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Solomon's Throne Was Built to Humble Every Visitor

Solomon's legendary throne was not just a seat of power. It moved, tested every visitor, and punished rulers who lied before it.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. Six Steps to Judgment
  2. What the Throne Did to Visitors
  3. What Happened When It Left Jerusalem
  4. The Queen of Sheba and the Hall of Mirrors

Six Steps to Judgment

When a foreign king arrived at Solomon's court to pay tribute or press a case, the audience did not begin when he opened his mouth. It began when he set his foot on the first step of the throne.

The throne had six steps. On each step, flanking both sides, were pairs of golden animals: lion and eagle, lion and eagle, all the way up. When Solomon placed his foot on the first step, the animals moved. By the time he reached the top, he was surrounded by an honor guard of animated gold, shifting and settling as he passed. A golden eagle spread its wings above his head. A golden serpent coiled above the throne itself. The whole structure, in motion, looked less like furniture and more like a living organism that recognized its master.

The foreign visitor watched all of this before he spoke. That was the design.

What the Throne Did to Visitors

The animals were not merely decorative. Each step of the approach carried a verbal declaration, announced by mechanism or by angelic voice, reminding the approaching dignitary of a commandment he was bound to keep. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. By the time any visitor reached Solomon's presence, they had been walked through the moral architecture of Sinai. If they were going to lie to the king, they had been warned against lying at each stage of their approach.

The throne also detected falsehood. The tradition records that when a foreign ruler testified falsely before Solomon, the golden lion on the nearest step would strike him on the head with its tail. The blow was not fatal. It was clarifying. No one came before Solomon to argue a case without understanding that the court itself was watching, and that the animals on the steps had been given more than their golden form.

What Happened When It Left Jerusalem

The throne outlasted Solomon, and its history outside Jerusalem is one of the darker threads in the tradition. After the Babylonian conquest, it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. He attempted to sit on it. The lion struck him on the heel as he climbed. He fell, and the injury remained with him. Later it passed to Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, who met the same fate climbing the same step. The animals punished every ruler who tried to occupy a seat built for the one person the throne had been made to recognize.

The Ahasuerus of the Purim story, according to the tradition in Targum Sheni, possessed a replica of the throne, built for him because the original had been damaged in its travels and no craftsman could reproduce the mechanism exactly. The replica had the shape but not the life. All the golden animals sat still when Ahasuerus climbed. The kings who came after Solomon had the symbol without the substance, and the throne's silence around them was its own form of judgment.

The Queen of Sheba and the Hall of Mirrors

The Queen of Sheba came not to pay tribute but to test. She had heard reports of Solomon's wisdom and had composed riddles she believed no man could answer. She arrived with a large retinue, expensive gifts, and a set of puzzles designed to distinguish true wisdom from the performance of wisdom.

Solomon answered every riddle. But the tradition preserves one detail from her approach to his throne that matters more than any individual answer: she walked toward him across what she believed was a tiled floor and raised her skirt to keep it dry. The floor was glass, polished to the depth of a mirror. She had mistaken the reflection of the sky for standing water. When she understood what she had done, she stood corrected before the wisest king in the world, and her embarrassment was the first real answer he gave her: that what you see is not always what you think you see, and that the surest proof of wisdom is knowing the difference.

SolomonWisdomKingsThroneQueen Of ShebaJudgment
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From the tradition

Sources

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Legends of the Jews 5:105Legends of the Jews

It wasn't just a place to sit, according to tradition. It was a masterpiece. A wonder of the ancient world that showcased not just royal power, but also divine wisdom. The legends surrounding this throne, passed down through generations, paint a picture of breathtaking splendor.

Forget your everyday chair.

The story goes that Solomon’s throne, standing proudly next to the Temple in Jerusalem, was more than just a seat of power. It was a symbol of his unparalleled wisdom and glory. The text in Legends of the Jews details how no one before or after Solomon could ever replicate such a work of art. an object so unique, so stunning, that it defied imitation.

