1 Kings 10

CHAPTER EIGHT

SOLOMON IN ALL OF HIS GLORY

1 Kings 9:10 to 1 Kings 10:29

Jesus once referred to Solomon in all of his glory, and no section of Kings illustrates better than 1 Kings 9:10 to 1 Kings 10:29 the grandeur of his reign. Some of the matters related here have been previously mentioned, and others are introduced here for the first time. In general these details underscore the wisdom of Solomon’s rule and the subsequent material blessing poured out upon the kingdom from the Lord. Solomon’s was surely the most glorious kingdom the world had yet seen, not because it was the largest or even the most prosperous, but because of the wisdom of its king and the perfection of its government.[244]

[244] Whitcomb, STE, p. 15.

REVIEW OF CHAPTER EIGHT

I. FACTS TO MASTER

A. The time it took Solomon to build the Temple and his palace (1 Kings 9:10).

B. The location of the following fortress cities:

1. Hazor

2. Beth-horon

3. Megiddo

4. Baalath

5. Gezer

6. Tamar

C. How Solomon acquired the city of Gezer (1 Kings 9:16).

D. The names of the native people pressed into slave labor (1 Kings 9:20).

E. The southern port used by Solomon’s navy (1 Kings 9:26).

F. Distant ports from which exotic goods were secured (1 Kings 9:28; 1 Kings 10:22).

G. The spot from which a curious queen came to interrogate Solomon (1 Kings 10:1).

H. The objects made by Solomon and placed in the house of the forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 10:17).

I. The number of Solomon’s chariots and horses (1 Kings 10:26).

II. QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Why did Solomon give Hiram twenty cities? 1 Kings 9:11

2. Did Solomon force Israelites into slave work? See 1 Kings 9:22; 1 Kings 5:13.

3. Why did Solomon build a special house for Pharaoh’s daughter? 1 Kings 9:24

4. Did Solomon have a navy on the Mediterranean as well as the Red Sea?

5. Where was Ophir?

6. In what way did Hiram help Solomon in his naval enterprise? Why?

7. What is behind the visit of the queen of Sheba? What is the point in Jesus-’ reference to this queen? Matthew 12:42

8. What was there about Solomon’s court and land that particularly impressed the queen of Sheba?

9. What are the possible symbolic significances of the various features of Solomon’s throne? 1 Kings 10:18-20

10. Describe Solomon’s commercial dealing in horses and chariots. 1 Kings 10:28-29

THE ROYAL DEPARTURE FROM THE DIVINE STANDARD

The Divine Standard

The Reign of Solomon

He shall not multiply bones to himself Deuteronomy 17:16

And Solomon bad four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.

1 Kings 5:26; 2 Chronicles 9:25

He shall not multiply wives to himself. Deuteronomy 17:17

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart. 1 Kings 11:3

He shall not multiply to himself silver and gold, Deuteronomy 17:17

And the king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones.

2 Chronicles 1:15

ASHTARETH

The Ashtareth was the Principal Sematic goddess. She was most prevalent among the Sidonians, although she was also prominent among the Phoenicians. She was mainly a fertility goddess; however, she also represented war and love.

HADAD

This was the name of a Syrian deity meaning -the Thunderer-’ who was the Amorite equivalent of the god of the storms Baal (So Ras Shamra texts). It is also written Adad, Adda, and Addu. A Hadad temple at Aleppo is known. Because of his title of a storm-god, he is usually pictured on the back of a bull with forked-lightning in his hands.

References: Zechariah 12:11

MOLECH or MOLOCH

The chief god of the Ammonites. It was constructed of brass, with a calf’s head. They honored it by the sacrifice of children, in which they were caused to pass through or/ into the fire. Palestinian excavations have uncovered evidences of infant skeletons in burial places around heathen shrines. Ammonites revered Molech as a protecting father.

BAAL-BERITH

He was also called El-Berith. It literally means god of the covenant. Baal worship was so prominent that most settlements had their local Baal.

