{"id":62082,"date":"2019-09-01T10:33:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-01T07:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=62082"},"modified":"2023-03-26T14:49:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-26T11:49:38","slug":"solomons-throne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/solomons-throne\/","title":{"rendered":"Solomon\u2019s Throne"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our chapter narrates the visit of the Queen of Sheba and how King Solomon impressed her with his wisdom and riches, particularly as displayed in the Temple complex (I Kings 10:1-9). She and the king exchange gifts before her returns home (verses 10-13). Our chapter then details the vast amounts of treasure that King Solomon received each year and stored in his Lebanon Forest House. Then we are told that \u201cThe king also made a large throne of ivory, and he overlaid it with refined gold. Six steps led up to the throne, and the throne had a back with a rounded top, and arms on either side of the seat. Two lions stood beside the arms, and twelve lions stood on the six steps, six on either side. No such throne was ever made for any other kingdom\u201d (verses 18-20, see also II Chronicles 9:18-19).<\/span><\/p>\n

Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews VIII.5.2) relates that Solomon made himself the enormous ivory throne as a seat of justice. Leading up to the throne were six steps. A lion stood on either end of each step. Two other lions also stood above. When Solomon would reach the seat of the throne hands came out to receive him. When the king sat down and leaned backward, he rested on half a bullock. And all was fastened together with gold.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Midrash (Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana\u2019 1:7) compares Solomon\u2019s throne to the Katedra\u2019 de-Moshe (\u201cThrone of Moses\u201d), which was a feature of the ancient synagogue (for example at Delos, Chorazin and Ein Gedi), apparently a special seat of honor reserved for the synagogue elder and perhaps also for the preacher. This midrashic text goes on to describe how Solomon\u2019s throne was decorated: A golden scepter was suspended behind it, on top of which was a dove. In the dove\u2019s mouth was a golden crown, that because of its great weight hovered just over Solomon\u2019s head when he was sitting on his throne.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midrashic tradition (Legends of the Jews II [2003], pp. 968-970) describes in great detail Solomon\u2019s throne as a mechanical automaton, apparently reflecting similar mechanical marvels employed to impress visitors to Byzantine royal courts.\u00a0 When Solomon began to ascend to his seat, the machinery of the throne was put into motion. A golden ox raised him from the first to the second step. He was then raised from step to step up to the sixth step, where eagles took and placed him upon his seat. When he was seated, another eagle set the royal crown upon his head. No other monarch succeeded in sitting on Solomon\u2019s throne. When, in the early 6<\/span>th<\/span> century BCE, the Egyptian Pharaoh tried to ascend Solomon\u2019s throne, he was injured by one of the lions, resulting in his thereafter being called Pharaoh Nekho (\u201cthe Cripple\u201d). Solomon\u2019s throne seems to have eventually made it to Rome, where Rabbi Elazar be-Rabbi Yosi says he saw fragments of it in the 2<\/span>nd<\/span> century CE (Esther Rabbah 1:2).<\/span><\/p>\n

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