Solomon's spiritual failure
Even more extraordinary was Solomon's conduct with regard to Yisrael's spiritual heritage.
In this connection the king's primary function should have been to take all possible measures so that the lofty spiritual mission of the Chosen People should continue under the best possible conditions. Ever since Abraham, and with the message thundered out to Mosheh on Sinai, the torch had been passed from hand to hand, but always in the direct line of descent from Abraham. It was the task of each generation to hand on intact the faith that they had inherited; it was for each political and religious leader to preserve with care the set apart trust committed to him.
Although he committed serious sins, David for his part perfectly performed the role assigned to him by trying to live according to the commandments of the Law by opening his heart, the heart of an inspired poet, to the divine mysteries.
At first Solomon seems to have made up his mind to follow in his father's footsteps. With the building of the Great Tabernacle in Yerusalem he appeared to desire to stay on the traditional path, but it is obvious that directly he decided to stay to build altars and sanctuaries to false gods he had clearly taken a wrong turning; it was impossible to have misunderstood the mission of Yahwism more categorically.
As the result of the admission into Solomon's harem of foreign wives and concubines, who brought with them followers and servants from their native lands, a number of pagan deities found their way into the royal palace. Certainly, most of these women had been asked in marriage for political reasons; it was in this way that in the ancient East, as in the great courts of the West in more recent times, that alliances between countries were made. Obviously the greatest respect had to be affected for the beliefs of the newcomers, and within the enclosure of the palace itself altars were consecrated to the baals worshipped in neighbouring countries.
Even more shocking was the fact that outside the fortifications of Yerusalem Solomon had sanctuaries built in honour of the foreign gods. In these building, the Egyptian, Phoenician, Moabite and Ammonite: women and many others besides, received authorization to organize the worship that they practiced at home.
And by worship must be understood rites, bodies of kohens, flocks destined for sacrifices etc. Thus, to the east of Yerusalem, very probably on one of the slopes of the Mount of Olives, a temple in honour of Chemosh, the god of Moab, was erected, which appeared as an act of defiance to the Great Tabernacle of YAHWEH from which it was separated merely by the Kidron ravine. On a nearby hill, Solomon ordered other sanctuaries to be built: to Astarte, 'the goddess of the Sidonians', and to Milcom, 'the Ammonite abomination'. Hitherto, the leaders of the people of YAHWEH had always fought obstinately against the insidious invasion of idols which, in great secrecy, were frequently worshipped in the tents of the shepherds in the wilderness or later, even in an inner room in a farm. But so far it had never been known for a king to agree so liberally to the official installation of pagan deities in the very heart of the land of YAHWEH. 3 Had Solomon forgotten that YAHWEH was a YAHWEH who was a 'jealous' YAHWEH, who meant to be worshipped to the exclusion of all others? 'You shall have no gods except me' (Shemoth 20:3), the Law was explicit on the subject.
It must be admitted that with the continual arrival of all these foreigners -architects and decorators from Tyre, Egyptian or Asian caravaneers, sailors with their home port in the Yisraelite harbours of the Mediterranean or the Red Sea, more or less permanent establishments of natives of neighbouring countries -the spiritual map of the land of Canaan was soon profoundly modified. Friendly relations were established between these newcomers and the Yisraelites, and it must not be forgotten that in the ancient East religions were propagated quite often through travelers, especially when they belonged to a higher form of civilization. For long the Yisraelites preserved in the bottom of their hearts an invincible attraction for idols. Thus their leaders dealt harshly with the idols that they might be tempted to adore: 'You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything…you shall not bow down to them or serve them' (Shemoth 20:4).
And now on the other side of the deep ravine on which stood the Great Tabernacle of YAHWEH Solomon raised sanctuaries to idols. It must be clearly recognized, however, that Solomon does not appear to have taken part personally in the rites organized for his foreign wives. Nevertheless, the devout and rigorist Yahwists had good grounds for being scandalized at instances of his regrettable, not to say sacrilegious, concessions.
Was Solomon in any position to act otherwise? Actually it would have been very difficult in the circumstances to have offended his many fathers-in-law often his allies or his tributaries -by depriving their daughters of their traditional worship. The erection of pagan temples all round the city of David appears, on a final analysis, as one of the logical consequences of Yisrael's new international policy.
The fervent followers of YAHWEH were not to be satisfied by reasons of this kind. And they felt very keenly the insult done to the YAHWEH of Sinai, by the very man who ought to have acted as a jealous defender of the Law.
There can be no doubt that at this time Solomon's mind was entirely taken up with the material cares of his vast enterprises. He was wholly concerned to show by his ostentatious luxury the measure of his proud power. His pursuit of wealth lost all restraint.
