It wasn't just wisdom, my friends; it was a little help from some… unusual sources.
We all know Solomon had dominion over spirits – but did you know he also commanded the animal kingdom? He had a magnificent eagle, his own personal aerial chariot, if you will. This wasn't just any eagle; it was his express lane to the most remote and dangerous corners of the earth.
According to Legends of the Jews, retold by Ginzberg, Solomon used this eagle to travel to the desert and back in a single day to build the city of Tadmor. Now, this Tadmor isn't the famous Syrian city of Palmyra that was also called Tadmor. No, this one was special. It was located near the ominous "mountains of darkness," a place steeped in mystery and whispered to be a meeting ground for spirits and demons. Talk about a commute!
Can you imagine the sight? Solomon, perched on his eagle, soaring across the skies to this desolate location. He wasn't just sightseeing, though. He had a mission. As the eagle flew, Solomon would drop a paper inscribed with a powerful verse from the Torah among the spirits, a kind of spiritual "Do Not Disturb" sign to keep the evil influences at bay. A little preventative magic, you might say.
But the mountains of darkness held an even darker secret. The eagle would then scout out the mountains, searching for a very specific spot: the prison of the fallen angels 'Azza and 'Azzael. These weren't your run-of-the-mill angels; they had rebelled against God and were now chained with iron fetters in a place so forbidding that not even birds dared to venture there. Talk about being grounded!
When the eagle located the spot, it would carefully take Solomon under its left wing and fly him to the two imprisoned angels. How did Solomon get these fearsome beings to cooperate? Through the power of his ring, of course! This wasn't just any ring either. It was engraved with the Shem HaMeforash, the Holy Name of God. The eagle, carrying the ring in its mouth, forced 'Azza and 'Azzael to reveal heavenly secrets to the king.
Think about that for a moment. Solomon, armed with divine power and the help of a loyal eagle, extracting forbidden knowledge from fallen angels in the heart of darkness. It’s an image that speaks volumes about the lengths to which Solomon went to acquire his wisdom and maintain his power. It makes you wonder – what secrets are hidden in those "mountains of darkness," and what would you do to uncover them?