Solomon

The third and last king of the united kingdom of Israel, reigning from 970 to 930 BC. He was the son of David and Bathsheba and was well-known for his great wisdom. While he was king, Israel experienced a golden age. He developed a strong army and maintained peace with the countries around him.

He is most remembered for the beautiful temple to God that he commissioned, based on plans of his father, King David. It took seven years to build. It replaced the tabernacle, where the people had worshipped for about four hundred years.

Solomon started his reign with great promise. He asked God for wisdom, and God gave him his request. He wrote some of the psalms, many of the proverbs, and was believed to have written the books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. However, as Solomon grew older, he married many foreign wives and began to worship their gods. So, God promised to take away part of the kingdom from Solomon’s family line after Solomon’s death.