petty
Aramaean
State
of
Zobah
was
drawn
into
the
war,
and
was
compelled
to
pay
tribute
(8'*).
Damascus,
whose
Inhabitants,
as
kinsfolk
of
the
people
of
Zobah,
tried
to
aid
the
latter,
was
finally
made
a
tributary
State
also
(8»ff-),
so
that
within
a
few
years
David
built
up
a
considerable
empire.
This
territory
he
did
not
attempt
to
organize
in
a
poUtical
way,
but,
according
to
the
universal
Oriental
custom
of
his
time,
he
ruled
it
through
tributary
native
princes.
Toi,
king
of
Hamath,
and
Hiram,
king
of
Tyre,
sent
embassies
to
welcome
David
into
the
brotherhood
of
kings.
Thus
Israel
became
united,
and
gained
a
recognized
position
among
the
nations.
This
success
was
possible
because
at
the
moment
Assyria
and
Egypt
were
both
weak.
In
the
former
country
the
period
of
weakness
which
followed
the
reign
of
the
great
Tiglath-pileser
I.
was
at
its
height,
while
in
the
latter
land
the
21st
dynasty,
with
its
dual
fine
of
rulers
at
Thebes
and
Tanis,
rendered
the
country
powerless
through
internal
dissensions.
David
upon
his
removal
to
Jerusalem
organized
his
court
upon
a
more
extensive
scale
than
Saul
had
ever
done,
and,
according
to
Oriental
custom,
increased
his
harem.
The
early
Semite
was
often
predisposed
to
sexual
weakness,
and
David
exhibited
the
frequent
bent
of
his
race.
His
sin
with
Bathsheba,
and
subsequent
treachery
to
her
husband
Uriah,
need
not
be
re-told.
David's
fondness
for
his
son
Absalom
and
his
lax
treat-ment
of
him
produced
more
dire
poUtical
consequences.
Absalom
led
a
rebellion
which
drove
the
king
from
Jerusalem
and
nearly
cost
him
his
throne.
David
on
this
occasion,
like
Ish-baal
before
him,
took
refuge
at
Mahanaim,
the
east
Jordanic
hinterland.
Here
David's
conduct
towards
the
rebellious
son
was
such
that,
but
for
the
fact
that
the
relentless
Joab
disregarded
the
express
commands
of
his
royal
master
and
put
Absalom
to
death
after
his
army
had
been
defeated,
it
is
doubtful
whether
Absalom
would
not
have
triumphed
in
the
end.
A
smaller
revolt
grew
out
of
this,
but
the
re-duction
of
Abel
near
Dan
in
the
north
finally
restored
David's
authority
throughout
the
land.
During
the
reign
of
David,
though
we
do
not
know
in
what
part
of
it,
two
misfortunes
befell
the
coimtry.
The
first
of
these
was
a
famine
for
three
successive
years
(2
S
21).
The
means
taken
to
win
back
the
favour
of
■Tahweh,
which
it
was
supposed
Israel
had
forfeited,
so
that
He
should
give
rain
again,
is
an
eloquent
com-mentary
on
the
barbarous
nature
of
the
age
and
the
primitive
character
of
its
religious
conceptions.
The
other
event
was
a
plague,
which
followed
an
attempt
of
David
to
take
a
census
(ch.
24),
and
which
the
IsraeUtes
accordingly
believed
Jahweh
had
sent
to
punish
the
king
for
presumptuously
introducing
such
an
innovation.
The
last
days
of
David
were
rendered
unquiet
by
the
attempt
of
his
son
Adonijah
to
seize
the
crown
(1
K
1).
Having,
however,
fixed
the
succession
upon
Solomon,
the
son
of
Bathsheba,
David
is
said
to
have
left
to
him
as
an
inheritance
the
duty
of
taking
vengeance
upon
Joab
and
Shimei
(1
K
2iff).
To
the
reign
of
David
subsequent
generations
looked
as
the
golden
age
of
Israel.
Never
again
did
the
bound-
aries
of
a
united
Israelitish
empire
extend
so
far.
These
boundaries,
magnified
a
little
by
fond
imagination,
became
the
ideal
limits
of
the
Promised
Land.
David
himself,
ideaUzed
by
later
ages,
became
the
prototype
of
the
Messiah.
The
reign
of
David
is
said
to
have
lasted
forty
years.
It
probably
extended
from
about
B.C.
1017
to
977.
14.
Reign
of
Solomon.
—
Probably
upon
the
accession
of
Solomon,
certainly
during
his
reign,
two
of
the
tribu-tary
States,
Edom
and
Damascus,
gained
their
inde-pendence
(1
K
ll»-25).
The
remainder
of
the
empire
of
David
was
held
by
Solomon
until
his
death.
Up
to
the
time
of
Solomon
the
Israelites
had
been
a
simple
rural
people
untouched
by
the
splendour
or
the
culture
of
the
world
outside.
