Page 50 - Biblical Backgrounds

Some see the killing off of potential rivals, such as Adonijah, to be cruel. In this culture, it was not
considered cruel. The Old Testament texts go out of their way to show how David and Solomon showed
restraint from what would have been standard practice in that culture.

Why build a temple?

The building of a temple to honor your deity was not considered abnormal. In this regard, it made sense
to do so. The grandeur of Solomon’s temple was spoken of widely.

The forgotten reasons for war:

We have already noted the motivations of ruling, religion, and tribalism for war in this period. Other
motivations existed as well. Commerce, for instance, was an important motivation. There were trade
routes between lands that were established. Owning those routes guaranteed the owners an influx of
wealth and trade. The same was true of owning seaports. This guaranteed shipping as a possible source
of trade and communication. Some battles were fought over these trade locations for that very reason.
As Christians, we read the Old Testament and focus on power, religion, and tribalism. Sometimes
conflict erupts over water rights, grazing pastures, and ancient claims to regions. We should read
carefully to discover what reasons, or group of reasons, would motivate a war.

The golden age of Israel:

Commercially, Solomon ruled during the golden age of Israel. The peace won by David’s wars allowed
Solomon to develop Israel into a wealthy nation. The fame of his wisdom and wealth spread far and
wide. In fact, it spread so widely that Assyria and Babylon would later attack to plunder the wealth.

The Queen of Sheba

In the Bible, we are introduced to an unnamed queen from the land of Sheba who travels to Jerusalem
to meet King Solomon (see 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9). Accompanied by many attendants and camels,
the Queen of Sheba brings a large number of spices, gold, and precious stones with her. She is drawn to
Jerusalem because of Solomon’s fame, and she tests the king with hard questions. Solomon can answer
them all.

Impressed by Solomon’s wisdom—and by the riches of his kingdom—she proclaims, “Your wisdom and
prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard” (1 Kings 10:7). The Queen of Sheba gave King
Solomon 120 talents of gold, precious stones, and the largest quantity of spices ever brought to
Jerusalem (1 Kings 10:10). King Solomon gives the Queen of Sheba gifts and “every desire that she
expressed” (1 Kings 10:13). After receiving these gifts, the queen returns to the land of Sheba with her
retinue.

The Biblical account ends there, but the story is a bit more complex according to later Jewish and
Christian extra-biblical sources.

In his article “Where Is the Land of Sheba—Arabia or Africa?” published in the September/October
2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Bar Kribus investigates the location of the land of Sheba and
looks at the figure of the Queen of Sheba—both in the Bible and in a text called the Kebra Nagast.

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