I didn\u2019t read the Old Testament much until I was a philosophical and legalistic young man fighting my way back from atheism.\u00a0 I had already decided to side with God, more or less.\u00a0 The more I read the Old Testament the more I hated the Israelites, stupid, rebellious people who never seemed to learn a thing that God tried so patiently to teach them.\u00a0 Of course, the moment I articulated that thought was also the moment I realized that the ancient Israelites depicted in the Bible are a fair and accurate representation of most of us.\u00a0 But I was shocked the first time I heard someone blame Solomon\u2019s excessive building projects for causing the rebellion that divided the kingdom of Israel.<\/p>\n
This particular critic didn\u2019t mention Solomon\u2019s idolatry and God\u2019s intervention to take most of the kingdom from Solomon\u2019s son as a possible or even a remotely plausible explanation.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t dispute the reason given in the Bible, didn\u2019t prove it erroneous or entertain it in any way whatsoever; he didn\u2019t mention it.\u00a0 You see, this particular critic was an historian seeking real<\/em> historical reasons for the divided kingdom of Israel; he wasn\u2019t even interested in the fanciful interpretations of ancient Israelite writers.<\/p>\n <\/a>Friedrich Nietzsche was an altogether different matter.\u00a0 Descended from Lutheran Pastors, he knew too well that the mere existence of the Old Testament spoke too profoundly of the existence of God.\u00a0 It must be engaged, debated and unmasked, as Nietzsche would have it.\u00a0 For why would any people write, cherish and preserve documents that portrayed them in such a bad light, if they were not in some sense persuaded it was God who had judged them so and caused them to write it that way?<\/p>\n Nietzsche\u2019s solution\u2014that lying priests and prophets falsified Israel\u2019s true history with a post hoc theology\u2014is predicated on a profound faith.\u00a0 It is not faith in Christ or faith in God, but faith in the nonexistence of God.\u00a0 Whether the historical critic I mentioned shared Nietzsche\u2019s faith or not, Nietzsche\u2019s philosophical writings had become an unquestioned part of the intellectual underpinning of the in-the-box kind of thinking that encouraged him to ignore the Bible completely.<\/p>\n I considered then, if Nietzsche and the historical critic were wrong (that is, if God was in fact interfering in Israel\u2019s history), then the in-the-box historical analysis practiced by contemporary historians precludes them from ever grasping the truth of the actual history of Israel.\u00a0 On the other hand, if the Bible is nothing more than cleverly-devised fables<\/a>, I was primed to appreciate just how cleverly-devised those fables actually are.<\/p>\n Solomon presided over a golden age in Israel according to the Bible.\u00a0 The population grew but the people were well fed and happy.1<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Solomon was the ultimate realization of Israel\u2019s hope for a king.\u00a0 While Saul\u2019s and David\u2019s reigns were marred by warfare both internal and external, Solomon was at peace with all his neighbors<\/em>.2<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 All the people of Judah and Israel had security<\/em>, the text recounts poetically, everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon\u2019s lifetime<\/em>.3<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 No marauders came to steal the fruit of Israel\u2019s labor.\u00a0 On the contrary much of the wealth of Solomon\u2019s kingdom came from tribute paid by vassal states.4<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 The temple,5<\/sup><\/a> at very least a symbolic triumph and vindication of Israel\u2019s faith in God, was constructed and dedicated during Solomon\u2019s reign.6<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt<\/em>.7<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 People from all nations came to hear Solomon\u2019s display of wisdom<\/em>.8<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s not so surprising that I missed the significance<\/a> of Solomon\u2019s wealth at first.\u00a0 It reads like more of the same, further gilding the lily of Solomon\u2019s golden age.\u00a0 There is no hint of indictment until the mention of Solomon\u2019s many wives, as if the author were still reticent to speak ill of the dead king or his glorious reign.\u00a0 And this is the king who divided the kingdom by his inept rule?<\/p>\n In the book of Ecclesiastes we get a slightly different view of Solomon, the dark side of wisdom, as it were.\u00a0 He was wise enough to question<\/a> the meaning of life. I have become much wiser than any of my predecessors who ruled over Jerusalem; I have acquired much wisdom and knowledge.\u00a0 So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind! \u00a0For with great wisdom comes great frustration; <\/em>whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache <\/em>[See Addendum<\/a> below].9<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n His restless mind conceived massive construction projects and led him on a path of acquisitiveness few of us can follow (Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 NET).<\/p>\n I increased my possessions:\u00a0 I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.\u00a0 I designed royal gardens and parks for myself, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.\u00a0 I constructed pools of water for myself, to irrigate my grove of flourishing trees.\u00a0 I purchased male and female slaves, and I owned slaves who were born in my house; I also possessed more livestock\u2014both herds and flocks\u2014than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem.\u00a0 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, as well as valuable treasures taken from kingdoms and provinces.\u00a0 I acquired male singers and female singers for myself, as well as what gives man sensual delight\u2014a harem of beautiful concubines [See Addendum<\/a> below]<\/em>.\u00a0 So I was more wealthy than all my predecessors in Jerusalem, yet I maintained my objectivity: I did not hold myself back from getting whatever I wanted, I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure.\u00a0 So all my accomplishments gave me joy, this was my reward for all my effort.\u00a0 Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded: \u201cAll these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless\u2014like chasing the wind!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If I stop there (and I probably did at some point) the evidence seems to favor the complaint the Israelites lodged with Solomon\u2019s son Rehoboam, Your father made us work too hard.\u00a0 Now if you lighten the demands he made and don\u2019t make us work as hard, we will serve you<\/em>.10<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 But as I studied more I began to question whether the rebels\u2019 stated reason for rebellion was their real reason.<\/p>\n Here are the details concerning the work crews King Solomon conscripted<\/em>,11<\/sup><\/a> the ninth chapter of 1 Kings proclaims.\u00a0 There were non-Israelite peoples\u2026left in the land <\/em>[Table<\/a>]\u2026 Solomon conscripted them for his work crews <\/em>[Table<\/a>]\u2026 Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; the Israelites served as his soldiers, attendants, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces <\/em>[Table<\/a>],12<\/sup><\/a> during an unprecedented time of peace.\u00a0 The work crews Solomon sent to the forests of Lebanon may have been Israelites.\u00a0 One month on and two months off may not be the best work schedule imaginable,13<\/sup><\/a> but is it burdensome enough to risk a violent revolution?<\/p>\n The more I considered these things in the simple terms of material cause and effect\u2014Solomon worked the people too hard, so they rebelled against him\u2014the less I was convinced.\u00a0 Yes, kings are a burden on the people; that was God\u2019s point, after all.\u00a0 But this particular king didn\u2019t seem harsh enough to cause a rebellion.\u00a0 I began to wonder, if God wanted to punish Solomon for sin by dividing his kingdom in his son\u2019s reign, how would He do it?\u00a0 How could He get people to rebel against this king?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>Addendum:<\/strong> August 28, 2021
\nThe following differences between the Masoretic text and Septuagint deserve to be highlighted:<\/p>\n