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| image_size = 230px
| caption = ''King Solomon in Old Age'' (1866)<br />[[Gustave Doré]]
| succession = [[Kingdom of
| coronation =
| reign = {{circa|970–931 BCE}} (hypothesised)
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{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2022}}
'''Solomon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɒ|l|ə|m|ə|n}}),{{efn|{{Hebrew name|שְׁלֹמֹה|[[Shlomo|Šlōmō]]|Šălōmō}}, {{literally|peaceful}};<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khan |first=Geoffrey |title=The Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew |volume= 1 |publisher=Open Book Publishers |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-78374-676-7 |page=305}}</ref> {{lang-syr|ܫܠܶܝܡܽܘܢ}}, {{Transliteration|syr|Šlēmūn}}; [[Arabic]]: سُلَيْمَان, ''{{transliteration|ar|ALA-LC|Sulaymān}}'', {{Transliteration|ar|Silimān}}, {{Transliteration|ar|Slemān}}; {{lang-el|Σολομών}}, {{Transliteration|el|Solomōn}}; {{lang-la|Salomon}}|name=solomon-names}} also called '''Jedidiah''',{{efn|[[Hebrew language|Hebrew:]] {{Lang-he|{{Script/Hebrew|יְדִידְיָהּ}}|label=none}}, [[Modern Hebrew|Modern]]: {{Transliteration|he|Yǝdīdyah}}, [[Tiberian Hebrew|Tiberian]]: ''Yăḏīḏyāh'', "beloved of [[Yahweh|Yah]]"|name=jedidiah-names}} was a monarch of [[History of ancient
The Bible says Solomon built the [[Solomon's Temple|First Temple]] in [[Jerusalem]],<ref name='JewEnc'/> dedicating the temple to [[Yahweh]], or [[God in Judaism]].<ref>1 Kings 5:5; 8:20</ref> Solomon is portrayed as wealthy, wise and powerful, and as one of the 48 [[Prophets in Judaism|Jewish prophets]].<ref>{{Citation |author=[[Rashi]] |title=''to'' Megillah |at=14a}}</ref> He is also the subject of many later references and legends, most notably in the [[Testament of Solomon]] (part of first-century [[biblical apocrypha]]).
The [[historicity]] of Solomon is hotly debated. Current [[Scientific consensus|consensus]] states that regardless of whether or not a man named Solomon truly reigned as king over [[Kingdom of
In the [[New Testament]], he is portrayed as a teacher of wisdom excelled by [[Jesus]] of Nazareth,<ref>Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31</ref> and as arrayed in glory but excelled by "the [[The Birds of the Air|lilies of the field]]".<ref>Matthew 6:28–29; Luke 12:27</ref> In the [[Quran]], he is considered to be a major [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]]. In mostly non-biblical circles, Solomon also came to be known as a magician and an exorcist, with numerous [[amulet]]s and medallion seals dating from the [[Hellenistic period]] invoking his name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fmc-terrasanta.org/en/archaeology-culture-and-other-religions.html?vid=3586 |title=Archaeology, Culture, and other Religions |publisher=FMC terra santa |access-date=2013-06-21}}</ref>
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[[File:Cornelis de Vos - The Anointing of Solomon.jpg|thumb|''The Anointing of Solomon '' by [[Cornelis de Vos]] (c.{{nbsp}}1630). According to 1{{nbsp}}[[Books of Kings|Kings]] 1:39, Solomon was [[Anointing|anointed]] by [[Zadok]].]]
According to the [[First Book of Kings]], when David was old, "he could not get warm".<ref name="1 Kings 1 ESV">{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20kings%201;&version=47; |title=1 Kings 1 (ESV) |publisher=BibleGateway.com |access-date=2010-03-03}}</ref> "So they sought a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of
While David was in this state, court factions were maneuvering for power. [[Adonijah]], David's [[heir apparent]], acted to have himself declared king, but was outmaneuvered by Bathsheba and the biblical prophet Nathan, who convinced David to proclaim Solomon king according to his earlier promise (not recorded elsewhere in the biblical narrative),<ref>Lumby, J. R., [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/1_kings/1.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 1 Kings 1], accessed 24 September 2017</ref> despite Solomon's being younger than his brothers.
