Solomon
Introduction
In our quest to discover the biblical chronology, we have
traveled this far:
†
Unlike David, no date is given for Solomon’s
birth, so we must attempt to ferret out a range of possible dates from the
contextual events surrounding his birth, and from the narrative sequence. That which is humanly possible also becomes an
evaluative factor.
†
However, narrative sequences can always be
distorted by literary devices, such as flashbacks: these open the door to
judgement errors. We know of instances
where part of the narrative sequence is moved ahead to introduce or title a
particular subject: in such cases, the prepositioned verses serve to emphasize
the main point, theme, or topic of the subject matter. We should make a mental underline of such
verses, whenever they are found, so that they do not become lost in the more
general discussion.
† Our
anchor point is still 1 Kings 6:1.
This is our true anchor: for Solomon necessarily connects with the
Egyptian chronology in the Bubastite Portal gate at Karnak, five years
after his death.[1] Here, in 1
Kings 6:1, four years after his coronation, his ascension to the throne,
he connects with Moses. All chronologies
are dependent on this anchor point; whether they subscribe to 440 years before,
480 years before, or some other date for Moses and the Exodus.
† Dating will now become an increasingly more
difficult task. On the one hand, we
naturally attempt to associate the dates of antiquity with our calendar. That being said, our calendar runs from
January to January, really for no good reason other than that the Romans willed
it to be so: hence, in some respects, we remain trapped in Roman government and
law. On the other hand, the calendar of
Israelite antiquity runs from Nissan to Nissan; Nissan approximates our
March-April: so in one direction there is always a three to four month shift
error; while in the other direction there would be an eight to ten month shift
error. The extra month of error is
caused by the fact that the Israelite lunar-solar year is either twelve or
thirteen months long: a fact that Israelites had to confront every two to three
years in roughly a twenty-one year cycle.
This was not as big a deal as it might seem. Nissan falls in early spring. Since the Vernal Equinox comes roughly on March
20; when the days and nights became too far offset, the calendar was simply
reset by adding an extra month. The
point of this discussion is not to introduce the reader to a detailed
scientific discussion of the subject: for we have used crude approximations
everywhere.[2] The point is that the Israelite idea of a
year, and the modern idea of a year are two vastly different things, being
offset by about a quarter of a year.
† Moreover, there is another claimant for the
Israelite calendar: the Tishri to Tishri calendar. This we reject as a modern invention,[3]
since we have yet to find anything in Scripture that warrants such a
modification of Torah.[4] Any such hypothesis requires rigorous proof;
we have yet to find any such proof. Thus
all such claims are cast aside until such a proof is forthcoming. Old wives fables and urban legends are not
evidence, and such false trails must be carefully removed from our thinking.[5]
† In spite of such obstacles we confidently date
Solomon’s reign from 970 to 930. We
understand from the above discussion that latent errors lurk within our
confidence; yet, for our purposes the approximate dates may as well be
absolute. 930/931 or 929/930 mean the
same thing as 930 for all practical purposes; they simply indicate that some
scholar thinks we’re at the edge of the new year. Of what value is such knowledge, when we
don’t even know if or when the thirteenth month was added? We have reached the practical limit of our
accuracy. Minor errors, which are yet to
be discovered by modern scholarship, will tend to shift the entire subject:
Akkadian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Hittite, Israelite, Persian, Greek, Roman will
all move, for the most part in unison.
Such discoveries are likely to be small, on the order of fine-tuning our
precision. We will still be unable to
grasp, with any substantial feel, the real differences between an Israelite and
a modern calendar: to do so we would have to change the way we think about
time, adopting the ancient Israelite method completely; when we begin to behave
as an Israelite, then we will begin to think like an Israelite. Our approximate value is good to within half
a year, nine months or so. Still, we
have no simple way to make it better.
After all, what is the point?
We continue
with the life of Solomon.
Scripture
2 Samuel 5:14 KJV, “And
these be the names of those that were born unto him [David] in Jerusalem;
Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,”
After David takes Jerusalem,
his activities include: 3 months to bring up the Ark, separation from his wife
Michal,[6] plans to build a temple,[7] the gift of the Davidic Covenant,[8] wars with the Philistines, Moab, Hadadezer, and
Syria, kindness to Mephibosheth, disgrace of the
Ammonite delegation, adultery with Bathsheba,[9] death of
the child while young,[10] Nathan’s
rebuke, all of which seem to take place before Solomon’s birth.[11]
2 Samuel 11:1 KJV, “And it came to pass, after the year was expired,[12] at the
time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with
him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged
Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.”
Since Solomon was born in
Jerusalem, His date of birth is fixed as post 1003. Since his birth is also after these other
major events, after David’s sin with Bathsheba, after the death of his elder
brother as a small child; Solomon’s birth comes most likely between 1000 and 995. It is virtually impossible that Solomon’s
birth be after 984; as we move from 995 toward 984 Solomon’s proposed birthdate
becomes increasingly improbable.[13]
2 Samuel 12:24-25 KJV, “And
David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and
she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet;
and he called his name Jedidiah,[14] because of the Lord.”
