“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore.  And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.  For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all nations round about.”  “And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.”  The great power and wealth of the Jewish court at this period are historically verified by the traditions still extant among the Arabs of Solomon’s superhuman splendor.

The story (1 Kings iii. 5) of Solomon’s dream, in which he chose an understanding heart and wisdom, rather than riches and honor, reminds us of the choice of Hercules.  It is not unlikely that he had such a dream, it is quite probable that he always preferred wisdom to anything else, and it is certain that his wisdom came from God.  This is the only connection we can trace between the dream and its fulfilment.

Solomon inaugurated a new policy by entering into alliances and making treaties with his powerful neighbors.  He formed an alliance with the king of Egypt, and married his daughter.  He also made a treaty of commerce and friendship with the king of Tyre on the north, and procured from him cedar with which to build the Temple and his own palace.  He received an embassy also from the queen of Sheba, who resided in the south of Arabia.  By means of the Tyrian ships he traded to the west as far as the coasts of Spain and Africa, and his own vessels made a coasting voyage of three years’ duration to Tarshish, from which they brought ivory, gold, silver, apes, and peacocks.  This voyage seems to have been through the Red Sea to India.[359] He also traded in Asia, overland, with caravans.  And for their accommodation and defence he built Tadmor in the desert (afterward called Palmyra), as a great stopping-place.  This city in later days became famous as the capital of Zenobia, and the remains of the Temple of the Sun, standing by itself in the midst of the Great Desert, are among the most interesting ruins in the world.[360]

The great work of Solomon was building the Temple at Jerusalem in the year B.C. 1005.  This Temple was destroyed, and rebuilt by Nehemiah B.C. 445.  It was rebuilt by Herod B.C. 17.  Little remains from the time of Solomon, except some stones in the walls of the substructions; and the mosque of Omar now stands on the old foundation.  No building of antiquity so much resembles the Temple of Solomon as the palace of Darius at Persepolis.  In both buildings the porch opened into the large hall, both had small chambers on the side, square masses on both sides of the porch, and the same form of pillars.  The parts of Solomon’s Temple were, first, a porch thirty feet wide and fifteen feet deep; second a large hall sixty by thirty; and then the holy of