Solomon

In the Christian tradition

Solomon is the third king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba, the builder of the first temple in Jerusalem, and the figure to whom the wisdom literature (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs) is traditionally attributed. His reign begins in extraordinary wisdom and ends in compromised idolatry (1 Kings 11), making him one of the morally complex figures of the biblical narrative.

Solomon's wisdom and his temple are the high points of the figure in the biblical narrative; the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 is one of the principal texts of the Old Testament. Jesus refers to Solomon both as a contrast ("Solomon in all his glory," Matthew 6:29) and as a figure who would have welcomed the wisdom Jesus offers ("a greater than Solomon is here," Matthew 12:42). The wisdom literature attributed to Solomon has shaped Christian devotional reading across the centuries. The name has been in steady Christian use; modern English-speaking families use it freely.