Bible & Christianity › Kings & prophets › Solomon's Temple (the First Temple)
King Solomon
reigned c. 970–931 BC· Person· People
Debated by scholarsHistorians and scholars disagree.
Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba, is remembered in the Bible for his wisdom, wealth and Temple, and in the end his idolatry.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
1 Kings 1–11 tells how Solomon asks God for wisdom rather than riches, then shows it by proposing to cut a disputed baby in two (1 Kings 3). He builds the Temple and a palace, trades with Tyre and Arabia, and receives the Queen of Sheba. He has 700 wives and 300 concubines (11:3), some of whom turn his heart to other gods. His forced labor and taxes breed resentment.
Why it matters
He gave Israel its Temple and its wisdom tradition, and his overreach set up the split of the kingdom right after his death.
Life, legacy and sources
No outside text names Solomon. City gates at Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer have been credited to him (1 Kings 9:15), but some archaeologists redate them a century later. His reign is known from 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles.
Questions and debates
Was Solomon a rich regional ruler, as 1 Kings says, or a modest hill-country king later glorified? The 'low chronology' debate over dating his buildings is unresolved.
Inside this (1)
Connections (4)
▸King David was the father of King SolomonMostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Solomon was David's son by Bathsheba, the wife David took after arranging her husband's death. Though not the eldest son, he was named heir when Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan intervened as David lay dying, and was anointed at the Gihon spring (1 Kings 1).
When and where
Jerusalem, about 970 BC by biblical chronology (2 Samuel 12:24; 1 Kings 1–2).
How do we know?
Biblical record only. The Tel Dan Stele confirms that David's dynasty ruled Judah, consistent with his descendants succeeding him, but names neither king.
Questions and debates
Scholars call 1 Kings 1–2 part of a 'Succession Narrative'; some read it as royal spin covering a palace coup against the elder brother Adonijah.
▸King Solomon built Solomon's Temple (the First Temple)Mostly agreed by scholars
The connection
David had wanted to build a house for God, but 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 22 say the task fell to his son. Solomon used Phoenician cedar, craftsmen from Tyre and thousands of conscripted laborers, finished in seven years, and dedicated it with a long prayer (1 Kings 8).
When and where
Jerusalem, begun in Solomon's fourth year, about 966 BC by traditional dating, and finished seven years later (1 Kings 6:1, 38).
How do we know?
No direct remains. The Temple's three-room layout matches excavated temples in Syria and Turkey (Ain Dara, Tell Tayinat), supporting an Iron Age design. Its builder is known only from the Bible.
Questions and debates
Did Solomon build it as described, or did later kings enlarge a modest royal chapel? Archaeologists cannot dig the site to check.
▸King Solomon is traditionally credited with two of Wisdom books: Job, Proverbs, EcclesiastesDebated by scholars
The connection
1 Kings 4:32 says Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. So Proverbs opens 'The proverbs of Solomon', and Ecclesiastes speaks as 'son of David, king in Jerusalem'. Job has no link to him; Jewish tradition gave it other authors. His name made wisdom a royal art.
When and where
Credited to Solomon's court, about 950 BC; most scholars place the books' writing between about 700 and 250 BC.
How do we know?
The credits are in the texts themselves. But Proverbs 25:1 says Hezekiah's scribes copied some, and chapters 30–31 credit Agur and Lemuel, showing several hands.
Questions and debates
Whether any proverbs truly go back to Solomon is unknowable. Jewish tradition says he wrote Song of Songs in youth, Proverbs in midlife, Ecclesiastes in old age.
▸King Solomon left heavy taxes that led to Kingdom splits: Israel (north) and Judah (south)Mostly agreed by scholars
The connection
To pay for the Temple, palaces and chariot cities, Solomon split Israel into twelve tax districts and drafted labor gangs, a burden felt heavily in the north. When his son Rehoboam refused relief, the northern tribes cried 'To your tents, O Israel!' (1 Kings 12:16) and broke away. 1 Kings also blames Solomon's idolatry.
When and where
Shechem, about 931 BC, where Rehoboam went to be confirmed as king; Jeroboam, once Solomon's labor overseer, led the revolt.
How do we know?
1 Kings 11–12 gives both economic and religious causes. Outside sources confirm two separate kingdoms by the 9th century BC.
Questions and debates
How heavy Solomon's taxes really were is unknown; archaeologists debate whether his state could even run the administration 1 Kings describes.