King Solomon: Life, Death & History | Aish
Read about the life of King Solomon. Learn about his famous wisdom, the rebuilding of the Temple, and much more. Learn all about King Solomon here.
· archived 5/20/2026, 6:41:51 PMscreenshotcached html 
<iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-K33WTTX" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden" aria-hidden="true"></iframe> Search for: ExploreLearnMoreEmail UpdatesDonate Aish.com > History > Crash CourseHistory Crash Course #19: King Solomon Advertisements TRENDING IN HISTORY Middle Ages Medieval France’s Blood Libel Playbook 10 min read Ancient Jerusalem: From Biblical Desolation to Over 1 Million People 9 min read Movers & Shakers Slandering Chaim Herzog 12 min read Modern The Teenage Assassins 14 min read Advertisements by Rabbi Ken Spiro 10 min read Who was King Solomon? When did he live? What was he famous for? Read on to learn more. Who was King Solomon? King Solomon is known as the wisest of all men. The son of King David, King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem and reigned over Israel's golden age. History of King Solomon Before David dies, he appoints as king his son Solomon, who is 12 years old at the time, with these words: "I go the way of all the earth. You shall be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes and His commandments and His testimonies. As it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn." (1 King 2:2-3) This classic blessing is often quoted by fathers to their sons on the day of their Bar Mitzvah. It restates the cardinal rule that has guided the Jewish people from the time of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai: in order to prosper keep the Torah. Shortly after Solomon is anointed king, God appears to him in a dream in which He invites Solomon to make a request for himself. Solomon answers: "I am but a small child ... Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people..." His request pleases God who tells him: "Because you have not requested riches and honor but only that which would benefit all the people, I will give you not only an understanding heart like none other before or after you ... but also riches and honor like no other king in your days." (1 Kings 3:7-13) Born in 848 BCE, Solomon dies at age 52 in 796 BCE, ruling as king for 40 years -- the best years in all of Israel's history -- 40 years of peace and prosperity. He is known as chacham mi'kol ha'adam, "wisest of all the men." The Bible relates that kings from all over the world came to hear his wisdom, which included not only Torah wisdom, but also wisdom in secular knowledge and science. 1 His fame spread through all the surrounding nations. He composed 3,000 parables, and 1,005 poems. He discoursed about trees, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows from the wall. He also discoursed about animals, birds, creeping things and fish. Men of all nations came to hear Solomon's wisdom, as did all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. (1 Kings 5:11-14) King Solomon and the Temple The crowning achievement of Solomon's reign is the building of the Temple which his father, King David, had dreamt about. As we learned in the last installment in this series, King David brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem's Mount Moriah -- "the gate of heaven" -- but because he had been a warrior who had blood on his hands, he was not permitted by God to erect the Temple. However, this is left for his son to accomplish, which he does. The Bible devotes several chapters (II Kings 5-7) to the construction of this most important building to the nation of Israel -- the place of communion between the Jewish people and God. It tells that the entire Temple both inside and outside, including floors and doors were overlaid with gold. Besides this there were bronze structures such as columns, an immersion tank, and basins. The magnificent structure took seven years to build. When it is finished, Solomon dedicates the Temple: "Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built? Yet have regard for the prayer of Your servant, and for his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer, which Your servant prays before You today; that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may listen to the prayer ... of your people Israel ..." (1 Kings 8:27-29) King Solomon’s reign This is the pinnacle of Jewish history. Everyone is united. Their neighbors don't bother the Jews -- in fact, they come to learn from the Jews. There is peace and prosperity. This is as good as it gets for Israel-the closest ancient Israel gets to achieving the Messianic ideal of creating an ideal nation that is alight to the nations. This is the zenith. So why doesn't this golden age last? King Solomon and his wives Solomon makes one serious mistake. In violation of the Torah's prohibition He takes too many wives. In fact, he has 700 wives and 300 concubines. If we go back to the Book of Deuteronomy whe...
TextSearch