1 Kings 10:1-13

II. THE RECOGNITION OF SOLOMON’S GLORY

(1 Kings 10:1-13)

**TRANSLATION

(1) When the queen of Sheba continued to hear the report of Solomon in relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with riddles. (2) And she came to Jerusalem with a very heavy host, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came unto Solomon, she spoke unto him all which was within her heart. (3) And Solomon related to her all of her matters. Nothing was hidden from the king which he did not relate to her. (4) When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, (5) the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cup-bearers, and his ascent**[270]** by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit within her. (6) And she said unto the king, True was the word which I heard in my land concerning your words and your wisdom. (7) But I did not believe the words until I came and my eyes saw, and behold the half was not told me; with respect to wisdom and prosperity you have exceeded the report which I heard. (8) Happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand before you continually, hearing your wisdom. (9) May the LORD your God be blessed who delighted in you to set you upon the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever and made you king to execute justice and righteousness. (1) And she gave the king a hundred twenty talents of gold and exceeding much spices and precious stones. There never came again an abundance of spices like those which the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon. (11) And also the fleet of Hiram which carried gold from Ophir brought in from Ophir very great quantities of almug trees and precious stones. (12) And the king made the almug trees into pillars for the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and harps and psalteries for singers. Such almug trees have not come in again, nor have they been seen to this day. (13) And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desire which she asked, besides that which he gave her as the hand of King Solomon. And she turned and went to her land, she and her servants.**

[270] The text here literally reads his burnt offering (Heb. -olatho), but Chronicles has his ascent (Heb. -aliyatho).

COMMENTS

In 1 Kings 10:1-13 the author narrates one of the results produced by the wide-ranging voyages of Solomon’s fleet. The fame of this king and news of his great undertakings were widely diffused and stirred great wonder throughout the ancient world. Among others, an incredulous queen of Arabia came to inspect first hand the marvels of Solomon’s city and court. The prediction made in Solomon’s dedicatory prayer (1 Kings 8:42) was thereby fulfilled.

Sheba, located in southern Arabia, was one of a number of advanced states in that region contemporary with the Hebrew monarchy. These kingdoms were essentially trading empires. Costly luxury commodities from India and East Africa along with incense produced locally would move through Sheba northward via the Arabian oases of Mecca, Medina and Teima to such distribution points as Damascus in the north and Gaza in the west. More than mere curiosity moved this queen to head for Jerusalem. The visit of the queen of Sheba was probably a trade mission rendered necessary by the Hebrew control of the major land routes to the north and by the economic threat to south Arabian trade with India and East Africa posed by Solomon’s naval enterprise. The precise identity of the queen of Sheba has not yet been ascertained. It is known, however, that queens were quite prominent in the northern part of the Arabian peninsula, and there is absolutely no basis for thinking of the queen of Sheba as a fictional character invented by the author of Kings.[271]

[271] See Abbot, AJSL, LVIII (1946), 1ff. A South Arabian clay stamp used to seal cargo boxes has also been discovered in Palestine. This discovery would be a witness to the trade agreement between Israel and South Arabia in the days of Solomon. See Free, ABH, p. 174.

The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame through tradersperhaps Solomon’s own sailorswho had been to Jerusalem and seen the magnificence of the city. She was informed that Solomon’s greatness was due to his relationship with the God of Israel and part of her reason for going to Jerusalem was to test the king by means of enigmatic riddles in order to see for herself if he had supernatural wisdom (1 Kings 10:1). Such tests of practical sagacity were part of the diplomatic encounters of that time. A king’s wit and poetic skill were evidence of the extent to which he was conversant with affairs and culture in the world of his day.[272] Josephus records a similar battle of wits between Solomon and Hiram.[273]

[272] Gray, OTL, p. 241. [273] Ant., VIII, 5.3.

The journey to Jerusalem from Shebaa trip of some fifteen hundred mileswas no small undertaking in that day. The queen brought with her a very heavy force or host which included no doubt an armed escort and court attendants, as well as camels bearing spices, gold and precious stones to be bestowed upon her host. When she reached Jerusalem, the queen spoke to Solomon all that was in her heart (1 Kings 10:2), and the king was able to answer appropriately all the questions which were put to him (1 Kings 10:3). The queen was quite impressed with the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built for himself (1 Kings 10:4). She was amazed as she watched Solomon’s hundreds of servants gathered about the bountiful tables which the king spread for them. The rich and costly apparel of Solomon’s personal attendants and his cupbearers (cf. 2 Chronicles 9:4) particularly caught her eye. The queen also took note of the ascent or private entrance by which the king entered the Temple (cf. 2 Kings 16:18) which must have been a work of architectural magnificence.[274] The reaction of the queen to all the grandeur of Solomon’s court is expressed in the words and there was no more spirit in her, i.e., she was beside herself with amazement.

