Queen mother
The role of the queen mother was an important one in the royal court. She might serve as an adviser to the king and also… Read More »Queen mother
The role of the queen mother was an important one in the royal court. She might serve as an adviser to the king and also… Read More »Queen mother
What were high places? High places (14:23) were worship sites for local pagan gods. Before the temple was built in Jerusalem, Israelites often offered sacrifices… Read More »What were high places?
“Man of God,” meaning “prophet,” is used 37 times in 1–2 Kings. Though God judged the Judean prophet’s disobedience (13:1–32), his prophecy against the temple… Read More »“Man of God,”
Lions (13:24) were once plentiful in the ancient Near East. The last recorded sighting of a lion in this area was in the thirteenth century… Read More »Lions
How long did the United Kingdom of Israel last? All 12 tribes of Israel were together as one nation for a total of 120 years:… Read More »How long did the United Kingdom of Israel last?
From ancient times, Damascus has been a strategic location. It was a primary stopping point along the main caravan route that ran from Africa to… Read More »Damascus
666 talents of gold (10:14) was a lot of gold—nearly 25 tons! Solomon accumulated lots of gold and other valuable resources through his extensive trading… Read More »666 talents
The building and dedication of the temple was perhaps the most significant event of King Solomon’s reign. The temple replaced the Tent of Meeting and… Read More »Temple
Praying toward Jerusalem (8:29) was a practice started by Solomon that many Jews around the world still follow today. It comes from Solomon’s prayer of… Read More »Praying toward Jerusalem
The House of the Forest of Lebanon was part of Solomon’s palace. It was much larger than the temple and designed to be a treasury… Read More »The House of the Forest of Lebanon
No tools of iron? The Lord had forbidden the use of iron tools in the construction of altars (Ex. 20:25). As they built the temple,… Read More »No tools of iron?
Dressed stones (5:17) are stones that have been cut and polished so that they have smooth faces and edges. This type of masonry was time-consuming… Read More »Dressed stones