Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 3.djvu/43

 SOLOMON 19 enemies of Israel on every side. From the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates, and from the Red Sea to the northern bounds of Syria, the great son of David held sway, and thus was God's ancient promise to Abraham fulfilled (Gen xv 18.) Solomon's government was Asiatic, that is it was an absolutism, marked by luxury, display, and taxation so heavy as to amount almost to oppression. Its luxuriousness and display are illustrated by his seraglio, which included seven hundred wives (i Kings xi. 3) ; and its despotic nature is seen in such acts as his summary and severe punishment of Adonijah, Joab, and Abiathar. For the first time in the history of Israel, alliances were entered into with other nations. We have already seen how Solomon had married an Egyptian princess. Then he made a treaty with his neighbor on the Mediterranean coast, Hiram, king of Tyre, who in exchange for corn agreed to supply Solomon with timber for building the Temple and his own magnificent palace. The tim- ber was floated down from Tyre to Joppa whence it was transported to Jeru- salem or wherever needed. At peace with surrounding nations, and with a thoroughly systematized and centralized government, Solomon sat on his throne of ivory and gold and looked around on his people, to see an astonishing increase of population and a tremen- dous growth in business and wealth, especially during the first half of his reign. Entering his court and his household, one saw all things in keeping with his Asiatic government : magnificent palaces, surrounded by beautiful gardens ; multitudes of slaves, each one having his work and doing it with swiftness and precision ; troops of courtiers, and a harem of seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Around his gorgeous throne stood his officers and attend- ants, in his stables were forty thousand horses, and chariots in proportion. Whenever he went forth before his people it was to dazzle them with his splen- dor. But, fond as he was of display and of women, he nevertheless did not neglect the business of his kingdom, a large part of each day being spent either in his throne-room with his officials, or superintending his great public and pri- vate works. Besides this no inconsiderable part of his time in his home was given to study, meditation, and writing. The king was one of the greatest builders of the ages. Among the struct- ures erected by him, easily first in splendor was the Temple. In Solomon's Tem- ple lies Solomon's true greatness and glory rather than in his songs, his proverbs, his riches, and his outward splendor. It was the bud whose blooming was in Christ and Christianity. Around it was to be preserved the people chosen to save the true knowledge of their God for the human race and produce the human nature of Jesus Christ, humanity's incarnate God and Saviour. The conception of a fitting, permanent, earthly abode for Jehovah, and for the ark and the sacred symbols therein, was David's. He it was who took the ark to Jerusalem and placed it in a temporary tabernacle or tent while he collected money and materials for a great shrine. To aid him in his great work David had already secured the friendship of Hiram, king of Tyre, with whom, as