[274] The phrase his ascent has caused considerable speculation. Some think it may have been an arched bridge or viaduct over the Tyropoeon Valley between Mt. Zion and the western wall of the Temple area. It has been estimated that such a bridge would have been at least three hundred fifty feet long and a hundred thirty feet in altitude. Others, however, think the reference is not to some architectural achievement, but rather to the splendid retinue which accompanied Solomon on his visits to the Temple.

The queen was not reluctant to express her feelings and reactions to Solomon. All that she had heard concerning his words and wisdom had proved to be true (1 Kings 10:6). While she had been incredulous prior to making her journey to Jerusalem, she now was of the opinion that the wisdom and prosperity of Solomon far exceeded any report which had come to her ears (1 Kings 10:7). How happy must be those servants who were part of this glorious court! (1 Kings 10:8).

The queen rightly discerned that Solomon’s prosperity and sagacity came from the Lord, the God of Israel, and thus in 1 Kings 10:9 she directed her praise heavenward. The Lord delighted in Solomon and set him upon the throne of Israel because He loved Israel and wished a king to rule over His people who would execute justice and righteousness. Thus an interesting thought is attributed to the queen: the choice of Solomon was an indication of the extent of God’s love for Israel. On the basis of 1 Kings 10:9 and the allusion to the queen of Sheba in Matthew 12:42, it has been concluded that the queen became a convert to the religion of Israel. However, it should be noted that she speaks here of the Lord your God. Also it is noteworthy that no record is made that she gave any of her gifts to the Temple; they all were given to King Solomon. One who is polytheist may recognize the absolute authority of a god of another people in another place.

The state visit was concluded with an exchange of gifts. For her part, the queen gave Solomon a hundred twenty talents of gold,[275] a vast amount of spices, and precious stones (1 Kings 10:10). Solomon made appropriate gifts to the queen in return for her generosity and in addition gave her whatever she asked (1 Kings 10:13). This might well include a satisfactory trade agreement. Ethiopian Christians take these words as a basis for their belief that the queen bore a son by SolomonMelimelek by namefrom whom the recent monarchs of Ethiopia claimed to derive their descent.

[275] According to the Berkeley Version the value of this gold would be about $3,500,000.

The account of the gifts given to Solomon by the queen of Sheba causes the author to digress in 1 Kings 10:11-12 to relate other importations during this reign. From the fleet of Hiram,[276] Solomon received a great quantity of gold from Ophir as well as precious stones and almug trees (1 Kings 10:11). On the location of Ophir, see comments on 1 Kings 9:28. The precise identification of the almug tree depends on the view one has of the location of Ophir. From this precious wood Solomon constructed pillars (lit., props, supports) and stairs (2 Chronicles 9:11). Taking both the Chronicles and Kings passages into account, Keil suggests that it was a flight of steps or staircase with banisters which was constructed. Also from this precious almug wood various types of stringed musical instruments were constructed for use by the Temple singers. The Chronicler implies that these musical instruments marked an innovation. Apparently it was only during the reign of Solomon that almug wood was imported to Israel (1 Kings 10:12).

[276] It is difficult to determine whether this fleet is the same as that mentioned in 1 Kings 9:26-28. Stieglitz (MAAI, p. 151) feels they are separate fleets, although he suggests the two fleets may have sailed together on occasion (p. 154).

1 Kings 10:14-21

III. INDICATIONS OF SOLOMON’S GLORY 10:14-29

The account of the visit of the queen of Sheba is followed by a description of Solomon’s revenues, his throne, and various other particulars of his wealth and magnificence. These notices are a continuation of 1 Kings 9:23-28 from which they have been separated by the queen of Sheba narrative. There is no inkling of criticism in these notices. On the contrary, it was probably the intent of the author to emphasize the fulfillment of the promise to Solomon (1 Kings 3:13) that he would be given riches and honor in addition to wisdom.