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Solomon greatly expanded his military strength, especially the cavalry and chariot arms. He founded numerous colonies, some of which doubled as trading posts and military outposts.
Trade relationships were a focus of his administration. In particular he continued his father's very profitable relationship with the Phoenician king [[Hiram I]] of Tyre (see 'wealth' below); they sent out joint expeditions to the lands of [[Tarshish]] and [[Ophir]] to engage in the trade of luxury products, importing gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. Solomon is considered the most wealthy of the
===Wisdom===
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[[File:Solomon reciving envoys of the tributary nations.jpg|thumb|Solomon receiving envoys of the tributary nations]]
{{See also|Solomon's Temple}}
According to the Hebrew Bible, the [[United Monarchy|ancient Kingdom of
===Construction projects===
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[[Solomon's Throne|Solomon's throne]] is said to have been spectacularly opulent and possessed moving parts, making it one of the earliest mechanical devices in history. Solomon also constructed great water works for the city, and the [[Millo]] ([[Septuagint]], ''Acra'') for the defense of the city. However, excavations of Jerusalem have discovered no monumental architecture from the era, and no remains of either the Temple or Solomon's palace have been found.
Solomon is also described as rebuilding cities elsewhere in
According to the Bible, during Solomon's reign,
===Wives and concubines===
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The biblical narrative notes with disapproval that Solomon permitted his foreign wives to import their national deities, building temples to [[Ashtoreth]] and [[Milcom]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Kings|11:5–9|NKJV}}: NKJV</ref>
In the branch of literary analysis that examines the Bible, called [[higher criticism]], the story of Solomon falling into idolatry by the influence of [[Pharaoh's daughter (wife of Solomon)|Pharaoh's daughter]] and his other foreign wives is "customarily seen as the handiwork of the [[Documentary hypothesis|'deuteronomistic historian(s)']]", who are held to have written, compiled, or edited texts to legitimize the reforms of [[Hezekiah]]'s great-grandson, King [[Josiah]] who reigned from about 641 to 609 BCE (over 280 years after Solomon's death according to Bible scholars).<ref name="HC">{{cite web|title=Loving too well: The negative portrayal of Solomon and the composition of the Kings history|url=http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13777356}} Retrieved on Jan. 17, 2007</ref> Scholarly consensus in this field holds that "Solomon's wives/women were introduced in the 'Josianic' (customarily Dtr) edition of Kings as a theological construct to blame the [[schism]] [between Judah and the Northern Kingdom of
===Relationship with Queen of Sheba===
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According to {{bibleverse|1|Kings|11:4|HE}} Solomon's "wives turned his heart after other gods", their own national deities, to whom Solomon built temples, thus incurring divine anger and retribution in the form of the division of the kingdom after Solomon's death ({{bibleverse|1|Kings|11:9–13|HE}}).
{{bibleverse |1|Kings|11|HE}} describes Solomon's descent into idolatry, particularly his turning after [[Ashtoreth]], the goddess of the [[Sidonians]], and after [[Milcom]], the god of the [[Ammon]]ites. In {{bibleverse ||Deuteronomy|17:16–17|HE}}, a king is commanded not to multiply horses or wives, neither greatly multiply to himself gold or silver. Solomon sinned in all three of these areas. In addition to his wives, he collected [[666 (number)|666]] [[talent (measurement)|talents]] of gold each year ({{bibleverse |1|Kings|10:14|HE}}), a huge amount for a small nation like
[[File:De afgoderij van koning Salomo Rijksmuseum SK-A-757.jpeg|thumbnail|Solomon was said to have sinned by acquiring many foreign wives. Solomon's descent into idolatry, [[Willem de Poorter]], [[Rijksmuseum]].]]
