[Judaic] Solomon (Hebrew: Shelomoh, "peaceful") was also called Jedidiah, which means "beloved of Israel." He was the son of King David born of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:24; 1 Chronicles 3:5); he succeeded his father on the throne ruling approximately from 965 to 925 BCE. According to Biblical accounts Solomon was anointed by Nathan, the prophet, and Zadok, the priest. His kingdom extended from the Egyptian boarders to the Euphrates (1 Kings 5:1). The vast area quickly prospered from trade. By this time travel greatly increased as it was then possible for caravans to cross the desert with two and three day supply of water. Ample archeological evidence indicates that there were extensive trade routes between the Fertile Crescent and southern Arabia. Solomon monopolized the entire caravan trade between Arabia and Mesopotamia and from the Red Sea to Palmyra or Tadmor (2 Chronicles 8:4), an oasis 140 miles north east of Damascus that he built (1 Kings 9:18). Controlling the trade routes to both the ...
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