In this section the author discusses (1) Solomon’s enormous gold revenues (1 Kings 10:14-21); and (2) his wealth in substance other than gold, particularly in silver (1 Kings 10:22-29).

A. SOLOMON’S WEALTH IN GOLD 10:14-21

**TRANSLATION

(14) Now the weight of the gold which was brought to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, (15) besides that which came from the merchants and the commerce of the caravaneers and of all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land. (16) And King Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold, six hundred shekels of gold went into one shield. (17) And three hundred shields of beaten gold with three minas of gold going into each shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. (18) And the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with fine gold. (19) The throne had six steps, and a rounded head on its hinder part, and arms on both sides of the seat with two lions standing beside the arms. (20) And twelve lions stood there upon the six steps on either side. There was not the like made in any kingdom. (21) And the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver, it was of no account in the days of Solomon.

COMMENTS**

In one year[277]probably the year of the queen’s visitthe gold revenues of Solomon weighed 666 talents ($20,000,000 BV). The correspondence with the number of the beast in Revelation 13:18 is probably not accidental. This enormous income is indicative of Solomon’s worldliness and was no doubt the turning point in his estrangement from God. From this point on the story of Solomon is one of steady declension. The 666 talents include the receipts from all sourcestaxes, tribute, and voyageswith the exception noted in 1 Kings 10:15.

[277] The text does not necessarily imply that this income was annual. It may be interpreted as referring to the total income in Solomon’s most prosperous year.

Solomon also received vast annual revenues from caravaneers who passed through his territory, the Arabian kings[278] who were subject to him. The governors of the land may refer to the twelve officers mentioned in chapter 4 who administered the kingdom. On the other hand, these governors may have been vassal princes conquered by David. The contributions mentioned in 1 Kings 10:15 may have been in kind, i.e., produce or animals or goods, and this would explain why they are distinguished from the gold revenues mentioned in 1 Kings 10:14.

[278] The text of Kings literally says kings of the mingled peoples (Heb. ha-’erebh); Chronicles reads kings of Arabia (Heb. -arabh). On either reading, the sheiks of the nomad tribes in parts of Arabia are meant.

From his enormous gold treasures Solomon made two hundred bucklers (Heb. tsinnaha large oblong shield which covered the entire person) of beaten gold. It cannot be determined whether these bucklers were of solid gold, or simply were plated with gold.[279] The gold used in this project amounted to six hundred shekels (1 Kings 10:16) in which case the weight would be about nine pounds per buckler.[280] In addition, Solomon made three hundred of the smaller shields (Heb. magen) such as soldiers used in hand-to-hand combat. These golden shields were carried by the royal bodyguard on special occasions (cf. 1 Kings 14:27). Each of these shields contained three minas (three hundred shekels according to 2 Chronicles 9:16) of gold, half of the amount contained in the larger bucklers. When not in use during royal ceremonies these shields were suspended from the walls of the house of the forest of Lebanon (cf. 1 Kings 7:2), but whether on the inside or outside cannot be ascertained (1 Kings 10:17). All of these golden shields were carried off by Pharaoh Shishak when he invaded the land during the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam.

[279] Shields of gold are mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:7.

[280] This assumes that the royal shekel is meant and not the Mosaic shekel which weighed almost twice as much. According to the Berkeley Version, six hundred shekels is equivalent to about $6,000.

As the house of the forest of Lebanon was distinguished by the golden shields which emblazoned its walls, so the porch of judgment was distinguished by Solomon’s glorious throne. The throne was made of solid ivory[281] overlaid with pure gold (1 Kings 10:18). It is very unlikely, however, that the gold entirely covered and concealed the beautiful ivory. The throne was elevated and was ascended by means of six steps. Perhaps the seven levels symbolized the perfection, and over lordship exercised by the king sitting in judgment.[282]

[281] Others think the throne was of wood inlaid with ivory. Cf. Honor, JCBR, p. 147. [282] Finley, BBC, p. 188.

The top or head of the throne was rounded or arched in form. There were arm rests on either side of the seat and two great lions on either side of those arm rests (1 Kings 10:19). The lions were probably made of wood overlaid with gold. In addition to the two lions mentioned in 1 Kings 10:19, there were ten other lions, two on either side of the steps leading to the throne. The lion was a familiar emblem of royalty among the nations and had a special significance in this case, being the symbol of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:9; Numbers 23:24). Perhaps the twelve lions represented the twelve tribes as the guardians of the throne of Israel. Thrones somewhat similar to this one, but much less magnificent, are depicted on the monuments of the ancient Near East; but never had any kingdom constructed a throne like that of Solomon (1 Kings 10:20).

