Bible Study

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

How large was Israel under Solomon’s rule? During the reign of Solomon, Israel extended into the Sinai desert near Egypt in the south and to… Read More »How large was Israel under Solomon’s rule?

No witnesses. Under normal circumstances, priests and judges would have presided over the case between the two prostitutes (3:16–28). However, because there were no witnesses… Read More »No witnesses

Why did Adonijah ask for Abishag? Marrying David’s concubine (2:17) would have given Adonijah a claim to the throne.

Horns of the altar. Many ancient Near Eastern cultures regarded shrines and temples as places where a person could seek safety and refuge. In Hebrew… Read More »Horns of the altar

God promised to establish David’s kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:1–17). Although Adonijah was David’s eldest living son, Nathan and Bathsheba’s actions ensured that Solomon’s claim… Read More »Forever