Solomon

Solomon (),, ; , ; Arabic: سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; , ; |name=solomon-names}} also called Jedidiah''',|label=none}}, Modern: , Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏyāh'', "beloved of Yah"|name=jedidiah-names}} was a Jewish monarch of ancient Israel and the son and successor of King David, according to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. He is described as having been the penultimate ruler of an amalgamated Israel and Judah. The hypothesized dates of Solomon's reign are from 970 to 931 BCE. After his death, his son and successor Rehoboam would adopt a harsh policy towards the northern tribes, eventually leading to the splitting of the Israelites between the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. Following the split, his patrilineal descendants ruled over Judah alone.

The Bible says Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, dedicating the temple to Yahweh, or God. Solomon is portrayed as wealthy, wise and powerful, and as one of the 48 Jewish prophets. He is also the subject of many later references and legends, most notably in the Testament of Solomon (part of first-century biblical apocrypha).

The historicity of Solomon is hotly debated. Current consensus allows for a historical Solomon, but regards his reign as king over Israel and Judah in the tenth century BCE as uncertain, and the biblical description of his apparent empire's lavishness as most probably an anachronistic exaggeration.

In the New Testament, he is portrayed as a teacher of wisdom excelled by Jesus of Nazareth, and as arrayed in glory but excelled by "the lilies of the field". In the Quran, he is considered to be a major Islamic prophet. In mostly non-biblical circles, Solomon also came to be known as a magician and an exorcist, with numerous amulets and medallion seals dating from the Hellenistic period invoking his name. Provided by Wikipedia