Solomon's throne was not a chair. It was a machine, a towering structure of ivory, gold, and living mechanisms that no king could ever replicate. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle preserved by Moses Gaster in 1899, Ahasuerus spent three years trying to have craftsmen build a copy. They failed completely.
The throne had six ascending pathways, each lined with steps. On every step stood two golden lions, one on the right and one on the left. These were not decorations. When Solomon placed his foot on the first step, the lion on the right stretched out its paw, revealing an inscription: "You shall not respect persons in judgment." The lion on the left bore another: "You shall not accept any bribe." At every step, Solomon was forced to read a commandment about justice before he could ascend further.
The steps were set with precious stones, red, white, and green. And flanked by golden palm trees where eagles, peacocks, and songbirds nested. On either side of the throne sat golden seats for Gad the seer and Nathan the prophet, surrounded by seventy golden chairs for the judges of the Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court). A golden lamp stood before the throne, sculpted with the seven patriarchs on one side, Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Job. And seven righteous men on the other.
Clean and unclean animals faced each other on the steps: ox opposite lion, goat opposite wolf, eagle opposite dove. As Solomon ascended, each animal lifted him to the next level. At the top, birds burst into song, trees released perfume, and a golden serpent coiled around him, seating him on the throne. Eagles placed the crown on his head while every beast proclaimed: "Long may the kingdom of the house of David be established." When people came for judgment, the entire throne erupted, lions roaring, bears howling, eagles shrieking, to terrify anyone who might lie.
LXXXIV. (1) 'In those days, when Ahasuerus sat (upon
the throne).' The word nn::'D can only be understood as
meaning ' sitting on a throne,' as it is said, 'When Ahasuerus
sat upon the throne of his kingdom;' but with reference to
Solomon, it is said, ' And Solomon sat upon the throne of
the Lord as king over Israel.' It is related that the
assembly of Israel said unto God, ' 0 Lord of the universe,
this wicked man sits in the same place where Solomon has
been sitting; do not make abominable the throne of Thy
glory.' In the third year of his reign — for he busied him-
self with this throne for three years — he sent for workmen
to make a throne like unto that of Solomon, but they were
unable to do so.
(2) And what was the throne of Solomon? The sages
say that Solomon mounted his throne by six different
ways, each way having steps. On each step there were
two lions, one on the right and the other on the left, who
did not remain quiet, but were active. And what did they
do? When Solomon went up on the first step, the lions
on the right stretched out their paws upon which a writing
was engraved. He could not place his foot on the second
step until he had read what was written on the lions'
paws. It was, 'Ye shall not respect persons in judgment.'
252 [Lxxxiv. 3
Turning now to the left, he read what the other lions had
written on their paws, ' Thou shalt not accept any bribe.'
(3) Thus at every step he had to read some portion of the
law of judgment. All the steps were set with precious
stones and pearls, red, white and green. Kinds of trees
and species of the palm-trees were fixed on both sides of
each step, and upon their branches there nestled all kinds
of eagles, peacocks and birds. On the highest step were
two huge pillars of ivory on the heads of the lions, and two
golden hollow vines fragrant with every kind of perfume,
which they exhaled whenever Solomon ascended the throne.
The throne itself was made of ivory, overlaid with the gold
of Ophir, and surrounded with precious stones and pearls.
On either side of the throne a golden seat of honour was
placed, one for Gad the seer, and the other for Nathan the
prophet. (4) And seventy other seats of gold for the seventy
judges of the Sanhedrim formed a circle round the central
throne. In front of it was a lamp of gold, with its snuffers
and censers and other appurtenances; and on one side of this
lamp were seen in sculptured work the seven patriarchs of
the world, viz., Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Job, while on the other side were the seven pious men
of the world, viz., Kehath, Amran, Moses, Aaron, Eldad,
Medad and Hur, and on the top the form of a priest was
seen kindling the light.
(5) On the steps approaching the throne were placed as
many unclean animals as clean, all facing each other, on
the first step the ox was placed opposite the lion; on the
second, the goat opposite the wolf; on the third (third
missing); on the fourth, the bear opposite the hart; on
the fifth, the eagle opposite the dove; and on the sixth, the
hawk opposite the turtledove. The ascent to the throne
was made between these animals. As soon as Solomon
placed his foot on the first step he turned round, and the
lion immediately stretched out its paw on the right and
the eagle its talon on the left. Upon these he leaned,
and was spared the trouble of ascending himself because
the same thing was done by the different animals and
LXXXIY. 8] 253
birds on each until he arrived at the top. (6) Then all
the birds of every species began to chirp and sing, and
the peacocks to shriek, and all the trees emitted their
fragrant perfumes. A serpent of gold then encircled him,
and, having seated him upon his throne, crept down
beneath his feet. The eagles, nestling on the vines after
wafting breezes of perfume with their wings, placed the
crown upon his head, and, this done, all the beasts and
birds with one accord exclaimed, ' Long may the kingdom
of the house of David be established.' (7) After this a dove
of gold opposite the throne brought a scroll of the law and
placed it upon his knees. Then, laying it upon a golden
reading-desk just by the throne, he read it to fulfil
what is written, ' And it shall remain with him, and he
shall read therein all the days of his life.' Every step
on the throne contained some verse in praise of the
law\ On the first was written, ' The law of the Lord is
perfect, refreshing the soul.' On the second, ' The testi-
mony of the Lord is faithful, making the foolish (simple)
wise.' On the third, ' The precepts of the Lord are just,
rejoicing the heart. ■* On the fourth, ' The commandment
of the Lord He created as an enlightenment to the eyes.'
On the fifth, ' The fear of the Lord is pure, lasting for
ever.' On the sixth, ' The judgments of the Lord are true,
and are righteous, all of them.'
(8) When the people approached Solomon for judgment,
the wheels of his throne turned, the oxen lowed, the lions
roared, the bears howded, the lambs bleated, the eagles
cried, the peacocks shrieked, the cocks crowed, the haw-ks
screamed, and all the birds chirped, to terrify the plain-
tiffs and the witnesses, so that they did not plead wrong
cases, and the witnesses were not testifying falsely. On
account of all this, it is said, ' The like of it will never be
made in any kingdom.' When Ahasuerus was king, he
tried for three years to have a throne made like that of
Solomon, but in vain. [End of the throne of Solomon.]
254 [Lxxxv. 1
The Book of the Maccabee.