Dating schemes for dating
Solomon’s birth, based on the days since creation are pure mythological
superstitions.
Some authorities place
Solomon’s birth as late as 982, based on obscure rabbinic traditions. This makes Solomon 12 at coronation, which is
improbable for three reasons: 1. No advisor is assigned to guide Solomon
because of his supposed youth. We ought
not suppose that a precocious twelve-year-old is able to exhibit the maturity
that Solomon actually exhibits in Scripture: Solomon comes to the throne
“battle ready;” he requires no “maiden voyage.”
2. This forces lengthy events in David’s life to such a late date, that
there is no time left to accomplish them.[15] 3.
Twelve-year-old boys don’t generally have one-year-old sons that were conceived
five years before their first marriage.[16]
Other authorities place
Solomon’s birth at 999. This is a very
good date, which makes Solomon 29 at ascension and 69 at death. Our date range suggests that Solomon is
between 25 and 30 at ascension; between 65 and 70 at death. Unfortunately, Scripture does not clarify the
point.
2 Samuel 12:26 KJV, “And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took
the royal city.”
The defeat of Ammon is said
to take place after these events, which suggests that all of these are going on
early in David’s Jerusalem reign, before the defeat of Ammon.
The time spanned from Tamar being raped until Absalom’s revolt was at least 11 years. The span of David’s exile also took time; and
after the death of Absalom, David was unable to return to Jerusalem
immediately.[17] This was followed by a three-year famine and
David’s sinful census. Since David chose
the three-day-punishment option, the census does not impact our chronology to
any extent.[18]
1 Kings 1 narrates Solomon’s coronation,
which took place in 970, prior to David’s death.
1 Kings 1:38-39 KJV, “So Zadok the priest,
and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites,
and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's
mule, and brought him to Gihon. And
Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed
Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and
all the people said, God save king Solomon.”
1 Kings 2 deals with unfinished business
from David’s reign: Solomon executes Adonijah, his elder brother for sedition;
he exiles Abiathar, the chief priest for assisting in Adonijah’s sedition; he
executes Joab for participating in Adonijah’s sedition, as well as for the
murders of Abner and Amasa; he executes Shimei for participating in Absalom’s insurrection,
and for violating the terms of his confinement.
1 Kings 2:39 KJV, “And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the
servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they
told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 2:39 a
|
3
|
---
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
|
1 K 2:39 b
|
2
|
---
|
2
|
2
|
---
|
It seems likely that the text for E was
lost; that 3 & 2 are good numbers; yet, the actual number of slaves is in
slight doubt, because of V.
1 Kings 3:1 KJV, “And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and
took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had
made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.”[19]
This pharaoh is most likely Sheshonk, royal
king of the Ma.[20] This marriage may be highly symbolic,
relating more to, “Out of Egypt have I called my son,” than to anything else.[21] Pesah remains the feast of the newyear.
1 Kings 3:7 KJV, “And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy
servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know
not how to go out or come in.”
This comment, made in the middle of
Solomon’s prophetic conversation with Yahweh at Gibeon, may support the idea
that Solomon is only a twelve year old child.
We may not be certain; yet, it seems unlikely. Or it may be nothing more than a humble
figure of speech made by a 25 to 30 year-old man, still rather young to be
saddled with all the duties of national and spiritual leadership. By age thirty, David is toughened by
hardship, persecution, and endless war: his worst enemies have been Saul,
Michal, Absalom, and Joab. Solomon, has lived in the sheltered life of
the palace, except for the possible flight from Absalom: he has no real life
experience, he has no real enemies.
1 Kings 5:11 KJV (1 Kings
5:25 in Greek and M), “And Solomon gave Hiram twenty
thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of
pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 5:11 a
|
20,000
|
20,000
|
20,000
|
20,000
|
20,000
|
|
1 K 5:11 b
|
20
|
20,000
|
20,000
|
20,000
|
20
|
These numbers may well be identical: 1 kor
may be 1,000 baths in liquid measurement, we are not certain.
This appears to be the means
by which Solomon paid Hiram for stone, wood, and other materials; for skilled
labor; as well as for gold, silver, and other imported treasures.
