Solomon on David's Throne 337 offerings. The Lord heard Da'vid's prayer and took away the plague from the land. And on that rock afterward stood the altar of the temple of the Lord on Mount Mo-ri'ah. The rock is standing even to this day, and over it a building called "The Dome of the Rock." Those who visit the place can look upon the very spot where Da'vid built his altar and called upon the Lord. Story Seventeen SOLOMON ON DAVID'S THRONE URING the later years of Da'vid's reign he laid up great treasure of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, for the building of a house to the Lord on Mount Mō-rï'ah. This house was to be called "The Temple," and it was to be made very beautiful, the most beautiful building, and the richest, in all the land. Da'vid had greatly desired to build this house while he was the king of Iş'ra-el, but God said to him: "You have been a man of war, and have fought many battles, and shed much blood. My house shall be built by a man of peace. When you die, your son Sŏl'o-mon shall reign, and he shall have peace, and shall build my house." So Da'vid made ready great store of precious things for the Temple, also stone, and cedar to be used in the building. And Da'vid said to Sŏl'o-mon, his son: "God has promised that there shall be rest and peace to the land while you are king; and the Lord will be with you, and you shall build a house, where God shall live among his people." But Da'vid had other sons who were older than Sŏl'o-mon; and one of these sons, whose name was Ad-o-ni'jah, formed a plan to make himself king. Da'vid was now very old, and he was no longer able to go out of his palace and to be seen among the people. Ad-o-ni'jah gathered his friends; and among them were Jō'ăb, the general of the army, and A-bi'a-thär, one of the two highpriests. They met at a place outside the wall, and had a great feast, and were about to crown Ad-o-ni'jah as king, when word came to Da'vid in the palace. Da'vid, though old and feeble, was still wise. He said, "Let us make Sŏl'o-mon king at once, and thus put an end to the plan of these men. So, at Da'vid's command, they brought out the mule on which no one but the king was allowed to ride, and they placed Sŏl'o-mon upon it, and with the king's guards, and the nobles, and the great men, they brought the young Sŏl'o-mon down to the valley of Gi'hon, south of the city. And Za'dŏk the priest took from the Tabernacle the horn filled with holy oil that was used for anointing or pouring oil on the head of the priests when they were set apart for their work. He poured oil from this horn on the head of Sŏl'o-mon, and then the priests blew the trumpets, and all the people cried aloud, “God save King Sŏl'o-mon." All this time Åd-o-nī'jah, and Jō'ăb, and their friends were not far away, almost in the same valley, feasting and making merry, intending to make Ăd-o-ni'jah king. They heard the sound of trumpets and the shouting of the people. Jo'ăb said, "What is the cause of all this noise and uproar?" A moment later Jon'a-than, the son of A-bi'a-thär, came running in. We read of him as one of the two young men who brought news from Jê-ru'să-lěm to Da'vid at the river Jôr'dan. Jon'a-than said to the men who were feasting: "Our lord, King Da'vid, has made Sŏl'o-mon king, and he has just been anointed in Gi'hon; and all the princes and the heads of the army are with him, and the people are shouting, 'God save King Sol'o-mon!' And Da'vid has sent from his bed a message to Sŏl'o-mon, saying, 'May the Lord make your name greater than my name has been! Blessed be the Lord, who has given me a son to sit this day on my throne!"" When Ad-o-ni'jah and his friends heard this they were filled David's Burial Place 339 with fear. Every man went at once to his house, except Åd-o-ni'jah. He hastened to the altar of the Lord, and knelt before it, and took hold of the horns that were on its corners in front. This was a holy place, and he hoped that there Sol'o-mon might then have mercy on him. And Sol'o-mon said, "If Ad-o-ni'jah will do right and be true to me as the king of Iş'ra-el, no harm shall come to him; but if he does wrong he shall die." Then Ad-o-ni' jah came and bowed down before King Sŏl'o-mon, and promised to obey him, and Sŏl'o-mon said, "Go to your own house." Not long after this Da'vid sent for Sŏl'o- THE TOMB OF DA'VID AS SHOWN TO-DAY IN JE-RU'SÂ-LĚM. mon; and from his bed he gave his last advice to Sŏl'o-mon. And soon after that Da'vid died, an old man, having reigned in all forty years, seven years over the tribe of Ju'dah at He'bron, and thirty-three years over all İş'ra-el in Jê-ru'să-lěm. He was buried in great honor on Mount Zion, and his tomb remained standing for many years. Story Eighteen THE WISE YOUNG KING I Kings iii: 1, to iv: 34; II Chronicles i: 1 to 13. ŎL'O-MON was a very young man, not more than twenty years old, when he became king and bore the heavy care of a great land. For his kingdom was larger than the twelve tribes of Iş'ra-el, from Dăn to Be'er-she'bȧ. On the north he ruled over all Syr'i-å, from Mount Her'mon as far as the great river Eu-phra'teş. On the east, Am'mon and Mo'ab were under his power, and in the south all the land of E'dom, far down into the desert where the İş'ra-el-ites had wandered long before. He had no wars, as Da'vid had before him, but at home and abroad his great realm was at peace as long as Sŏl'o-mon reigned. Soon after Sol'o-mon became king he went to Gib'e-on, a few miles north of Je-ru'să-lěm, where the altar of the Lord stood until the Temple was built. At Gib'e-on Sol'o-mon made offerings and worshipped the Lord God of İş'ra-el. And that night the Lord God came to Sol'o-mon, and spoke to him. The Lord said, "Ask of me whatever you choose, and I will give it to you." And Sŏl'o-mon said to the Lord, "O Lord, thou didst show great kindness to my father, Da'vid; and now thou hast made me king in my father's place. I am only a child, O Lord. I know not how to rule this great people, which is like the dust of the earth in number. Give me, O Lord, I pray thee, wisdom and knowledge, that I may judge this people, and may know how to rule them aright." The Lord was pleased with Sŏl'o-mon's choice, and the Lord said to Sol'o-mon, "Since you have not asked of me long life, nor great riches for yourself, nor victory over your enemies, nor great power, but have asked wisdom and knowledge to judge this people, I have given you wisdom greater than that of any king before you, and greater than that of any king that shall come after you. And How Solomon Showed His Wisdom 341 because you have asked this, I will give you not only wisdom, but also honor and riches. And if you will obey my words, as your father Da'vid obeyed, you shall have long life, and shall rule for many years. Then Sŏl'o-mon awoke and found that it was a dream. But it was a dream that came true, for God gave to Sŏl'o-mon all that he had promised, wisdom, and riches, and honor, and power, and long life. Soon after this Sol'o-mon showed his wisdom. Two women came before nim with two little babies, one dead and the other living. Each of the two women claimed the living child as |