According to {{bibleverse |1|Kings|11:30–34|HE}} and {{bibleverse |1|Kings|11:9–13|HE}}, it was because of these sins that the Lord punished Solomon by removing most of the tribes of
{{blockquote|And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of
===Enemies===
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===Death, succession of Rehoboam, and kingdom division===
[[File:Kingdoms of
King Solomon is a central biblical figure, who, according to the [[Hebrew Bible]], was the builder of the [[First Temple]] in Jerusalem and the last ruler of the [[Kingdom of
Upon Solomon's death, his son, [[Rehoboam]], succeeded him, but ten of the [[Twelve Tribes of
Solomon is associated with the peak "golden age" of the independent Kingdom of
According to Jewish tradition, King Solomon wrote three [[books of the Bible]]:
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==Historicity==
{{see also|David#Historicity|l1=David: Historicity|
As with most biblical personages in the middle era of
As for Solomon himself, scholars on both the [[Biblical maximalism|maximalist]] and [[Biblical minimalism|minimalist]] sides of the spectrum of biblical [[Archaeology|archeology]] generally agree that he probably existed.{{Sfn|Finkelstein|Silberman|2006|page=20}} However, a historically accurate picture of the Davidic king is difficult to construct. According to some archaeologists, Solomon could have only been the monarch or [[chieftain]] of Judah, and that the northern kingdom was a separate development. Such positions have been criticized by other archaeologists and scholars, who argue that a united monarchy did exist in the 10th century BCE, while agreeing that the biblical account contains exaggerations.{{Sfn|Finkelstein|Silberman|2006|page={{page needed|date=November 2021}}}}<ref name="lipschits">{{cite book|last1=Lipschits|first1=Oded|editor1-last=Berlin|editor1-first=Adele|editor2-last=Brettler|editor2-first=Marc Zvi|title=The Jewish Study Bible|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-997846-5|year=2014|edition=2nd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yErYBAAAQBAJ|language=en|chapter=The history of
===Arguments against biblical description===
[[File:Judgement of Solomon.jpg|thumb|''Judgement of Solomon''. Engraving by [[Gustave Doré]], 19th century.]]
Historical evidence of King Solomon other than the biblical accounts has been so minimal that some scholars have understood the period of his reign as a 'Dark Age' (Muhly 1998). The first-century [[Roman Jews|Romano-Jewish]] scholar [[Josephus]] in ''[[Against Apion]]'', citing [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyrian]] court records and [[Menander of Ephesus|Menander]], gives a specific year during which [[King Hiram I]] of Tyre sent materials to Solomon for the construction of the Temple.<ref>''[[Against Apion]]'' i:17, 18.</ref> However, no material evidence indisputably of Solomon's reign has been found. [[Yigael Yadin]]'s excavations at [[Tel Hazor|Hazor]], [[Tel Megiddo|Megiddo]], [[Beit Shean]] and [[Gezer]] uncovered structures that he and others have argued date from Solomon's reign,{{Sfn|Dever|2001|p=43}}{{sfn|Kalimi|2018|p=26}} but others, such as [[
According to Finkelstein and Silberman, authors of ''[[The Bible Unearthed]]: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient
===Arguments in favour of biblical description===
[[File:Solomon's Wealth and Wisdom.jpg|right|thumb|Solomon's Wealth and Wisdom, as in 1{{nbsp}}Kings 3:12–13. Illustration from a 1896 [[Bible card]].]]
[[André Lemaire]] states in ''Ancient
[[Kenneth Kitchen]] argues that Solomon ruled over a comparatively wealthy "mini-empire", rather than a small city-state, and considers 666 gold talents a modest amount of money. Kitchen calculates that over 30 years, such a kingdom might have accumulated up to 500 tons of gold, which is small compared to other examples, such as the 1,180 tons of gold that [[Alexander the Great]] took from Susa.{{Sfn | Kitchen |2003|p=135}} Similarly, Kitchen{{sfn|Kitchen|2003|p=123}} and others consider the temple of Solomon a reasonable and typically sized structure for the region at the time. Dever states "that we now have direct Bronze and Iron Age parallels for every feature of the 'Solomonic temple' as described in the Hebrew Bible".{{sfn|Dever|2001|p=145}}
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===Middle way===
Some scholars have charted a middle path between minimalist scholars like Finkelstein, Silberman, and Philip Davies<ref>Davies, Philip R. 1992. In Search of 'Ancient
===Archaeology===
====General observations====
The archaeological remains that are considered to date from the time of Solomon are notable for the fact that [[Canaan]]ite material culture appears to have continued unabated; there is a distinct lack of magnificent empire, or cultural development—indeed comparing pottery from areas traditionally assigned to
But if we hypothetically push that date back and decide that
Many other civilizations in the Near East already had administrative record-keeping with advanced alphabetic or cursive script, including south Canaanite sites that have been (controversially) identified with the proto-
In 2014, professor of anthropology Jimmy Hardin and his team discovered six official clay
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====Temple Mount in Jerusalem====
Little archaeological excavation has been done around the area known as the [[Temple Mount]], in what is thought to be the foundation of Solomon's Temple, because attempts to do so are met with protests by Muslim authorities of the [[Jerusalem Waqf]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/
====Precious metals from Tarshish====
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The biblical passages that understand [[Tarshish]] as a source of King Solomon's great wealth in metals—especially silver, but also gold, tin and iron (Ezekiel 27)—were linked to archaeological evidence from silver-hoards found in Phoenicia in 2013. The metals from Tarshish were reportedly obtained by Solomon in partnership with King Hiram of Phoenician Tyre (Isaiah 23) and the fleets of Tarshish and ships that sailed in their service. The silver hoards provide the first recognized material evidence that agrees with the ancient texts concerning Solomon's kingdom and his wealth (see 'Wealth' above).