1 Kings 6:1 KJV, “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the
children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of
Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that
he began to build the house of the Lord.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 6:1 a
|
480
|
440
|
440
|
440
|
480
|
|
1 K 6:1 b
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
|
1 K 6:1 c
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
1 K 6:1 d
|
1 K 6:37
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
1 K 6:37
|
|
1 K 6:1 e
|
1 K 6:37
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1 K 6:37
|
|
1 K 6:1 f
|
1 K 6:38
|
11
|
11
|
11
|
1 K 6:38
|
|
1 K 6:1 g
|
1 K 6:38
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
1 K 6:38
|
1 Kings 6:1 Brenton, “And it came to pass in the four hundred and
fortieth year after the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt, in
the fourth year and second month of the reign of king Solomon over Israel, that
the king commanded that they should take great [and] costly stones for the
foundation of the house, and hewn stones. And the men of Solomon, and the men of Chiram
hewed [the stones], and laid them [for a foundation]. In the fourth year he
laid the foundation of the house of the Lord, in the month Ziu, even in the
second month.[22] In the
eleventh year, in the month Baal, this [is] the eighth month,[23] the house was completed according to all its plan,
and according to all its arrangement.”
There is only one significant divergence
here: is the correct number 480 or 440?
Since this is an extremely important chronological number, we have given
it full and careful consideration elsewhere.
Our final conclusion is that 440 is correct because it makes a near
perfect match with Egyptian chronology possible. The first 4 & 2 do not diverge at
all. The remaining four numbers only
appear to diverge because M has relocated them at 1 Kings 6:37 and 38.
1 Kings 6:7 KJV, “And the house, when it
was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither:
so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the
house, while it was in building.”
1 Kings 6:37 KJV, “In the fourth year was
the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in
the month Zif (2nd).”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 6:37 a
|
4
|
1 K 6:1
|
1 K 6:1
|
1 K 6:1
|
4
|
|
1 K 6:37 b
|
Zif
|
1 K 6:1
|
1 K 6:1
|
1 K 6:1
|
Zio
|
1 Kings 6:38 KJV, “And in the eleventh
year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished
throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So
was he seven years in building it.”
|
Passage
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M
|
E
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G
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B
|
V
|
|
1 K 6:38 a
|
11
|
1 K 6:1 f
|
1 K 6:1 f
|
1 K 6:1 f
|
11
|
|
1 K 6:38 b
|
8
|
1 K 6:1 g
|
1 K 6:1 g
|
1 K 6:1 g
|
8
|
|
1 K 6:38 c
|
7
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
7
|
1 Kings 7:1 KJV, “But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished
all his house.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 7:1 a
|
13
|
1 K 7:38
|
1 K 7:38
|
1 K 7:38
|
13
|
1 Kings 7:38 Brenton, “And
Solomon built a house for himself in thirteen years.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 7:38 a
|
1 K 7:1
|
13
|
13
|
13
|
1 K 7:1
|
1 Kings 7 describes the
building of Solomon’s temple in great magnificence. This is popularly disputed: in part because
no remains of the temple itself have been discovered. 1. That being said, it was necessary to
construct foundations to level the mountain top, which formed the temple
platform. These are at least as old as
Herod (19 BC). It makes no sense that
these would be repaired or extended if there were no predecessor. 2. The existence of six-chambered gates may
not all date to Solomon’s era. While it
is impossible to say exactly which of these structures Solomon built himself;
it is equally impossible to claim that none of them, nor any of their
surroundings were in existence during Solomon’s lifetime.[24] 3. A massive
palace has been uncovered which dates prior to the Solomonic era when evaluated
with the latest radiocarbon methods: evidence that the Jebusites were already a
significant civilization when David conquered them.[25] 4. The
Ethiopian legends claim direct descent from Solomon.[26] 5. The
evidence for the existence of large amounts of hacksilber[27] is Solomonic and points to massive trade with Spain
and Sardinia. These five lines of evidence
disclose a civilization of great magnificence, power, and wealth centered in
Jerusalem circa 1010 to 930, and beyond: if not David and Solomon, then
who? Why would anyone invent a pseudonymous
history to hide a real kingdom or empire?[28]
1 Kings 8:1 KJV, “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of
the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king
Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.” No data was found in KJV. However,
1 Kings 8:1 Brenton, “And it came to pass when Solomon had finished building the house of the
Lord and his own house after twenty years, then king Solomon assembled all the
elders of Israel in Sion, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of
the city of David, this is Sion.”
|
Passage
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M
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E
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G
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B
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V
|
|
1 K 8:1 a
|
---
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
---
|
A partial corresponding match is found at 1
Kings 9:10. However, the two verses
apply to two different events, which may or may not have taken place at the
same time: 1. The bringing of the Ark from the City of David to the Temple. 2. The gift of cities to Hiram.
It was unlikely that the Ark was moved as
long as the confusion, filth, and noise of construction continued. This suggests that the actual installation
took place in Solomon’s twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth year,[29] when all
construction was complete.
1 Kings 8:2 KJV, “And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the
feast in the month Ethanim[30], which
is the seventh month.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 8:2 a
|
7
|
Athanin
|
Athanin
|
Athanin
|
7
|
While the numeral 7 is not repeated, the
word Athanin[31] is
present. Since Athanin is the 7th month,
repetition of the numeral is redundant.
