(950–850 BC)
The reign of King Solomon is much disputed in the histories of time; much like Alexander the Great, Solomon was a man of war, and a man of pleasure. Solomon was to said to have hundreds of wives and concubines during his reign. His reign was one of wealth and power and he had secured supreme dominance over the throne of Israel. Some paint Solomon as an evil war monger and tyrant like Alexander and Gaius Caesar; however, like all kings know, there is a price to the road of glory.
Like Alexander, Solomon was a high priest as well as a king. He believed in taking care of the people and having faith in God to provide and secure successful dominion over his enemies. Since the wealth of the kingdom was great, he was extremely generous to the people and viewed 131
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almost as a God king to the people of Israel. A most famous note of the reign of Solomon is the creation of the temple of God or the Temple of Solomon. Solomon spent much of his free time there pondering on philosophical issues, judgments of the people, and helping the poor.
His wives would accompany him many times and there is much envy for those that were allowed to enter the temple with his queens and trusted.
This is the stem from many of the rumors of evil worship and other cult like customs that are tied to the Temple of Solomon.
The reign of Solomon saw great success to the people, and for the first time in many years the peace of King David held and was maintained through the rule of Solomon. After the death of Solomon the empire broke into war and the kingdom of Israel broke into two main divisions, the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Remember that the people of Israel were warned what would happen if they sought the election of king over the people. Samuel was wise and saw that the surrounding states and lands were always at war with themselves and each other. Over time he knew eventually that the power struggle to gain the throne would cause civil war and division among the people.