On occasion, of course, he would officiate before the Great Tabernacle or within the tabernacle with unequalled ritual pomp. Preceded by his suite bearing the celebrated golden shields he went up to the house of YAHWEH in procession. In the presence of the assembled people he proceeded with majesty to offer the sacrifices before the altar of holocausts. The Yisraelites could not hide their admiration at the sight of these imposing ceremonies. Yet certain passages of the Scripture give the impression that they were not moved by genuine, deep spiritual emotion. Quite certainly David's appearances before the Ark, dancing, lyre in hand, singing, improvising, abandoning himself to the promptings of his soul, were far different; very different, too, were the sacrifices offered by David on the often primitive altars; on these occasions the king could be heard speaking impetuously to YAHWEH, expressing his joy lyrically and all his trust, gratitude and hope, or else his repentance, punctuated with tears or his fervent prayers. Solomon's ceremonies, on the other hand, reveal to us a cold, remote, formal personage, a prince playing his part with a calmness that sometimes chills our hearts.
During Solomon's reign the spiritual evolution of the People of YAHWEH came to a halt. With David, enthusiastic and dynamic, there is a clear impression of the continual progress of Yahwism towards its moral and spiritual ideal. With Solomon the situation was obviously very different; ground was lost which seemed to herald a serious regression. The spiritual mission of the People of YAHWEH was tragically compromised. The ostentatious luxury of Solomon's palace was a sure sign of what was in store for the Twelve Tribes. The Law of Mosheh, the internal strength of Yisrael's soul, was forgotten. Solomon, avid for human honour, had thought only for externals.
The distress in certain spiritual circles capable of grasping the real meaning of this spiritual collapse may be imagined; it was a warning of the political collapse to come.
The reader might well think that the building of the Great Tabernacle of YAHWEH would have provoked the piety of Solomon's contemporaries. Logically, it would appear that the people should have shown gratitude to the king who, by the erection of this imposing tabernacle, had wished to honour the YAHWEH who was the defender of the sons of David. Such an architectural achievement could only call down fresh blessings from YAHWEH on HIS people. And so, the Yisraelites, who were very spiritual, ought to have shown their joy, their gratitude and complete satisfaction before the Great Tabernacle put up to the honour of the YAHWEH of Sinai.
In fact, the Yisraelites do not appear to have mistaken the king's real feelings; he had indeed raised a Great Tabernacle to YAHWEH but he desired more especially to build a monument to his own honour. The Great Tabernacle of YAHWEH certainly, but also the Great Tabernacle of Solomon.
Two trends of opinion manifested their opposition to the building of the Great Tabernacle: a spiritual elite (the nabis or 'prophets') and, far more serious, a popular movement inspired by stubborn, revengeful hate for the king's architectural folly.
The nabis declared that they were opposed in principle to the radical changes in liturgical arrangements. Referring to the history of Yisrael these faithful followers of YAHWEH saw that HE was never so close to HIS people as during their periods of poverty -at the time of Abraham, during the 'forty years' in the wilderness with Mosheh, or during the early part of that difficult period when the Twelve Tribes were settling in the Promised Land. They liked to remember the centuries of nomadic pastoral life. Now Yisrael was established and had evolved to a settled way of life; that they could accept. But this gave not the slightest authority for all the modifications in the arrangements for worship, especially since, in effecting them, Solomon did not hesitate to copy pagan rites. In any case, in the eyes of these traditionalists (no doubt they were rather behind the times), the Great Tabernacle of Yerusalem appeared as a real aberration; by this servile acceptance of the architectural ideas of the neighbouring countries they felt that there was a danger of falling away from the old belief of the shepherds of the plains; the whole spiritual and national ideal was in jeopardy. Their fathers had never prayed or offered their sacrifices before a stone tabernacle. The argument may appear to us narrow minded both in its conclusions and its motives, but it is easy to understand the violent reaction of these primitive and noble souls who objected to this use of wealth, ostensibly in the interests of belief, but in reality for the human glorification of a king.
On the other hand it would hardly have been possible for these ordinary people, torn from their homes and incorporated in the forced labour squads, to show any great love for a building, even if it was a tabernacle, at which they had been obliged to labour for seven long years under the lash and the stave of the overseer. They had terrible memories of all these works. In the memories of these unfortunate people the terracing of the Great Tabernacle esplanade could easily be confused with digging the foundations of the palace or with building the royal stables. Whatever the site at which they had worked their memory of it was agonizing.
2 Solomon's eldest son, who succeeded him on the throne, was the son of a Ammonite woman (a tribe established to the east of the Yarden, to the north (the Dead Sea).
3 Here again Solomon was only following the oriental custom of his times. In many countries where a foreign colony settled for commercial reasons, the personnel of the agency were allowed to erect a temple to one of its national gods. Thus the Egyptians living at Byblos, where their officials were buying wood from Lebanon, were allowed to build a tabernacle to the goddess Hathor. In return the Phoenicians who had settled at Pi- Rameses in the Delta were given every facility to build a temple to their goddess Astarte.
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Solomon The Magnificent Index Solomon Sitemap Scripture History Through the Ages Solomon The Historian RADIANT DAWN Solomon's Wisdom SOLOMON IN ALL HIS HONOR David's role in building the Temple Dates of the building of the Temple Division of the Temple The Ark of the Covenant The most Kodesh Place Dedication of the Temple SOLOMON Prince of Peace SOLOMON THE TRADER Solomon's Ophir expedition The queen of Sheba LITERARY ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON First historical works of the Hebrews What did Solomon write THE SHADES OF NIGHT Political and social failure Solomon's spiritual failure The moral failure of Solomon CONCLUSION of Solomon