This means that the Ark’s installation was
coordinated with Sukkot of the twentieth, or twenty-first year after Solomon’s
marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter: hence the twenty-fourth, or twenty-fifth year
of Solomon’s reign.
1 Kings 9:10 KJV, “And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had
built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the
king's house,”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 9:10 a
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
|
1 K 9:10 b
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
There are good reason for the construction
of the house of Yahweh and the house of Solomon not to proceed at the same
time; all of them have to do with logistics: the amount of materials, mixture
of materials and design, and the like.
The sure way to keep things in order was to complete one job before
starting another.
There are even better reasons that
Solomon’s house be completed before the Ark is moved. In Israelite government, the king has no
independent authority, his authority derives exclusively from Yahweh: the two
must remain inseparable. Since the Ark
and Solomon both dwell in the City of David, it stands to reason that neither
can move, until both are able to move.
The king must be at the complete disposal of Yahweh and immediately
available to Yahweh’s summons. Now we
see the significance of the twenty years more clearly. Neither the Ark nor Solomon took up new
residence until Solomon’s twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth year: they were always
inseparably linked as God and king. The
breach of later kings in separating themselves from Yahweh is a cosmic
disaster. The only question remaining is
whether the timing of Sukkot permitted the celebration in the twenty-fourth or
twenty-fifth year.
1 Kings 9:16 KJV, “For Pharaoh king of
Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the
Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his
daughter, Solomon's wife.”[32]
There is one pharaoh from this era with the
military prowess to destroy Gezer; namely, Shishak (Sheshonk).
1 Kings 9:25 KJV, “And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace
offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord, and he
burnt incense upon the altar that was before the Lord. So he
finished the house.”[33]
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 9:25 a
|
3
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
3
|
Verses 9:15-25 do not exist in the
Septuagint. This is another instance
where a scribe appears to have added irrelevant notes to Scripture.
1 Kings 10:1 KJV, “And when the queen of
Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.”
1 Kings 10:22 KJV, “For the king had at sea
a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy
of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.”[34]
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 10:22 a
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
1 K 10:22 b
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1 Kings 11:11 KJV, “Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast
not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will
surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”
1 Kings 11:26 KJV, “And Jeroboam
the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's
name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.”
This verse is evidently the introductory
verse for the subject matter that follows, which is explanatory in nature. Jeroboam revolted: here is the narrative of
sequential history, fundamental causes, and ultimate outcome.
1 Kings 11:28 KJV, “And the man Jeroboam
was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was
industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.”
1 Kings 11:31 KJV, “And he [Ahijah] said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand
of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 11:31 a
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
The rending of the kingdom was God’s
punishment for Solomon’s sin; it was not a political plan concocted by Jeroboam. Solomon set it up by appointing Jeroboam to a
place of high authority. Solomon caused
it by his incessant idolatry.
1 Kings 11:40 KJV, “Solomon sought
therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto
Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.”
Evidently, the Kingdom of Israel is already
in place, operating as a division of Solomon’s empire. Jeroboam’s brief exile, just prior to
Solomon’s death, does little to disrupt the affairs of the Kingdom of Israel:
specifically, their chronological clock may already be in place.
1 Kings 11:42 KJV, “And the time that
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 K 11:42 a
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
2 Kings 23:13 KJV, “And the high places
that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of
corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the
abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites,
and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king [Josiah]
defile.”
1 Chronicles 14:4 KJV, “Now these
are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab,
Nathan, and Solomon,”
1 Chronicles 20:1 KJV, “And it came to
pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle,
Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of
Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab
smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.”
1 Chronicles 22 narrates David’s
instructions to Solomon for the temple construction.
1 Chronicles 23:1 KJV, “So when David was
old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.”
1 Chronicles 26:31 KJV, “Among the
Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the
generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they
were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour at Jazer
of Gilead.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 C 26:31 a
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
1 Chronicles 29:23 KJV, “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king
instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.”
1 Chronicles 29:27 KJV, “And the time that
he [David] reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in
Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
1 C 29:27 a
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
|
1 C 29:27 b
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
|
1 C 29:27 c
|
33
|
33
|
33
|
33
|
33
|
2 Chronicles 3:2 KJV, “And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the
fourth year of his reign.
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 3:2 a
|
2
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
2 C 3:2 b
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
2 C 3:2 c
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
2 Chronicles 5:3 KJV, “Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king
in the feast which was in the seventh month.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 5:3 a
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
2 Chronicles 7:8 KJV, “Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all
Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto
the river of Egypt.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 7:8 a
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
2 Chronicles 7:9 KJV, “And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the
dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 7:9 a
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
|
2 C 7:9 b
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
|
2 C 7:9 c
|
7
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
7
|
2 Chronicles 7:10 KJV, “And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the
people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the
Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 7:10 a
|
23
|
23
|
23
|
23
|
23
|
|
2 C 7:10 b
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
2 Chronicles 8:1 KJV, “And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had
built the house of the Lord, and his own house,”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 8:1 a
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
2 Chronicles 8:11 KJV, “And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of
David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not
dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy,
whereunto the ark of the Lord hath
come.”