All of Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, as were also the vessels used in the house of the forest of Lebanon. None were of silver, since silver had become so plentiful that it had lost all value (1 Kings 10:21). Such extravagance was possible in Solomonic Jerusalem because of the prodigious quantity of gold and silver brought in by the fleet.

1 Kings 10:22-29

B. SOLOMON’S OTHER WEALTH 10:22-29

**TRANSLATION

(22) For the king had a Tarshish fleet in the sea with the fleet of Hiram; once in three years the Tarshish fleet came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and baboons. (23) So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for wealth and wisdom. (24) And all the earth sought the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. (25) And each one brought his presentvessels of silver and vessels of gold, garments, and myrrh and spices, horses and mules at an annual rate. (26) And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen; and he stationed**[283]** them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. (27) And the king made silver in Jerusalem like stones, and cedar trees he made abundant to be like sycamore trees which are in the lowland. (28) And the horses which Solomon had were exported from Egypt and from Keveh; the king’s traders got them from Kevah at a certain price. (29) And a chariot came up and went out from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred fifty shekels; and thus for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Aram by their hand they were brought out.**

[283] The Hebrew text reads literally, and he led them. The reading and he stationed them is supported by Chronicles and by the ancient versions.

COMMENTS

The term Tarshish fleet used by the author of Kings is explained by the Chronicler as meaning ships going to Tarshish (2 Chronicles 9:21). Tarshish in several Old Testament texts is a place far from Palestine, probably on the Atlantic coast of Spain.[284] It was to Tarshish that Jonah was attempting to flee when he first rejected the divine commission to preach in Nineveh (Jonah 1:3; Jonah 4:2). Just as Ophir was the gold-land of the Bible, the land of Tarshish was noted for its silver. According to Ezekiel the Phoenicians traded with Tarshish and secured from thence silver, iron, tin and lead (Ezekiel 27:12). Jeremiah also alludes to silver from Tarshish (Jeremiah 10:9). The Tarshish fleet operated on a lengthy schedule away from its home port. On its three-year trips to distant lands, this fleet, like the Ophir fleet, brought back various exotic products. The gold and silver were secured in Tarshish; the apes, baboons[285] and ivory were available through the trading colonies along the coast of Africa.

[284] Stieglitz, MAAI, p. 75. [285] Commentaries frequently assert that the words translated apes and baboons are of Indian origin. W. E. Clarke, an acknowledged expert in Sanskrit, has serious reservations about this assertion. See AJSL, XXXVI (1920), pp. 103ff. W. F. Albright argues for the Egyptian origin of these words. See ARI, p. 212.

This Tarshish fleet is probably to be distinguished from the Ophir fleet of 1 Kings 9:26-28 and 1 Kings 10:11. The cargo and schedule of the two fleets are different.[286] It is not clear which port this Tarshish fleet used as home base. If this fleet was based at Ezion-geber, then it could have sailed to Tarshish by circumnavigating Africa.[287] It seems best, however, to think of the Tarshish fleet as being based at some Mediterranean port.

[286] Keil and most commentators insist that the fleet mentioned in 1 Kings 10:22 is the same as the fleet mentioned in 1 Kings 9:26-28. The term Tarshish fleet is then taken to be a general name for all large, ocean-going ships or merchant vessels. That the term can have this meaning is clear from 1 Kings 22:48, Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir. However, 2 Chronicles 9:21 proves that Tarshish in reference to Solomon’S-’ fleet is a geographical designation. Tuck (FTK, p. 146) and William Smith (OTH, p. 525) support the view that Solomon had two fleets.

[287] Circumnavigation of Africa, while not demonstrable for the tenth century, was certainly not technically impossible at that time. Cf. Stieglitz, MAAI, p. 156.