Possible evidence for the described wealth of Solomon and his kingdom was discovered in ancient silver [[hoard]]s, which were found in
==== Cabul ====
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King Solomon sinned by acquiring many foreign wives and horses because he thought he knew the reason for the biblical prohibition and thought it did not apply to him. When King Solomon married [[Pharaoh's daughter (wife of Solomon)|Pharaoh's daughter]], a sandbank formed which eventually formed the "great nation of Rome"—the nation that destroyed [[Herod's Temple]]. Solomon gradually lost more and more prestige until he became like a commoner. Some say he regained his status while others say he did not. In the end, however, he is regarded as a righteous king and is especially praised for his diligence in building the Temple.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Citation |title=Talmud Bavli |contribution=tractate Sanhendrin |page=21b}}</ref>
King Josiah was also said to have had the [[Ark of the Covenant]], [[Aaron's rod]], vial of [[manna]] and the anointing oil placed within a hidden chamber which had been built by Solomon.<ref>Tosefta (''Sotah'' 13:1); cf. [[Babylonian Talmud]]: {{cite web |title=Keritot 5b:17-18 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Keritot.5b.17-18?lang=bi |website=www.sefaria.org|quote=17 The baraita continues: And also sequestered with the Ark was the chest that the Philistines sent as a gift to the God of
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/148171/jewish/A-Buried-Treasure-The-Entombment-of-the-Ark.htm|title=A Buried Treasure: The Entombment of the Ark|website=www.chabad.org}}</ref>
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{{Main article|Solomon in Islam}}
In [[Islam]]ic tradition, Solomon is also known as Sulaimān ibn Dāwūd, and is considered a prophet and a messenger of [[God in Islam|God]], as well as a divinely appointed monarch.<ref>{{qref|2|102|b=y}}</ref> Solomon inherited his position from his father as the prophetic King of the
The Quran ascribes to Solomon a great level of wisdom, knowledge and power.<ref name="Qur'an,27:15–19">{{qref|27|15-19|b=y}}</ref> He knew the [[language of the birds]] ({{lang-ar|منطق الطير|translit=manṭiq al-ṭayr}}).<ref name="Qur'an,27:15–19"/>
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[[File:Wurzach Pfarrkirche Decke Westteil.jpg|thumb|''Solomon at his throne'', painting by Andreas Brugger, 1777]]
Solomon's throne is described at length in [[Targum Sheni]], which is compiled from three different sources, and in two later [[Midrash]]. According to these, there were on the steps of the throne twelve golden lions, each facing a golden eagle. There were six steps to the throne, on which animals, all of gold, were arranged in the following order: on the first step a lion opposite an ox; on the second, a wolf opposite a sheep; on the third, a tiger opposite a camel; on the fourth, an eagle opposite a peacock, on the fifth, a cat opposite a cock; on the sixth, a sparrow-hawk opposite a dove. On the top of the throne was a dove holding a sparrow-hawk in its claws, symbolizing the dominion of
By a mechanical contrivance the throne followed Solomon wherever he wished to go. Supposedly, due to another mechanical trick, when the king reached the first step, the ox stretched forth its leg, on which Solomon leaned, a similar action taking place in the case of the animals on each of the six steps. From the sixth step the eagles raised the king and placed him in his seat, near which a golden serpent lay coiled. When the king was seated the large eagle placed the crown on his head, the serpent uncoiled itself, and the lions and eagles moved upward to form a shade over him. The dove then descended, took the scroll of the Law from the Ark, and placed it on Solomon's knees. When the king sat, surrounded by the [[Sanhedrin]], to judge