King Solomon: biography, coming to power, symbolism. The Star of Solomon

The legendary Solomon (1011-928 BC) is the third Jewish king, the son of David from Bathsheba. With him, Israel reached the peak of its influence and power. After the end of the reign of Solomon (965-928 BC), the country experienced a period of internecine strife and the collapse of the once united state. This monarch was famous for his wisdom and justice. Its main achievement is the construction on Mount Zion of the Temple, about which the righteous David dreamed so much.

Rise to power

Solomon was one of the younger sons of his father, which did not stop the influential prophet Nathan from singling it out among the other children of David. A capable boy grew up a worthy man. Formally, he was not listed as heir to the throne, but the chain of several events led to the fact that he was the king of Israel.

After the death of his two older sons, David promised his beloved wife Bathsheba to hand over the throne to Solomon. This decision did not like Adonia. This son of David, who became the eldest due to the death of Avshalom and Ammon, decided not to obey the will of his father. He was supported by several influential people, including the high priest Evyatar and the commander Yoav. On the side of Solomon there remained the prophet Nathan.

The Adonia Party openly announced its claims to power and began to gather new supporters. Meanwhile, the dying David ordered to anoint the kingdom of Solomon (as the biblical legend of King Solomon says). After the performance of the sacred ritual, the people swore allegiance to the heir. Adonijah, frightened of his brother's revenge, took refuge in the sanctuary, but left there when the new ruler promised to save his life.

Soon David died. Adonia persuaded Virsania to ask his son for permission to marry Avisaga, one of the concubines of his late father. According to ancient laws, such a marriage gave the right to the throne. King Solomon, whose biography shows an example of a far-sighted politician, understood the plan of the rebellious brother and ordered his own and some of his high-ranking accomplices to be killed. This was the only time when the monarch permitted the death penalty.

Foreign and domestic policy

Having defeated the dynastic rival, Solomon began full-fledged rule by Israel. He hurried to make friends with Egypt. Marrying the daughter of Pharaoh, the Jewish monarch received in the given city of Gezer. The reign of Solomon was also marked by the continuation of friendship with the Phoenician sovereign Hiram, who had good relations with David.

The ruler of the Jews loved horses and ordered the creation of the first Jewish cavalry. Neighboring kings and lucrative trade gave big profits. Solomon spent them on a grand scale, trying to achieve greatness in everything. His grandiose enterprises laid down a heavy burden on the common people. Because of this, the government began a conflict with the tribes of Menashe and Ephraim. The history of King Solomon, with all the grandiosity of his personality, was different and his own mistakes. Forcing obstinate tribes to work harder, the ruler strengthened their separate moods. Partly for this reason, the disintegration of Israel after the death of Solomon became a natural and logical result of the internal Jewish conflict.

Erection of the Temple

No matter how controversial King Solomon is, the biography of this monarch of antiquity is best known for the construction of the Temple. His father David also conquered the Jerusalem that belonged to the Jebusites and moved the Ark of the Covenant there. He, along with the judges from the Sanhedrin, prepared a plan for the future Temple. David did not have time to build the main religious structure of the Jews and bequeathed the fulfillment of this plan to his son.

King Solomon, whose biography represents an example of one of the best diplomats of antiquity, before he began erecting the Temple, enlisted the support of foreign specialists. The ruler of the Phoenician city of Tire, Hiram, assisted him, sending to Jerusalem many craftsmen and carpenters (including his best architect Hiram Abiff).

Building materials were supplied from Lebanon: sandstone, cypresses, cedars. The stones were hewn by the stonemasons of both Hiram and Solomon. Copper, needed for utensils and temple columns, was mined in the copper mines of Edom, in the south of the Israeli highlands. Almost 200 thousand workers were involved in the construction.

Completion of construction

The construction of the Temple lasted seven years and was completed in 950 BC. E. Elders of all generations and tribes arrived at the celebration dedicated to his solemn consecration and lasted two weeks. The Ark of the Covenant was transferred to the Temple , after which the king read out a prayer. Construction has become a matter of national importance. It has become the embodiment of the unification of all Israel.

The temple was conceived as part of the complex, which included, among other things, the royal palace. This majestic building dominated all the buildings of Jerusalem. A separate entrance connected the religious building with the palace of Solomon. The whole complex was built for another nine years.

Idolatry

According to Torah, God appeared twice to Solomon. The first time it happened during one of the sacrifices. King Solomon, whose biography describes him as an intelligent ruler, asked God for wisdom and talent to rule his own people (which was given to him).

The second time the revelation occurred after the construction of the Temple. God promised to take the lineage of David under his protection if the people did not fall away from Solomon. However, closer to old age, the king began to tolerate pagan cults. Contemporaries linked this change with the influence of the monarch's foreign wives. On the Mount of Olives, Solomon even built a temple for Moloch and Kmosh, strangers to the Jews of the gods. Such an act caused discontent among many zealous Jews. For this God took away power over Israel from the son of Solomon, which led to the disintegration of the country.

The ruler of Judah and the Queen of Sheba

The life story of Solomon is connected with the legendary figure of the Ancient East - the Queen of Sheba. This woman rules the Arabian state of Saba. Hearing about the glory and wisdom of the Jewish king, she arrived in Jerusalem in order to experience that with riddles. This visit is described in detail in the Old Testament.

After a friendly visit to the ruler of Saba, Israel began a period of prosperity and prosperity. Some researchers believe that Solomon had a love relationship with the queen. From this connection, the emperors of Ethiopia had their origin. Their dynasty was called Solomonova.

In Europe, interest in the plot of the relationship between the king of Israel and the Queen of Sheba revived during the Renaissance. The legendary ruler was dedicated to the frescoes of the famous artist Piero della Francesca. In literature, the Queen of Sheba came in the works of Boccaccio, Heinrich Heine, Gustave Flaubert, Rudyard Kipling and many other writers.

Six-pointed star

To emphasize his respect for the late father, the Jewish king made his sign a state symbol and seal. Thus appeared the famous six-pointed star of Solomon. In the Middle Ages, it was also associated with the occult pentagram and the Maltese cross, used by the knights of the Johannites.

The star of Solomon was used in alchemy, magic, Kabbalah and other mystical practices. The king of Judah wore a ring-print on which this ancient symbol was depicted. With the help of a powerful artifact, Solomon subdued 72 jinn - fire demons of the desert. The star was his military talisman. Solomon did not part with him in any battle.

The Wisdom and Death of Solomon

An important embodiment of Solomon's wisdom was his work. Historians believe that he was the author of several Old Testament books, which are important parts of the Bible. During his lifetime, Solomon voiced more than a thousand parables, some of which formed the basis of the Book of Solomon's parables. This work became the 28th part of the Tanakh. Also, the authorship of Solomon belongs to the Song of Songs and the Book of the Ecclesiastes.

The death of King Solomon came in 928 BC. On the fourth of his tenure. Approximated, not believing the death of the elder, did not bury the deceased until the worms began to eat his staff. In the Arab sources Solomon is called Suleiman and is considered the forerunner of the Prophet Muhammad.