Solomon’s Tarshish fleet is said to have been with the fleet of Hiram (1 Kings 10:22). This expression might be taken to mean that both Solomon and Hiram had navies sailing the Mediterranean Sea. On the other hand, the fleet of Hiram may refer to those ships which sailed out of the port of Ezion-geber bound for Ophir. The Red Sea fleet was Hiram’s in the sense that he had supplied the ships to Solomon as well as the crews to man them (2 Chronicles 8:18). Interpreted in this way, the phrase with the fleet of Hiram confirms the opinion already advanced that Solomon had two naval operationsone on the Red Sea and one on the Mediterranean Sea. Primarily because of this extensive maritime activity Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth as well as wisdom (1 Kings 10:23).

The fame of Solomon spread throughout the ancient Near East. Dignitaries from all over the civilized world came to Jerusalem to hear the wisdom of the man so richly endowed of God (1 Kings 10:24). These visitors bestowed upon Solomon luxurious presents including gold and silver vessels, garments, arms, spices and riding animals. The concluding phrase of 1 Kings 10:25 is difficult. The annual rate (lit., the matter of a year in his year) suggests that at least some of those who visited Solomon were tributaries who brought with them their annual assessment.

The closing verses of chapter 10 continue to offer convincing evidence of Solomon’s glory. In contravention of Deu 17:16 Solomon multiplied to himself horses. His force of fourteen hundred chariots would appear to have been maintained largely for the sake of pomp and display. The chariot is of little tactical value in the hilly terrain of Palestine and, furthermore, Solomon’s reign was peaceful and hence did not necessitate such a large force. Even in time of war, David only retained for himself a tenth of the thousand chariots he captured from a Syrian king (1 Chronicles 18:4). Solomon was determined in every way and at any cost to rival and surpass all contemporary kings. The maintenance of twelve thousand cavalry troops is further indication of Solomon’s materialistic disposition. The various chariot and cavalry units were stationed throughout the land (cf. 1 Kings 9:19) as well as in Jerusalem, the royal residence (1 Kings 10:26).

In an obvious hyperbole the author declares that during the reign of Solomon, silver became as common as ordinary stones which cover the environs of Jerusalem. The highly valued cedar wood, imported from Phoenicia, became as common as the much less prestigious sycamore wood which heretofore, it would appear, had been used for building purposes. These trees grew profusely in the Shephelah, that region of rolling hills which separates the mountains of Judah from the coastal plains (1 Kings 10:27). The sycamore is a large, well-rooted spreading tree which bears an inferior kind of fig. The sycamore tree was considered so important under the reign of David that a royal supervisor was appointed over the olive trees and the sycamore trees in the Shephelah (1 Chronicles 27:28). The prophet Amos was engaged in cultivating these trees for their fruit at the time God called him to the prophetic office (Amos 7:14).

The last two verses of chapter 10 describe still another source of revenue for Solomon’s coffershis monopolistic control of chariot and horse trading. Solomon secured horses from Egypt[288] and from Keveh[289] (Kue, NASB), the Hebrew name for Cilicia in Asia Minor. Cilicia in ancient times was the source of good horses for foreign countries. It is also known that the Egyptians, during this period, imported wood from Syria in order to manufacture chariots.[290] Since Solomon controlled all the important trade routes from Cilicia and Egypt to Syria, he seems to have held a virtual monopoly on the horse and chariot trade in this region of the world. Thus, the Neo-Hittite[291] and Aramean kings to the north depended upon Solomon for Egyptian chariots, while the Egyptians and others depended on him for Cilician horses. Solomon, as the middleman in this lucrative trade, no doubt made a handsome profit for himself. It is not known what the original prices were, but the established rate of exchange was a hundred fifty shekels ($100 BV) for one Cilician horse, and for one Egyptian chariot six hundred shekels ($400 BV).

[288] Many modern scholars think that a northern Egypt in Anatolia is intended. This theory, however, has been convincingly refuted by H. Tadmor, IEJ, II (1961), 143ff.

[289] Not linen yarn as in KJV. A few older commentators and all modern ones recognize the Hebrew word as a proper noun. Both the Septuagint and the Vulgate versions rendered it as a proper noun.

[290] Finley, BBC, p. 389. [291] The term Hittite probably denotes the descendants of the great feudal lords who ruled districts there during the Hittite ascendancy and who had asserted their independence on the collapse of the Hittite empire about 1200 B.C. Gray, OTL, p. 250.