{"id":61487,"date":"2019-08-20T10:53:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T07:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=61487"},"modified":"2023-03-19T23:37:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-19T21:37:30","slug":"solomons-jerusalem-to-be-the-epicenter-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/solomons-jerusalem-to-be-the-epicenter-of-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Solomon\u2019s Jerusalem: To Be The Epicenter Of The World"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[838,610,372],"acf":{"old_id":"61487","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33692,"related_cahpter":"292","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Developing - and importing - all matter of knowledge, skill, wisdom\r\n\r\n","content":"

Solomon is an impressive thinker. The thousand and five songs and three thousand parables referred to may accord with at least some of the content of Song of Songs and Proverbs, which are attributed to him; the sages add Ecclesiastes to his repertoire. But his wisdom goes beyond that; the book of Kings notes his knowledge of trees and animals and his superiority over all other known scholars. Rashi interprets this as referring to his knowledge of natural sciences:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“He discoursed about trees” \u2014 the health of each plant and the constitution of the timber; which is suited to what type of construction, what soil it needs. And likewise “about beasts” \u2014 their medicinal needs, reproductive techniques, and nutrition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We gain the impression that Solomon is a master of philosophy and literature, botany and zoology, and that no sphere of human wisdom eludes him. How does any individual–especially a king, who has many other responsibilities–amass this huge knowledge base?<\/span><\/p>\n

When the text says that “Solomon built,” we assume that the king planned, supervised, and financed the construction, not that he actually chiseled the stonework and cut the wood. We are not speaking of Solomon the individual; rather of his kingdom as a whole. Similarly, when we discuss Solomon’s wisdom regarding trees, beasts, and fowl, we are speaking of the intellectual environment he has created in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solomon’s genius lies in his plan to harness all worldly knowledge and make Jerusalem the hub of all wisdom, be it scientific, artistic, technological, or intellectual. Sometimes he achieves this goal by importing foreign expertise. When approaching Hiram, the king of Tyre, in order to procure timber, Solomon specifies that “there is none among us who know how to cut timber like the inhabitants of Sidon” (5:20). Yet Solomon insists, “My servants will work with yours” (ibid.). His intention is that his men should learn this art, the work and skill of the lumberjack, from the Phoenicians. He imports not only cedar wood, but also the technical know-how, thus expanding the knowledge base and skill set of the nation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond Solomon’s personal genius and prowess, he pools the most advanced knowledge and scholarship in his kingdom. He establishes Jerusalem as the center of global expertise. He turns it into the Yale and Harvard, the Oxford and Cambridge of the ancient world. It thus becomes a magnet for intellectuals and students who seek to further their education at this crucible of knowledge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Isaiah depicts Jerusalem as a city which will dispense wisdom and justice for all nations:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShall stand firm above the mountains<\/span>
\n<\/span>And tower above the hills;<\/span>
\n<\/span>And the many peoples shall go and say:<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cCome, let us go up to the Mount of the Lord,<\/span>
\n<\/span>To the House of the God of Jacob;<\/span>
\n<\/span>That He may instruct us in His ways. (Is 2:3-4)<\/span><\/p>\n

This vision of Jerusalem at the epicenter of the world community, replacing conflict with the wisdom of God – that is the vision that King Solomon was seeking to establish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex Israel, 1 Kings: Torn in Two<\/em>, Maggid Books, 2013, Building an Empire<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":61437,"id":61437,"title":"alex israel - kings 1","filename":"alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/adonijahs-scheme-to-ascend-the-throne\/alex-israel-kings-1\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"alex-israel-kings-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":61414,"date":"2019-08-19 12:13:44","modified":"2019-08-19 12:13:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1020,"height":1304,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-235x300.jpg","medium-width":235,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-768x982.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":982,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-801x1024.jpg","large-width":801,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1020,"1536x1536-height":1304,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1020,"2048x2048-height":1304,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-939x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":939,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-329x420.jpg","home_baner-width":329,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"Excerpts from: 1 Kings - 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