb. The Gk. on the whole has the best order ram His additional build ing enterprises and forced levies Offi cials over the levy His Red Sea fleet Annals of Solomon wished, King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee." 12 But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, he was displeased with them. 13 And he said, What sort of cities are these which you have given me, my brother? So they are called the land of Cabul [Good for nothing] even to the present day. 14 But Hiram sent to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold. 15 And this is the way it was with the levy which King Solomon raised to build the temple of Jehovah, his own palace, Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Meggido, Gezer, 17blower Bethhoron, 18Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness in the land of Judah, 19and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon was pleased to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land over which he ruled. 20 All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the Israelites, "their children who were left after them in the land, whom the Israelites were not able utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a forced levy of bondmen, even to this day. 22But of the Israelites Solomon made no bondmen, for they were the warriors and his servants, his generals, his captains, his officers over his chariots, and his horsemen. 23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who directed the people who did the work. 26 And King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Elath on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. 27 And Hiram sent with the fleet his subjects-seamen, who had knowledge of the sea, together with the servants of Solomon. 28 And they went to Ophir, and took from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon. 10 11 And Hiram's fleet of ships, that bore gold from Ophir, also brought brought a great amount of red sandal wood and precious stones. 12And the king by Hi- made of the sandal wood from Ophir pilasters for the temple of Jehovah, and for the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. There came no other such sandal wood nor has the like been seen to the present day. Products ram's fleet Solomon's income 14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15besides what came from the traffic of in gold the merchantsd and from all the kings of the Arabians and from the governors of the country. and this has been followed, except in one or two cases where a more logical arrangement is possible. Like the notices in 4, 5, most of these appear to have been taken from the annals of Solomon. They have, however, been supplemented by later notes embodying current traditions and intended still further to glorify Solomon's reign. With the exception of 1023, 27, which are clearly late generalizations, these supplementary notices seem to embody earlier data, drawn from the annals, so that it is difficult to distinguish with assurance between the original and the later expansions; but a later hand is clearly discernible in the introductory words, 910, lla and in 20-22 (where the theory is expressed that only the older inhabitants were enlisted in the forced levy), and perhaps in 1014, 15, 21 910, 11 The Chronicler could not be reconciled to the idea of Solomon's having ceded Israelitish territory, so he has, 82, But the cities which Huram had ceded to Solomon, Solomon fortified and settled Israelites there. 913 A popular etymology based simply on the sound of the word. 915-18 Cf. map opp. p. 49 and Ezek. 4719, 4828. 922 The exact meaning of this word is not known. Lat. as above. b 1011 Heb., almug wood. The exact meaning of the word has not been determined. 1012 The meaning is doubtful. The above is suggested by the Gk., Luc., and Lat. d 1015 Emending what is otherwise untranslatable. 1015 So II Chr. 919 and many Gk. texts. Annals of Solomon buck and 16 And King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold-six His hundred shekelsf of gold went on one buckler-17and three hundred shields lers, of beaten gold-three minahs of gold went on one shield-and the king shields, put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18The king also made a throne great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19The throne had of gold six steps and behind the throne were heads of calves, and on both sides of the seat were arms, and beside the arms stood two lions, 20on the six steps stood twelve lions on each side. The like was not made in any kingdom. income 21 And all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold: none were of His silver; it was accounted of no value in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king royal had at sea a fleet of Tarshish ships with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, with which God had endowed his mind. 25 And they brought each a present: vessels of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, year by year. chariots in 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; and he had His one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that and he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 27And the trade king made silver in Jerusalem as common as stones, and cedars he made as plentiful horses as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 28 Solomon's import of horses was from Muçrih and Kuë; the king's traders received them from Kuë at a price, 29so that a chariot could be imported from Muçri for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Even so through their agency these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans. § 56. Visit of the Queen of Sheba, I Kgs. 101-10, 13, II Chr. 91-9, 12 Popular Solomon Traditions sion mon's and wis I Kgs. 10 1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon Impresthrough the name of Jehovah, she came to test him with riddles. So she made came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices by Soloand very much gold and precious stones. And as soon as she came to Solo- wealth she told him all that was on her mind. 3And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hid from the king which he could not dom answer her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of the Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating queen of his courtiers, the attendance of his waiters, their clothing, his cup- Sheba mon, f 1016 Probably between twenty and twenty-five pounds. 1017 About three and one-half pounds. h1028 The horse does not seem to have been known in Egypt until about 1600 B.C. and after that time was probably imported rather than exported, so that the current translation, Egypt, has little probability. Muçri, however, in Northern Syria had fine pasture lands, and Ezek. 2714 refers to the importation of horses into Israel from that region. Dt. 1716, however, indicates that Egypt was also later regarded as a source of supply for horses. Kue is identified with the plain of Cilicia, cf. Appendix V, note b. 101 Many emend so as to read, and the report of the house which he had built to the name of Jehovah. 105 I.e., at his royal table. The context does not favor the other possible meaning, dwellings. upon His gifts to her Solomon's Popular Solomon Traditions bearers, and his burnt-offering which he used to offer at the temple of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her. 6And she said to the king, True was the report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. 7But I would not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; the half was not told me; you exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. 8Happy are your wives!! Happy are these your courtiers who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 9Blessed be Jehovah your God who delighted in you and has set you on the throne of Israel! Because Jehovah loved Israel forever, he has made you king that you may do justice and righteousness. 10Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great store of spices and precious stones; never again came so many spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 13 And King Solomon gave to the queen all that she wished and asked, aside from that which she had brought to Solomon, according to his royal bounty. So she returned and went to her own land, together with her servants. Annals of Solomon § 57. Solomon's Idolatry, I Kgs. 111-13 I Kgs. 11 1aNow King Solomon was a lover of women; and he took many foreign foreign wives-Moabites, Canaanites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites. and Ammonites From the nations concerning which Jehovah had said to the Israelites, ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for otherwise they will turn away your heart after their gods; Solomon clung to these in love. mar riages His apostasy ship ping 3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.m 4Now when Solomon was old in wor- his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father; and his wives turned away his heart after their gods. 7But Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the god of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Milcom the god of the Ammonites, 5and also for Ashtarte the goddess of the Sidonians.° 8And so he did for all his foreign wives, burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.P the gods of his wives 105 I.e., she was completely overwhelmed. n § 57 At least two distinct stages are represented in the literary history of this passage. The original is represented by the brief extracts from the annals to the effect that Solomon made many alliances, sealed by marriages with foreign princesses, and that, as the international law of his day demanded, he reared shrines in Jerusalem in honor of the gods of the allied peoples. These acts the original annalist doubtless regarded as only further evidence of Solomon's glory. The late prophetic editor, whose peculiar ideas and expression are found in a majority of the verses, enjoyed much greater religious enlightenment and therefore found in these foreign marriages and the toleration of heathen worships the direct cause of the rebellions which darkened the closing years of Solomon's reign. The section has been much recast and supplemented. The Gk., which has a briefer, more logical, and doubtless more original reading, has been followed in most cases. m 113 So Gk. and Luc. The Heb. awkwardly transposes the order of the clauses. 117 With the aid of the Heb. in and the Gk., it is possible to reconstruct the original. For god, the latter scribes have in the Heb. substituted, abomination. Cf. 3 where the Heb. has retained, god, while the Gk. has in one case, abomination. 115 So Gk. and Luc. The Heb. reads, And Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. P 118 So Luc. The present Heb. text delivers Solomon from the curse of idolatry by making his wives perform the heathen sacrifices. |