Topical Bible: Jerusalem: Wealth in the Time of Solomon

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Jerusalem, during the reign of King Solomon, is often depicted as a city of unparalleled wealth and splendor. Solomon, the son of King David, ascended to the throne of Israel and established a period of prosperity and peace, which allowed Jerusalem to flourish as a center of commerce, culture, and religious significance.

Solomon's Wisdom and Wealth

Solomon's wisdom, granted by God, was renowned throughout the ancient world. In 1 Kings 3:12-13 , God promises Solomon, "I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal." This divine endowment of wisdom and wealth set the stage for Jerusalem's golden age.

Trade and Commerce

Under Solomon's rule, Jerusalem became a hub of international trade. The king's strategic alliances and trade agreements with neighboring nations, such as Tyre, Egypt, and Sheba, brought immense wealth into the city. 1 Kings 10:22 describes Solomon's fleet: "For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks." These trade expeditions contributed significantly to the city's prosperity.

The Temple and Royal Palace

One of Solomon's most significant achievements was the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, a project that required vast resources and labor. The Temple, described in 1 Kings 6, was adorned with gold and precious stones, symbolizing the wealth and glory of Solomon's reign. Additionally, Solomon's royal palace, detailed in 1 Kings 7, was a testament to the opulence of his kingdom, featuring costly materials and intricate craftsmanship.

Tributes and Gifts

The fame of Solomon's wisdom and wealth attracted dignitaries and monarchs from distant lands, who came to witness his splendor and offer tributes. The visit of the Queen of Sheba, as recorded in 1 Kings 10:1-10 , exemplifies this: "When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions... And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones." Such tributes further enriched Jerusalem and solidified its status as a city of great wealth.

Daily Provisions and Administration

The daily provisions for Solomon's court were immense, reflecting the abundance of his reign. 1 Kings 4:22-23 states, "Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, and goats, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry." This abundance was supported by a well-organized administrative system that ensured the efficient collection of resources from the twelve districts of Israel.

Gold and Silver

The abundance of gold and silver in Jerusalem during Solomon's reign is highlighted in 1 Kings 10:27 : "The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills." This hyperbolic expression underscores the extraordinary wealth that characterized the city at the time.

Jerusalem, in the time of Solomon, stood as a beacon of wealth and divine favor, a testament to the blessings bestowed upon Israel's wise and discerning king.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 10:26,27
And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Solomon
... I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ... but his son Solomon, with all his
wealth, and pomp ... Ever since our Lord's time, if not before it, Solomon has ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon xi solomon.htm

The Fall of Solomon
... for David My servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I ... frank way as his wisdom
and wealth; for what ... the shrines which he built stood till Josiah's time. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the fall of solomon.htm

Solomon's Reign.
... to look back to Sinai and regard Jerusalem as the ... and hopes and aspirations in the
matters of wealth, pleasure and ... To the Jews of that time this book set forth ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xii solomons reign.htm

How Solomon Removed the Ark into the Temple How He Made ...
... whole body of the people to come to Jerusalem was every ... preserve Solomon to be their
king for a long time. ... advanced by God to such glory and wealth, should be ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how solomon removed.htm

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
... grain, that, if it had been closer to Jerusalem, it would ... shops and its woolworks,
speaks of its great wealth, but also ... John 6:1, 23, 21:1). At the time it was ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 3 in galilee at.htm

The Deputation from Jerusalem - the Three Sects of the Pharisees ...
... of Palestine, [1603] notably in Jerusalem, [1604] where ... member, when, for the first
time, he was ... strictest moderation, accumulated neither wealth nor possessions ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ii the deputation from.htm

A Greater than Solomon
... All the wealth of eternity and infinity is His; how ... there the whole edifice, the
entire New Jerusalem"shall be to ... Even in his own time he never commanded the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/a greater than solomon.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... It was this rift which brought wealth to Edom; through it ... in her dominions was needed
for the temple at Jerusalem. ... rule, at all events after the time of Solomon ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem.
... had lavished upon it both Roman wealth and Jewish ... With the overthrow of Jerusalem
the disciples associated the ... told them that He would come the second time. ...
/.../1 the destruction of jerusalem.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... had lavished upon it both Roman wealth and Jewish ... With the overthrow of Jerusalem
the disciples associated the ... told them that He would come the second time. ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 1 the destruction of.htm