the people, the wheels began to turn, and the beasts and fowls began to utter their respective cries, which frightened those who had intended to bear false testimony. Moreover, while Solomon was ascending the throne, the lions scattered various fragrant spices. After Solomon's death, Pharaoh [[Shishak]], when taking away the treasures of the Temple (I Kings xiv. 26), carried off the throne, which remained in Egypt until [[Sennacherib]] conquered that country. After Sennacherib's fall Hezekiah gained possession of it, but when Josiah was slain by Pharaoh [[Necho II|Necho]], the latter took it away. However, according to [[rabbinical]] accounts, Necho did not know how the mechanism worked and so accidentally struck himself with one of the lions causing him to become lame; Nebuchadnezzar, into whose possession the throne subsequently came, shared a similar fate. The throne then passed to the Persians, whose king [[Darius I of Persia|Darius]] was the first to sit successfully on Solomon's throne after his death; subsequently the throne came into the possession of the Greeks and [[Ahasuerus]].<ref name=JE />
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* [[Goetia]]
* [[Heichal Shlomo]]
* [[Kings of
* [[Solomon and Marcolf]]
* [[Solomon in Islam]]
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* {{cite book |last=Coogan |first=Michael D |title=A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009}}
* {{cite book |last=Dever |first=William G. |author-link=William G. Dever |title=What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It?: What Archaeology Can Tell Us about the Reality of Ancient
* {{cite book |first=William G. |last=Dever |author-link=William G. Dever |title=Who Were the Early
* {{cite book |last1=Finkelstein |first1=
* {{cite book |first1=
* {{cite book |title=Writing and Rewriting the Story of Solomon in Ancient
* {{cite book |editor1-first=Thomas E |editor1-last=Levy |editor2-first=Thomas |editor2-last=Higham |title=The Bible and Radiocarbon Dating: Archaeology, Text and Science |publisher=Equinox |location=London; [[Oakville (Watertown, Connecticut)|Oakville, CT]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84553-056-3 |oclc=60453952}}
* {{cite book|last=Kitchen |first=Kenneth A. |author-link=Kenneth Kitchen |title=On the reliability of the Old Testament |year=2003 |publisher=[[Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company|Eerdmans]] |location=Grand Rapids, MI |isbn=978-0-8028-4960-1 }}
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* {{IMDb title|id=0167409|title=Solomon}} Animated depiction of the life of Solomon
* {{IMDb title|id=0143889|title=Solomon}} Artistic movie about the rise and the reign of King Solomon
* {{Citation |contribution-url=http://www.warsofisrael.com/solommon.html |contribution=The Wars of King Solomon: Summaries and Studies |title=Wars of
* {{Citation |url=http://www.colecciondeverda.com/search/label/Personajes%20Antiguo%20Testamento%20(Salom%C3%B3n) |title=Salomon engravings |publisher=The De Verda collection}}.
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{{s-reg|}}
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[David]]}}
{{s-ttl|rows=2|title=[[Kingdom of
{{s-aft|after=[[Rehoboam]]<br /><small>in [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]]</small>}}
|-
{{s-aft|after=[[Jeroboam|Jeroboam I]]<br /><small>in [[Kingdom of
{{s-end}}
{{Solomon}}
{{
{{Adam to Jesus}}
{{Rulers of the Ancient Near East}}
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[[Category:10th-century BC monarchs]]
[[Category:10th-century BCE Hebrew people]]
[[Category:Kings of
[[Category:Books of Kings people]]
[[Category:Children of David]]
[[Category:Christian saints from the Old Testament]]
[[Category:Kings of ancient
[[Category:Kings of ancient Judah]]
[[Category:People whose existence is disputed]]
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