When visiting kings, Solomon's vassals, laid eyes on this marvel, they were reportedly overcome. They didn't just admire it. They fell to their knees, praising God. Imagine the sheer presence, the overwhelming aura of the throne, to inspire such reverence.

How was it constructed? Pure opulence. The throne was covered in the finest gold from Ophir, a legendary source of precious metals. It sparkled with beryls, shimmered with inlaid marble, and blazed with emeralds, rubies, pearls, and all manner of gems. It sounds less like furniture and more like a celestial object brought down to earth.

But the details are what truly bring the throne to life. The throne had six steps, and on each step stood two golden lions and two golden eagles, a lion and an eagle to the left, and a lion and an eagle to the right. The pairs faced each other, the right paw of the lion positioned opposite the left wing of the eagle, and the left paw opposite the right wing.

What a striking image that evokes! A powerful symmetry. A balance of strength and grace. And at the very top, ready for the king, was the royal seat, perfectly round.

What did it all mean? Why such extravagant details? Perhaps the animals represented the power and dominion of Solomon's kingdom. Maybe the gems symbolized different virtues or aspects of divine wisdom. The round seat might have been a visual representation of the unending nature of his reign. We can only speculate, looking back through the mists of time and legend.

Solomon's throne wasn't just furniture. It was a statement. A evidence of an era of unprecedented peace, prosperity, and wisdom. It's a reminder that sometimes, the stories we tell about objects are just as important as the objects themselves. They carry meaning, inspire awe, and help us understand the values of a culture.

So, the next time you see a throne (or even just a really fancy chair), remember Solomon's throne. Remember the legends. Remember the power of a single object to capture the imagination of generations. Maybe, just maybe, there's a little bit of magic hidden in plain sight.

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Legends of the Jews 5:51Legends of the Jews

Legends of the Jews turns to The Queen of Sheba Tests Solomon With Ancient Riddles.

Well, stories abound, and some of the most intriguing revolve around riddles, specifically, riddles posed by none other than the Queen of Sheba. Of all the tales, only a handful of riddles displaying Solomon’s incredible wit have survived. They are all tied directly to the Queen and her visit. for a second. The Queen of Sheba, ruler of a distant land, undertaking a long and arduous journey to test the wisdom of Solomon. What was her motivation? What was their relationship? The story of this queen, her connection to Solomon, and the reasons that propelled her from her faraway kingdom to Jerusalem is a fascinating chapter in the already eventful life of the wisest of all men. It's a story that makes you wonder about the power of curiosity, doesn't it?

The tradition says Solomon's dominion extended far beyond the human realm. He ruled not only over people, but also over the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, even demons, spirits, and the specters of the night. He possessed a unique gift: he understood the language of them all, and they understood him. Legends of the Jews, by Louis Ginzberg, paints this picture vividly. It’s wild to imagine a king with such comprehensive power! What would he say to the animals, and what did he learn from the spirits?

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Legends of the Jews 5:24Legends of the Jews

The story of Solomon, a king whose legendary wisdom was almost overshadowed by his transgressions.

Solomon for his wisdom, but let's be real: he wasn't perfect is familiar. He slipped up in a few key areas. For starters, he married a gentile woman, which, according to some interpretations, wasn't done for the purest of reasons. More than that, though, he broke some serious rules laid out in the Torah. He kept too many horses, something strictly forbidden for a Jewish king. And he hoarded gold and silver – another major no-no. The text makes it clear: "he amassed much silver and gold," and the law finds this abhorrent.

In Legends of the Jews, under Solomon, silver and gold became so common that people used them for everyday utensils! Imagine eating your breakfast with a golden spoon! But all this extravagance, all this flaunting of the rules…it came at a price. Solomon would have to atone for it later, and painfully so.