This statement is
disjointed. If Solomon indeed married
pharaoh’s daughter twenty years previously, she has been living with the Ark in
the city of David, in the house of king David for twenty years.
How is this not an absurd denial of reality?[36]
2 Chronicles 8:13 KJV, “Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the
commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn
feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in
the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.”[37]
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 8:13 a
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
Three feasts are celebrated:
HaMatzot (Pesah), Shavuot, and Sukkot; one to remember the Lex Redemptio of sacrifice
in Christ, one to remember the coming of the Holy Ghost in Lex Orandi, one to
remember that Lex Credendi requires a difficult pilgrimage, all three prior to
arrival at Lex Vivendi and the eternal rest of God.
2 Chronicles 9:1 KJV, “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came
to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company,
and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and
when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her
heart.”
2 Chronicles 9:21 KJV, “For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram:
every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver,
ivory, and apes, and peacocks.”[38]
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 9:21 a
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
2 C 9:21 b
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2 Chronicles 9:30 KJV, “And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.”
|
Passage
|
M
|
E
|
G
|
B
|
V
|
|
2 C 9:30 a
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
40
|
The
Start
Finding a starting place for
the life of Solomon begins with the Bubastite Portal gate at
Karnak. The date is 925: it is five
years after Solomon’s death. So allowing
for all the various calendar variations, we conclude that Solomon died in
930. Since Solomon reigned for forty
years, we suppose that he was coronated and ascended to the throne in 970. We do not have the exact year of his
birth. The texts involved in reaching
this point are sound in any language.
Summary
† Birth, 2 Samuel 12:24-25.................................... 1000-995
† Marriage to Naamah..................................................... 972
† Birth of Rehoboam....................................................... 971
† Trans-Jordan (Moab?) established
as a distinct government
entity, 1 Chronicles 26:31............................................ 970
entity, 1 Chronicles 26:31............................................ 970
† Adonijah’s challenge to the
throne, 1 Kings 1
† Coronation, 1 Kings 1:38-39; 1
Chronicles 29:23....... 970
† Adonijah’s execution, 1 Kings 2
† Abiathar’s exile, 1 Kings 2
† Joab’s execution, 1 Kings 2
† Shimei’s confinement, 1 Kings 2................................. 970
† Three years pass, 1 Kings 2:39
† Shimei’s execution, 1 Kings 2...................................... 967
† Marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter,
1 Kings 3:1............... 967
† One year passes, Deuteronomy
24:5
† Temple construction begins, 1
Kings 6:1; 2 Chronicles 3:2
...................................................................................... 966
...................................................................................... 966
† Seven years pass
† Temple construction ends, 1
Kings 6:38...................... 959
† Residence construction begins, 1
Kings 7:1................. 959
† Thirteen years pass
† Residence construction ends, 1
Kings 7:38; 2 Chronicles 8:1
...................................................................................... 946
...................................................................................... 946
† Installation of the Ark, 1 Kings
8:1; 9:10.................... 946
† Queen of Sheba visits, 1 Kings
10:1; 2 Chronicles 9:1
†
Solomon punished, 1 Kings
11:11
† Jeroboam elevated to power................................. circa
931
† Israel established as a distinct
government entity,
1 Kings 11:28...................................................... circa 931
1 Kings 11:28...................................................... circa 931
† Jeroboam accused of treason, 1 Kings 11:26....... circa 931
† Jeroboam seeks asylum, 1 Kings 11:40............... circa 931
† Solomon’s death, 1 Kings 11:42; 2 Chronicles
9:30
...................................................................................... 930
...................................................................................... 930
Gleaning
A great deal of David’s early life is consumed with
children. When David is not consumed by
wars, and recovery of the Ark, he is a family man. Even after he receives the covenant promise,
his life focus is on the Son. Yet, the
later part of David’s life changes to a focus on the much anticipated temple:
he collects materials for it, he organizes the priests and Levites for its
service, he leaves design plans for it, he gives specific instructions to
Solomon for its construction. In many
ways it is David’s temple.
No wonder then that Solomon has little time for family
life. His early life focus is consumed
with the temple, with building, and with wealth. Even though he has 1000 wives, there is
little evidence that he cohabited with any of them. Solomon is a peace winning politician. The presence of a foreign daughter in his
harem guarantees the continued loyalty of that foreign power: else his daughter
might be executed. Yet, no children are
mentioned. Offspring of pharaoh’s
daughter are not even named, indicating that none exist. History knows of only two sons: Rehoboam, the
son of Naamah, and Menelik I, the son of Sheba’s queen. Until Solomon is perverted by idolatry, he is
all about the temple.
