Solomon’s Building Enterprise.  The greatest of all his building accomplishments was the temple.  It is almost impossible to conceive of its magnificence.  According to the most modern computation the precious materials, such as gold with which it was embellished, amounted to something like six hundred million dollars.  Next in importance was his palace, which in size and time of construction surpassed that of the temple.  This palace consisted of several halls, the chief of which were:  The Forest of Lebanon, the Hall of Pillars, and the Hall of Judgment.  Near the palace was the residence of the king himself and his Egyptian Queen-a house that would compare well with the royal palaces of her native land.  Indeed all Moriah and the ground about its base were covered with immense structures.

Besides the temple, palace and other great buildings at the capitol, Solomon undertook various other great building enterprises.  He built many great cities not only in the territory of ancient Palestine but in his now extended empire.  The most famous of these were Tadmor or Palmyra and Baalath, or Baalbic.  The former built at an oasis of the Syrian desert seems to have been a sort of trade emporium for the traders of Syria and the Euphrates to exchange wares with the merchants of Egypt.  The latter was near Lebanon and was chiefly notable for its temple of the sun which was one of the finest edifices of Syria.

It would be difficult to put too high a value upon the influence wrought by these vast building enterprises.  It can hardly be doubted that the building of the temple was the most important single event of the period of the United Kingdom.  From this time on Israel ceased to look back to Sinai and regard Jerusalem as the dwelling place of Jehovah.  Its priesthood and services became the support of all the coming kings.  The prophets proclaimed their immortal messages from its sacred precincts and through it was nurtured the pure religion of Jehovah.

Solomon’s Writings.  During this period as in the previous one literary culture made a great advance.  Solomon, like David his father, possessed extraordinary literary gifts and as a writer had large influence.  Three books of the Scripture are ascribed to him. (1) The Book of Proverbs.  There is no reason to believe, however, that he wrote all of them.  It is a collection of proverbs or rather several collections.  Some were written by Solomon, collected by him from the wise sayings of others and still others were added collections of later times. (2) Ecclesiastes.  The purpose of this book seems to be to show the result of successful worldliness and self-gratification compared with a life of godliness.  It is intended to show that the realization of all one’s aim and hopes and aspirations in the matters of wealth, pleasure and honor will not bring satisfaction to the heart. (3) The Song of Solomon.  To the Jews of that time this book set forth the whole of the history of Israel; to the Christian it sets forth the fullness of love that unites the believer and his Savior as bride and bridegroom; to all the world it is a call to cast out those unworthy ideals and monstrous practices that threaten to undermine society and the home.