Let's not dwell only on the negative. Solomon's claim to fame, the thing that truly set him apart, was his legendary wisdom. Remember the story of God appearing to him in a dream in Gibeon? God offers him anything he wants. Now, only a few figures in Jewish tradition have had such an offer, like King Ahaz, and the promise of this opportunity for choosing will only be fulfilled by the Messiah in the future. What does Solomon choose? Not riches, not power, but wisdom. He understood that with wisdom, everything else would follow. Smart move. And boy, was he wise! The Scriptures tell us his wisdom was "greater than the wisdom of Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the three sons of Mahol." According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, that means he was even wiser than figures like Abraham, Moses, and even Adam! isn't it?

Think about his proverbs. We only have about eight hundred of them today. But, as we find in Midrash Rabbah, each verse can be interpreted in multiple ways, effectively making it equal to three thousand! Solomon delved into the laws revealed to Moses, offering explanations for the rituals and ceremonies of the Torah. Without his insights, some of these practices might have seemed…well, a little strange.

The "forty-nine gates of wisdom," a concept familiar to both Moses and Solomon, were open to him. But Solomon, in his ambition, even tried to surpass Moses! He was so confident in his judgment that he considered dispensing justice without witnesses, if it wasn't for divine intervention. Can you imagine the potential for abuse of power?

So, what's the takeaway here? Solomon's story is a reminder that even the wisest among us are fallible. It's a story about the seductive nature of power and wealth, and the importance of staying true to one's principles. But it's also a evidence of the incredible power of wisdom, and its ability to illuminate the world around us. Solomon’s legacy isn’t just about his gold or his throne, but about the timeless wisdom he left behind, wisdom that continues to guide and inspire us today.

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Legends of the Jews 5:25Legends of the Jews

It all starts with a heart-wrenching dispute, a real head-scratcher. Two women stood before Solomon, both claiming to be the mother of the same child. Can you imagine the tension? The stakes? How do you even begin to unravel such a knot?

In Legends of the Jews, that masterful compilation of Jewish folklore by Louis Ginzberg, Solomon listened intently as the women presented their case. Now, some might think a young king would be stumped. Hesitant. Overwhelmed. But not Solomon. He was ready.

His response was… unexpected, to say the least. Solomon declared that God, in His infinite wisdom, had foreseen such a conflict. And, therefore, He created human organs in pairs. Why? So that neither party in the dispute could be wronged!

The king’s counselors weren't immediately impressed. In fact, they were worried. Ginzberg tells us that upon hearing this pronouncement, they lamented, "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a youth." It sounds like they thought Solomon had lost his mind!

But just hold on a second. Because here’s where the genius of Solomon shines through. The story doesn't end there.

In short order, the counselors realized the wisdom behind Solomon's seemingly bizarre statement. The scales fell from their eyes, and they exclaimed, "Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a free man." What a turnaround! They initially doubted him, but they now admired his profound intelligence.

Now, get this: the story takes another fascinating twist. According to the legend, this whole situation wasn't just a random occurrence. It was orchestrated! As Ginzberg writes, the quarrel "had of set purpose been brought on by God to the end that Solomon's wisdom might be made known." It was a test, a divine set-up to reveal Solomon's extraordinary gifts to the world.

And there's more! It turns out that the two litigants weren't even human. They were spirits, disguised as women! Talk about a plot twist! That’s how you know this isn't your everyday courtroom drama.

And finally, to remove all doubt about the fairness of Solomon’s verdict, a bat kol (בַּת קוֹל‎), a heavenly voice, proclaimed, "This is the mother of the child." Case closed! Divinely adjudicated.

So, what are we to make of this incredible story? It's more than just a clever solution to a difficult problem. It's a evidence of the idea that true wisdom can come in unexpected forms, and that sometimes, the most unconventional approaches are the most effective. It also tells us that God can intervene, and does. It's a reminder that sometimes, what seems like misfortune can actually be a carefully orchestrated opportunity for greatness to be revealed.

Isn’t that a powerful thought?

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