Solomon's reign was marked by a constant tension between two conflicting orientations: faithfulness to the God of Israel and fulfillment of the Judaic religious precepts, against pervasive foreign influences that penetrated the kingdom as a result of the obligations imposed by the grandiose nature of the kingdom. On the summit of Mount Moriah Solomon built a magnificent Temple dedicated to the God of the Israelites, a project which his father King David had not undertaken for various reasons. The exclusive concentration of religious ritual in the Temple, together with the institutionalization of the biblical injunction regarding the pilgrimage festivals, transformed Jerusalem - despite its unpromising natural features - into an important political and commercial center during Solomon's reign. At the same time, the king's earthly imperial policies involved him intensively in the affairs of various regional peoples. His political marriages to foreigners inclined him toward their culture and religion and led to the neglect of the Israelite God. Visits by foreign dignitaries, perhaps the most famous being the Queen of Sheba, also had a deep influence on Jerusalem and the royal palace. 
The maintenance of the gaudy splendor necessitated the use of forced labor on a vast scale; the many palaces that Solomon built in the "miloh" area, including one for Pharaoh's daughter, turned the people against him. Moreover, the pagan rituals that were practised at his encouragement seemed to dull the divine luster of his rule. The result was that the united imperial kingdom endured for only two generations. Around Solomon himself there sprang up the myth of extraordinary kingly splendor and superhuman wisdom. To get more information about King Solomon, please click here. |
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