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SOLOMON

CHAPTER 3 ccording to biblical accounts, shortly after Solomon succeeded his father, David, as king of Israel, he had a dream in which God offered him whatever he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom so that he might govern well. Pleased at the young king’s answer, God granted him not only wisdom but also long life and riches. Solomon gained particular fame for his wisdom. Once two women brought to him their quarrel over which was the mother of a child. The king ordered that the child be cut in two so that each woman could have half. One woman accepted the decision; the other instantly gave up her claim in order to spare the child. Solomon recognized the second woman as the mother. Solomon's kingdom grew rich from trading and from taxing trade. Solomon's friendship with the Phoenicians gave his merchants the chance to travel by Phoenician ships as far as Arabia and Africa. The king made allies of neighbors and trading partners by marrying into each ruling

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family, eventually taking 700 wives. He maintained his household lavishly. Solomon's greatest project was the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. He imported expensive materials, required forced labor, and raised taxes to pay for it. Despite their pride in the Temple and their ruler, the Israelites grew resentful of the cost of Solomon's works and lifestyle. Upon his death, the nation that he had ruled so brilliantly broke apart. REVIEW Use the reading to answer the following questions. 1. Interpreting Ideas By which characteristic and for which activity is Solomon primarily remembered? 2. Evaluating Ideas Was Solomon wise in the modern sense of the word? Explain.

A Christian artist of the A.D. 1400s painted Solomon on a wall mural in a church on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus