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King Solomon gained his throne with the help of the Jerusalem clique in a coup d' etat, and wasted no time in taking autocratic control, as was customary in all Canaanite city-states. He eliminated all potential opposition from his half-brothers, and David's trusted men, and appointed his own administrators to do his will.

The O.T. editors did not want to portray Solomon as he really was. Instead, they idealized him, because he had built the Temple, so we can only read of him through heavily-tinted religious spectacles. It is this process of transformation, however, that is the basis of faith, and believers can only marvel at the work of the Holy Spirit in using History to promote God's self-revelation in Scripture.

Solomon's reign is recorded in 1 Kgs. 3 - 11, and begins magnificently, announcing Solomon's highly prestigious marriage to the princess of Egypt, followed by the Deuteronomic Editors' story of YHWH's favour, and Solomon's humble request to be given the gift of wisdom, for the benefit of his people. Sadly, the story of his judgment between the two mothers is the only such one in his long reign of 40 years.

WISDOM Solomon's 'wisdom' was of a very specialized academic variety, more advanced than the ordinary folk wisdom which is common to all clan societies, teaching the young how to avoid the dangers and pitfalls of everyday life. Academic wisdom was mainly scientific, and proliferated in all advanced cultural, and educated societies throughout the Ancient Near East, from the 3^rd millennium BC onwards. It burst into Israelite awareness with the reign of their great academician king, Solomon. He was an intellectual of great stature and is famed, not only in 1 Kgs, but also in the Book of Proverbs, for his extensive knowledge of botany and zoology, and like all scientists, and wisdom-seekers, for his curiosity about creation. Wisdom schools were established, and attached to the royal court to train courtiers and civil servants, as well as to research human history, and ideas concerning creation.

In later centuries, the Wisdom Schools developed in highly sophisticated ways, producing the books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs, and also Ecclesiasticus and 'The Wisdom of Solomon' in the 2^nd cent. BC, before meeting Greek philosophy, and then the New Testament era of 1 Corinthians.

Hebrew Wisdom was always, and uniquely, related to the Law of Moses - ('the fear of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom') - and in Proverbs 8, Hebrew Wisdom is Personified, and described as delighting YHWH while he worked on creation! (Again in the N.T, this became the thinking of the Fourth Gospel-writer, when he wrote of the Word, - Logos - of God). But, back to King Solomon ... !

KING SOLOMON's ACHIEVEMENTS were considerable, and on the grand scale. He had inherited a very healthy exchequer, and spent it! In fact, he overspent, and nearly went bankrupt. The splendour, however, was at enormous human cost to his people, a fact of which Solomon, with his city-upbringing, was neither aware of, nor bothered about.

There was a big military expansion, with lots of chariots and horses to be maintained, in the newly fortified towns on the trade routes, (Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer among many others), but the army proved ineffective as the faraway areas captured by David regained their independence, (Damascus, Syria, and Edom). Again, Solomon's income was reduced.

There was a vast construction and building programme in progress for most of Solomon's reign. The increased population of Jerusalem led to the in-filling of two small valleys, and the building of many more houses, while the grandeur of the royal residences and the Judgment Hall, as well as the Temple, surpassed all others. All this was achieved with the cooperation of Solomon's Canaanite neighbour, King Hiram of Tyre. who supplied cedar trees from Lebanon, architects, stonemasons and civil engineers, in return for all their wages, AND an annual supply of large quantities of corn and oil, over 20 years at least! Archeology has shown that many other towns were enlarged in similar ways during Solomon's time. Eventually Solomon found himself in deep debt to Hiram.

Solomon fought no great battles during his reign, preferring to develop great commercial advantages for his exchequer. Diplomatic contacts led to developing the trade-routes through the coastal plain between Egypt, Africa, Arabia, and Europe and Asia, while Solomon benefited from both import and export taxes

Again, with the help of Hiram and his Phoenician expertise, Solomon built a sea-port on the Red Sea, and ships to sail to the east. The fleet undertook journeys of three years or so, to Ophir, and returned with exotic cargoes, - even of ivory and peacocks.

The State Visit of the Queen of Sheba was probably a trade mission. She came to ask some 'hard questions', more likely economic questions than riddles, and was overwhelmed by the splendour of Solomon's court in Jerusalem.

Diplomatic agreements were usually sealed in the ancient world by royal marriages, and we read that Solomon had 700 wives, as well as 300 concubines, all of whom he had to maintain in honourable luxury. His Egyptian wife was given a palace of her own in Jerusalem, the 'House of the Forest of Lebanon'. More expense!

Solomon's Administration was much more elaborate than David's had been.

He divided Israel into 12 districts, each with an Overseer, to supply all the provisions he needed, a month each in every year, not only for his own court and army, but also for payment to Hiram. It made a heavy tax burden for all his country-folk.

The ordinary farmers were also conscripted by Solomon into forced labour gangs, each having to work one month in every three under Hiram's foremen on the latest task. Farmers were thus unable to farm successfully, but still required to provision the court.

Trouble began to erupt eventually, but Solomon's police-state domination prevented it from having any effect. Jeroboam, son of Nebat, escaped to Egypt to save his life.

Solomon's reign is hailed with praise, however, because he BUILT THE TEMPLE.

The O.T. editors applaud this, and overlook the Canaanite flavour of Solomon's religious allegiance to YHWH. Nothing remains now of this first Temple, only the elaborate description of it in 1 Kgs 6-7. This, however, matches the remains of several Canaanite temples recently excavated by archeologists, particularly at Hazor. It had three sections - a porch, a long and narrow hall, and the small Holy of Holies in which was placed the Ark of the Covenant. This was flanked by the winged cherubim. (Were these demoted gods of Jerusalem? Or perhaps symbolic supports for YHWH's 'throne'? No-one is yet sure). Outside was a large courtyard where most people gathered around the huge altar of sacrifice, and a 'sea of bronze' filled with water.

The whole Temple was in reality, an adjunct of the royal palace, as in other Canaanite city-states. The Ark, so treasured and cared for by the priests of Shiloh, now became the private possession of the King. Solomon too, was established as a typical priest-king, very different from the kingship of Saul. Even David had asked permission to build such a temple and been refused. Solomon asked no-one. He did it. At its official dedication, Solomon, himself, functioned as a priest. He blessed the people, he presided at the altar of sacrifice, he preached the sermon, and offered up the intercessions. All this has been re-worked by the Deuteronomic editors, but is true in essence. In the sermon the editors have described 'their' God, YHWH, as too big to fit into any building; only his 'Name' could reside there! Thus it was that History has been transformed into Theology and Scripture.

Solomon's reign ended with his being still in full control, but his Israelite critics were aware of his worshipping many other gods than YHWH alone. They blamed his many foreign wives who had 'turned his heart after other gods', but this was an excuse for him.

There were many factors accumulating, that created potential disaster when he died.