Third King of the United Kingdom of Israel, Famed for Wisdom
The Hebrew Bible records that Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba, and on taking the throne asked God for "a discerning heart to distinguish right from wrong" rather than wealth or power, so that God granted him riches and honor besides. He built the first temple in Jewish history in Jerusalem, and much of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs is traditionally ascribed to him. In his later years, for taking many foreign wives and worshipping their gods, the Bible records that he sowed the seeds of Israel’s later division.
Two women came before him, each with a baby, each claiming the other’s child had died and hers still lived, at an impasse. Solomon ordered, "cut the living child in two and give half to each." The true mother would rather give up her claim than see the child killed, and by this Solomon discerned the truth — "the wisdom of Solomon" has been a byword for just judgment ever since.
Hearing of Solomon’s fame for wisdom, the Queen of Sheba came from afar bearing spices, gold, and jewels, and tested him with hard questions, and Solomon "answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain." The Queen of Sheba’s visit has its own records and elaborations in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions — an example of narrative shared across the three faiths.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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