Take, for instance, the story of one of his daughters. Now, Solomon, as we know, wasn’t just a wise king; he was also said to possess incredible knowledge, including the ability to read the future in the stars. And what he saw regarding his daughter wasn’t exactly what a king would hope for. According to the stories, she was blessed with breathtaking beauty, but the stars foretold she would marry a desperately poor man.
Now, a king, especially Solomon, doesn’t take such news lying down! Determined to thwart fate, he had a tall, imposing tower built right in the middle of the sea. Imagine the dedication! He sent his daughter there, surrounded by seventy eunuchs to guard her, and stocked the tower with enough food to last her quite some time. Seemed like a foolproof plan, right? Isolated, protected… Surely no penniless suitor could reach her there.
But fate, as it often does in these tales, had other plans.
Enter our poor youth. One cold, unforgiving night, he found himself with nowhere to rest. He stumbled upon the carcass of an ox lying discarded in a field. Desperate for warmth, he crawled inside. Now, here’s where the story takes a truly bizarre turn. A massive bird—we're not told what kind, but imagine something truly enormous—swooped down, grabbed the entire carcass, with the youth still inside, and flew it to… you guessed it… the roof of the tower where Solomon's daughter was living! Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, recounts this with a straight face, and it's hard not to be captivated. The bird, apparently thinking it had a tasty meal, landed on the tower to begin feasting.
The next morning, the princess, as was her custom, went up to the roof to gaze out at the sea. And there she saw him – a young man emerging from the remains of an ox! Can you imagine her surprise?
She, naturally, asked him who he was and how on earth he’d gotten there. He explained that he was a Jew from Accho and that a bird had carried him to the tower. Intrigued (and probably a little relieved to have some company), she led him to a chamber where he could wash, clean himself, and put on fresh clothes. And when he emerged, it turned out he was not only handsome but also a scholar, intelligent and quick-witted.
It didn’t take long for the princess to fall in love. She asked him if he would marry her, and he, understandably, agreed without hesitation. But how could they possibly get married, stuck in a tower in the middle of the sea?
Well, love finds a way, doesn't it? He opened a vein and, with his own blood, wrote a marriage contract. Then, he recited the formula of betrothal, taking God and the archangels Michael and Gabriel as witnesses. According to the legend, right there, on that tower roof, she became his legally wedded wife.
So, what does this story tell us? It’s a potent reminder that even the best-laid plans can be overturned by fate. Solomon, with all his wisdom and power, couldn’t prevent what was meant to be. It also speaks to the power of love and destiny. The Zohar tells us that everything is interconnected, part of a divine plan. Perhaps this unlikely union was part of that plan all along. Maybe, sometimes, the greatest love stories are the ones you least expect, delivered to your doorstep—or, in this case, your tower roof—by a giant bird.