We see then, David’s life is dominated by the Son; while,
Solomon’s life is dominated by the Temple.
Yet, wonder of wonders, when we discover the reality of each, they are
both the same thing: Christ and His Church.
Conclusion
Solomon’s chronology
will be stripped to its bare essentials and presented vertically.
† Birth.................................................................... 1000-995
† Trans-Jordan (Moab?) established................................ 970
† Coronation.................................................................... 970
† Temple construction.............................................. 966-959
† Residence construction......................................... 959-946
† Ark installed................................................................. 946
† Israel established.................................................. circa
931
† Solomon’s death........................................................... 930
† Sheshonk...................................................................... 925
[1] 1
Kings 14:25; 2 Chronicles 12:2, 5
[2] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/calendar.html
[3]
Post 586 BC
[4] Exodus
12:2
[5]
While the first of the following articles provides an intriguing possible
explanation for the “extra six months” of David’s reign in Hebron, no other
evidence is provided outside of opinion, and the narrative of the “extra six
months,” which remains unexplained in the Bible. David, who was loyal to Torah all of his life
has no motive to make such a change, and if he had made it, why would Israel
revert to a Nissan calendar, when Israel was the nation in violation of
Torah? This is far more likely to be an
Israelite accommodation to the Macedonian calendar, introduced after the reign
of Alexander the Great, long after 516.
Did scribes alter the Scripture to bring it into alignment with the
Macedonian calendar? Well, that’s
another puzzle to solve, isn’t it? The
last articles present a variety of arguments, some of which maintain that the
origin of the Tishri calendar was due to Babylonian influence; and that its
appearance in Jewish literature does not exist prior to the Mishna (circa 200
AD). These later evidences seem fatal to
the existence of a Tishri Calendar prior to 586.
[6]
This cannot be good. Michal’s jealousy of God Himself, her malice and
obstinacy remove the possibility of affection and romance from David’s
life. David’s other wives were marriages
of convenience and necessity; Michal is David’s young love. As she removes herself from David’s life, she
opens the potential for lust with Bathsheba.
Although David’s relationship with God is very strong, we observe much
brokenness at the human dimension; as we see brokenness increasing in David’s
life, we understand that these are wounds that can only be healed by
Christ. Father, forgive us: for we don’t
realize [know] what we are doing.
[7]
God rejects these plans, specifically because there is too much brokenness in
David’s life in the horizontal or human dimension: David is a man of bloodshed,
strife, and war. Even though David is
noted for peace seeking, he fails to find much peace in life. The temple can only be built by the Son. Although, Solomon creates a physical model in
an earthly temple, he fails miserably at temple building. Eventually, we realize that this temple of
God is Christ Himself, a temple which He builds from living stones.
[8]
David cannot save himself; only God can redeem him from the predicament in
which he finds himself.
[9] In
the midst of endless strife, David immediately shatters the covenant he has
just been given: seemingly beyond repair (Psalm 89, especially verses 38-52)
[10]
Most likely the child is unweaned, possibly from birth to four years of
age. Since nursing tends to suppress
ovulation, we ought not to assume that Bathsheba is able to conceive
immediately. In the narrative sequence
the child dies; David stops morning, which suggests that David was not sexually
active as long as the child was ill; David comforts Bathsheba; Bathsheba
conceives Solomon. In our numerical
analysis we have proposed that Solomon’s conception follows the birth of his
elder, sickly brother immediately, allowing only three months in one year
(1003-1002) for the bringing of the Ark, nine months in the next year
(1002-1001) for gestation of the unnamed baby, and nine months in the third
year (1001-1000) for Solomon’s gestation: this is not necessarily the case, so
more time could have passed. On the
other hand, the narrative, from the adultery onward, suggests a rush of events.
What we can say with assurance is that all of these many
activities in David’s life must fit into the timespan from 1003 to 970, a space
of only 33 years. Many of these
activities, particularly activities concerning Absalom carry their own
times. The years of birth events from
the adultery, the 11 years concerning Absalom, and a 3 year famine reduce the
available years from 33 to 16: the remainder of David’s active life must be
compressed into that 16-year, brief timespan.
[11]
As Solomon comes to the kingdom, he comes to an already broken kingdom: he does
not improve the kingdom’s condition, he breaks it even more.
[12]
This plainly states that another year has expired. Hence it is now 1002 or later, Bathsheba’s
first gestation is not yet begun. The
baby will be born and die no earlier than 1001.
Even if Solomon is conceived immediately, he cannot be born before 1000.
[13]
At 995 Solomon would be twenty-five when he first grasps the reigns of
government. At 985 he would be only
fourteen: the date derives from the proposed bar mitzvah at twelve, followed by
immediate marriage to Naamah, followed by the immediate conception of Rehoboam,
followed by the birth of Rehoboam, followed by Solomon’s coronation when
Rehoboam is a one-year-old baby. This,
we suggest is highly improbable. The
closer we approach age twenty-five for Solomon, the more reasonable such a
scenario becomes.