Simple
shepherds
and
vine-dressers,
they
knew
nothing
of
the
splendours
of
Tyre
or
Babylon
or
Egypt,
and
had
never
possessed
wealth
enough
to
enjoy
such
splendours
had
they
known
them.
David
had
risen
from
the
people,
and
to
his
death
remained
a
simple
man
of
his
race.
Solomon,
born
in
the
purple,
determined
to
bring
his
kingdom
into
line
with
the
great
powers
of
the
world.
He
accordingly
consummated
a
marriage
with
the
daughter
of
Pharaoh,
probably
one
of
the
Pharaohs
of
the
Tanite
branch
of
the
21st
dynasty.
This
marriage
brought
him
into
touch
with
the
old
civiUzation
of
Egypt.
In
order
to
equip
his
capital
with
public
buildings
suitable
to
the
estate
of
such
an
empire,
Solomon
hired
Phoenician
architects,
and
constructed
a
palace
for
himself,
one
tor
the
daughter
of
Pharaoh,
and
a
Temple
of
such
mag-nificence
as
the
rustic
Israelites
had
never
seen.
Later
generations
have
overlaid
the
accounts
of
these,
espe-cially
of
the
Temple,
with
many
glosses,
increasing
the
impression
of
their
grandeur
(ct.
Temple),
but
there
is
no
doubt
that
in
the
way
of
luxury
they
far
surpassed
anything
previously
known
in
Israel.
The
whole
pile
was
approached
through
a
hypostyle
hall
built
on
Egyptian
models,
called
the
'house
of
the
forest
of
Lebanon,'
while
into
the
Temple
brazen
work
and
brazen
instru-ments
were
introduced,
in
fiagrant
violation
of
Israelitish
traditions.
Even
a
brazen
altar
of
burnt-offering
was
substituted
for
the
traditional
altar
of
stone.
Orna-ments
of
palm
trees
and
cherubim
such
as
adorned
the
temple
of
Melkart
at
Tyre
decorated
not
only
the
interior
of
the
Temple,
but
the
brazen
instruments
as
well.
These
religious
innovations
were
looked
upon
with
disfavour
by
many
of
Solomon's
contemporaries
(cf.
1
K
12281'),
and
the
buildings,
although
the
boast
of
a
later
age,
were
regarded
with
mingled
feelings
by
those
who
were
compelled
to
pay
the
taxes
by
which
they
were
erected.
Not
only
in
buildings
but
also
in
his
whole
establishment
did
Solomon
depart
from
the
simple
ways
of
his
father.
He
not
only
married
the
daughters
of
many
of
the
petty
Palestinian
kings
who
were
his
tributaries,
but
filled
his
harem
with
numerous
other
beauties
besides.
Prob-ably
the
statement
that
he
had
700
wives
and
300
concubines
(1
K
11')
is
the
exaggeration
of
a
later
writer,
but,
allowing
for
this,
his
harem
must
have
been
very
numerous.
His
method
of
Uving
was
of
course
in
accord
with
the
magnificent
buildings
which
he
had
erected.
To
support
this
splendour
the
old
system
of
taxation
was
inadequate,
and
a
new
method
had
to
be
devised.
The
whole
country
was
divided
into
twelve
districts,
each
of
which
was
placed
under
the
charge
of
a
tax-gatherer,
and
compelled
to
furnish
for
the
king's
house
the
provision
for
one
month
in
each
year
(1
K
4'-").
It
is
noteworthy
that
in
this
division
economic
conditions
rather
than
tribal
territories
were
followed.
Not
only
were
the
tribes
unequal
in
numbers,
but
the
territory
of
certain
sections
was
much
more
productive
than
that
of
others.
Solomon's
tax-collectors
were
placed
in
the
most
fertile
sections
of
the
land.
Solomon
is
also
said
to
have
departed
from
the
simple
ways
of
his
father
by
introducing
horses
and
chariots
for
his
use.
The
ass
is
the
animal
of
the
simple
Palestinian.
The
ancient
Hebrew
always
looked
askance
at
a
horse.
It
was
an
emblem
of
pride
and
luxury.
In
his
eyes
it
was
the
instrument
of
war,
not
of
peace.
The
intro-duction
of
this
luxury
further
estranged
many
of
Solomon's
non-Judsean
subjects.
His
wealth
was
increased
by
his
commerce
with
South
Arabia.
He
established
a
fleet
of
trading
vessels
on
the
Red
Sea,
manned
with
Phoenician
sailors
(1
K
Q^-).
Early
in
his
reign
Solomon
obtained
a
reputation
for
wisdom.
'
Wisdom
'
to
the
early
Hebrew
did
not
mean
philosophy,
but
practical
insight
into
human
nature
and
skill
in
the
management
of
people
(cf.
1
K
3"-'').
It
was
this
skill
that
enabled
him
to
hold
his
kingdom
intact
in
spite
of
his
many
innovations.
It
was
this
skill
that
in
the
later
traditions
made
Solomon,
for
the
Israelite,
the
typical
wise
man.
Although
we
cannot
