Solomon
Israelite third king of Israel in biblical tradition, builder of the First Temple
The third king of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, remembered for wisdom and for building the First Temple; his historicity rests on scripture and is debated by scholars.
- Religion
- Israelite religion
- Affiliations
- House of David
Solomon appears in the Hebrew Bible as the son of David, a king famed for wisdom, wealth, and the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem, traditionally in the tenth century BCE. The biblical account describes a golden age of trade and monumental construction. As with his father, the sources are scriptural rather than contemporary, and there is no direct external evidence for Solomon himself. Archaeologists disagree over whether the tenth-century kingdom was as large and centralized as the Bible describes or a much smaller polity, part of the wider debate over the united monarchy. In the tradition, his kingdom split into Israel and Judah after his death.
Connections
- family of King David — His father and predecessor in the biblical account.
- family of King David — His son and successor in the biblical account.
In the timeline
- 1050 BCE The United Monarchy the last king of the united realm in tradition
- 1015 BCE Solomon Becomes King the king of tradition
- 1012 BCE Foundation of Solomon's Temple the builder in the biblical account
- 967 BCE Legendary descent from the Temple of Solomon central figure
- 958 BCE Solomon builds the First Temple central figure
- 957 BCE The First Temple in Jerusalem the king credited with building it
- 1100 The hexagram is used in medieval magic as the Seal of Solomon central figure
- 1943 Conquest of the Solomon Islands central figure
- 1978 Independence of Solomon Islands central figure