[14]
The name means, “friend of Yahweh.”
[15]
The eleven years of strife with Absalom and a three-year famine must all be
compressed into twelve years (11 + 3 = 14???); else we must suppose that some
or all of them took place before Solomon was born. This also implies that David took his good
old time before getting around to comforting Bathsheba after the loss of their
first child (1000 – 982 = 18???).
Otherwise, we are forced to assume that the narrative events are all out
of sequence; that David’s adultery with Bathsheba did not occur until late in
David’s life, in his mid fifties (70 – 12 – 3 = 55???). Strictly speaking, none of these things is
impossible, they simply seem far fetched.
[16]
If accurate, this means that Solomon was a father one year before his
ascension; hence, he was married to Naamah two years before his ascension (1
Kings 14:21). Solomon is reported to
have fathered only two children: Rehoboam and Menelik I,
King of Axum, predecessor to the Ethiopian throne.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon
This creates several problems for us. 1. Is Rehoboam’s age falsely reported: in
error in all witnesses? 2. Is Naamah
Solomon’s first wife? 3. Do a few years
pass, after Solomon’s death, before Rehoboam takes the throne? 4. Why is there no progeny from pharaoh’s
daughter? 5. With one thousand wives and
concubines, why are there not many more children? 6. Why are all of Solomon’s concerns with
empire, temple, and wealth; virtually none are devoted to family? 7. It would seem that Proverbs is addressed
specifically to Rehoboam: is it?
We might prefer possibility three because it makes a great
deal of sense that after Solomon’s death, the coronation of Rehoboam may have
been delayed because of the strife with Jeroboam. When the dispute settles it appears that
Jeroboam was already ipso facto king of Israel.
This eliminates the existence of the David-Solomon United Kingdom. The formation, legalization of an entirely
new kingdom, and consequent coronation may have taken a while.
On the other hand, no such period is mentioned: which leaves
us with the harsh reality that Solomon is married two years before he becomes
king, and immediately fathers Rehoboam.
Certainly, a ten-year-old boy did not father a child, did he?
[17]
At least another year
[18]
Still, a census conducted by mule back, over a sizeable kingdom, can scarcely
be conducted in less than another year, can it?
We have allowed no time for such events.
[19]
Why should marriage take precedence over the temple construction? Very likely because the order of creation
requires it. Adam cannot build Eden
without Eve. Solomon cannot build the
kingdom without pharaoh’s daughter.
Because she is not an Israelite her identity is shrouded in
mystery. Even so, this great and royal
queen of the Ma is the queen of Israel, she is afforded her own castle and
throne. She appears in the literature of
Israel as a queen appears in Egyptian monuments: the equal of pharaoh. In the mystery, the pagan world is being
lifted up to God, and invited into The Church.
This mysterious woman may also be Solomon’s first human love and could
form much of the subject matter of Song of Solomon, which Solomon could have
written in her honor.
Solomon gives her the year of uninterrupted marriage required
by Torah (Deuteronomy 24:5). After the
three-year period involving Shimei (970-967), this year
(967-966) explains why temple construction was not begun until 966, which is
the fourth year. Simply put, life in the
horizontal or human dimension must be put right before reaching up to God in
the vertical dimension (Matthew 5:24).
In spite of all of this, we are shocked to
learn that Rehoboam is forty-one-years old at his own coronation. This implies that he was one-year old at his
father’s coronation. So Rehoboam may
have been born in 971. Given a normal
gestation he would have been conceived in 972.
This indicates that the marriage to Naamah was in 972 or before:
at least five years prior to Solomon’s official state marriage to the Meshwesh
queen. So is Naamah the secret love of
Solomon’s young life, his child bride?
Is Naamah the subject of Song of Solomon? Or, is Song of Solomon really written to
impress a Meshwesh pharaoh that his daughter is being well treated? The mystery only gets more puzzling.
Moreover, 1 Chronicles 4:18 hides this intriguing phrase, “And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which
Mered took.” Yet, no sons are
listed, either before or after this phrase.
Nor does it seem to have any real logical connection. The name “Bithiah” is not otherwise known in
the Bible or in history. The names Mered
and Ezra are equally obscure, before the rise of Ezra (circa 516). Chronicles does not discuss Solomon’s
marriage to a Meshwesh queen until 2 Chronicles 8:11; and then, only in an
offhanded remark. It is strange that the
narrative of Kings should place such great emphasis on pharaoh’s daughter,
while Chronicles seems to have a deliberate de-emphasis. This 1 Chronicles 4:18 phrase may hide real historical information, yet what? Related legends are quite fanciful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bithiah
[20]
There are several reasons for this being a Ma (Meshwesh) relationship. The Mizraim generally opposed such marital
relationships and commonly refused them.
