SiTU MEMO 40

The name Salomon derives from the Hebrew “sjelomoh”, which means “The Peaceful One”. David, his father, had created a Jewish kingdom, with Jerusalem as its holy centre. David almost annihilated the Philistines and the promised land was Jewish. Salomon was destined to build the Temple, home for “the Ark of the Covenant”, a secret weapon. Designed by God and build by Moses.

Salomon was not peaceful at all. He ruled over a large part of the Middle-East and asked for, and got, tributaries from the surrounding powers. That's how he met the Queen of Sheba, who he ordered to come to Jerusalem. A 7 year journey!

God gave several gifts to Salomon. He was wise, of great intellect and he was a mighty sorcerer. God had given him powers over all the realms of creation. This made it possible for him to order demons. In one night they build the Temple for him. Decorated and painted, it was a wonder of the age. Being around 1000 BC.

The Temple was the navel of Judaism and every Jew had to go to Jerusalem at certain festivals, like pass-over. The city was crowded and filled with energy. The Temple must also have been some kind of slaughterhouse. Animal-sacrifice was common in those days. It were the Assyrians, that burned down Salomon's Temple. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple, but in the year 70 AD the Romans destroyed the Temple completely, never to be rebuild. For the Jews, it is extremely important, that a third Temple must be constructed. It's one of the conditions, which have to be forfilled, before the return of the Messiah. Unfortunately, the area is an important Muslim-sanctuary, called “the Dome of the Rock”. On that very spot, earth was created; on this stone Abraham would have sacrificed his son and did Mohammed have a vision of God in Heaven.

Archeologists have great doubts that there ever was a Temple built by Salomon. Jerusalem in those days was a tiny village and no foundations of palaces and a enormous Templehave been found. Recently a stone appeared on the black antique market. It bore a inscription, in which a Jewish king, claimed to have made reconstructions and reparations at the Temple of Solomon. Archeology is politics in Jerusalem and here was proof that Salomon's temple did exist and that the inscription was proof of his historical existence. The Jewish Museum bought the stone and before exhibiting this major artifact, they tried to prove the authenticity of the stone. The conclusion of the researchers was unanymous: the stone was fake!

Was David a king of the Jews? Exhibited in the National Museum is a stone with an inscription. It refers to a king, who clains to be “of the House of David”. Museum officials state, that they have no doubt about the autenthicity of the artifact.