The Mizraim were no longer much of a power in Egypt. The Ma had the military prowess to pull this
off, and Sheshonk was the general who could muster it. According to 1 Kings 9:16 he had flattened
Gezer just for a wedding present: no small military achievement.
[21] Hosea
11:1; Matthew 2:15
[22]
Construction would not normally begin until Pesah was over, and the new moon
sacrifices were completed.
[23]
This indicates one, yet not both, of two things: 1. Sukkot was included as the
final act of completion. 2. Ceremonies,
especially the installation of the Ark, were not begun until a year later at
Sukkot.
[24]
Focus on the massive six-chambered gates has distracted attention from the
total evidence present at these massive sites.
[25]
Earlier reports of radiocarbon dating of palace artifacts to a post Solomonic
age are mistaken. These results were not
calibrated, and are thus over a hundred years too late. When properly calibrated, these same
radiocarbon results show a date prior to David; hence a Jebusite palace, which
is exactly what Scripture claims.
[26]
If this is mythic fiction, it will come as a great surprise to the Ethiopian
people.
[27]
This last piece of evidence may be the most important piece of evidence; by
itself it establishes considerable evidence of Solomon’s glory. Unfortunately, Christine Thompson is not
widely known in the archaeological community.
Several other scholars also share her name. We believe that the Christine Thompson we seek
is on the faculty at University of Akron.
[28]
Very many scholars, including some within The Church, claim that events prior
to 516 are basically mythic fabrications to justify the existence of the Jewish
nation after 516. They claim that very
little of the biblical narrative prior to 1200 has any basis in fact
whatsoever. In support of such wild
conjectures they hypothesize that Scripture did not develop as its internal
narrative suggests; but rather that scribes constructed the narrative from
source documents: J (950), E (850), D (600), and P (500). The more rabid of these theorists insist that
the kingdom period from 1010 to 930 has little or no basis in fact. As fresh evidence is discovered with time,
theories denying the kingdom period lose credibility. That being said, there is still widespread
denial that anything prior to 1200 is historic.
There also appears to be a dominant preference for Egyptian
archaeological evidence over Mesopotamian archaeological evidence. Evidence should be received and evaluated
without bias, and undue presuppositional opinion. Hypotheses, must be weighed on the basis of
evidence. Hypotheses, must not be
presumed as true, with the evidence thereby being reshaped to fit the presumed
mold.
[29]
The sum of 3 (the years to deal with Shimei), 1 (the honeymoon
with pharaoh’s daughter, 7 (the temple construction), 13 (the residence
construction): 3 + 1 + 7 + 13 = 24.
Whether the installation ceremony was included in completion, or a
separate act after completion, makes two dates possible.
[30]
This is the archaic name for the seventh month, predecessor to Tishri,
literally, “in the moon of Ethanim, in the dance (feast) of
the seventh new [moon or month].” This
is the first inkling of anything that would suggest the existence of a Tishri
calendar: it in no way constitutes a proof.
The celebration of the Ark installation naturally falls at Sukkot, since
it reaches the rest of Yahweh after a long, hard journey. It is not a sufficient cause for establishing
a new calendar.
[31] Athanin is a transliteration of Ethanim. The absence of the explanatory seven suggests
that the meaning was still known in the time of LXX; yet, because Hebrew had
become a dead language, it required an explanatory note by the time of V.
[32]
It would be unlikely for a Mizraim pharaoh to attack Canaanites, they were
natural allies; on the other hand a Meshwesh pharaoh would have no hesitancy in
doing so, they were natural adversaries.
Still this verse is not found in LXX.
[33]
See 2 Chronicles 8:13.
[34]
See 2 Chronicles 9:21.
[35] What
shall such a region be called? The
obvious natural name is Moab: David has Moabite ancestry, and good reasons for
them to be partially self-governing. This
adds new meaning to statements that “Moab revolted:” not the revolt of the
ancient kingdom of Moab, but an internecine struggle between Israelite tribes,
the trans-Jordan tribes being termed “Moab,” which has become an eponymous
toponym.
[36] Actually,
this is more than denial; it appears to be an outright contradiction. This is not the only place where the
Israelites have been willing to add to Scripture in order to cover up a
perceived moral defect (see Judges 18:30, where the name Manasseh
is substituted for Moses to hide the perceived family disgrace and shame). 1 Kings 3:1;
7:8; 9:16, 24
[37]
See 1 Kings 9:25.
[38]
See 1 Kings 10:22.
[39]
Here we suppose that the final act, installing the Ark, took place in Solomon’s
twenty-fourth year of reign; alternately, Solomon’s twenty-fifth year of reign
is a possibility.
[40] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations,
please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish. No rights are reserved. They are designed and intended for your free
participation. They were freely
received, and are freely given. No other
permission is required for their use.
