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<h3> CHAPTER 6. How Solomon Fortified The City Of Jerusalem, And Built Great Cities; And How He Brought Some Of The Canaanites Into Subjection, And Entertained The Queen Of Egypt And Of Ethiopia. </h3>
<p>1. Now when the king saw that the walls of Jerusalem stood in need of
being better secured, and made stronger, [for he thought the wails that
encompassed Jerusalem ought to correspond to the dignity of the city,] he
both repaired them, and made them higher, with great towers upon them; he
also built cities which might be counted among the strongest, Hazor and
Megiddo, and the third Gezer, which had indeed belonged to the
Philistines; but Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had made an expedition
against it, and besieged it, and taken it by force; and when he had slain
all its inhabitants, he utterly overthrew it, and gave it as a present to
his daughter, who had been married to Solomon; for which reason the king
rebuilt it, as a city that was naturally strong, and might be useful in
wars, and the mutations of affairs that sometimes happen. Moreover, he
built two other cities not far from it, Beth-horon was the name of one of
them, and Baalath of the other. He also built other cities that lay
conveniently for these, in order to the enjoyment of pleasures and
delicacies in them, such as were naturally of a good temperature of the
air, and agreeable for fruits ripe in their proper seasons, and well
watered with springs. Nay, Solomon went as far as the desert above Syria,
and possessed himself of it, and built there a very great city, which was
distant two days' journey from Upper Syria, and one day's journey from
Euphrates, and six long days' journey from Babylon the Great. Now the
reason why this city lay so remote from the parts of Syria that are
inhabited is this, that below there is no water to be had, and that it is
in that place only that there are springs and pits of water. When he had
therefore built this city, and encompassed it with very strong walls, he
gave it the name of Tadmor, and that is the name it is still called by at
this day among the Syrians, but the Greeks name it Palmyra.</p>
<p>2. Now Solomon the king was at this time engaged in building these cities.
But if any inquire why all the kings of Egypt from Menes, who built
Memphis, and was many years earlier than our forefather Abraham, until
Solomon, where the interval was more than one thousand three hundred
years, were called Pharaohs, and took it from one Pharaoh that lived after
the kings of that interval, I think it necessary to inform them of it, and
this in order to cure their ignorance, and to make the occasion of that
name manifest. Pharaoh, in the Egyptian tongue, signifies a king <SPAN href="#link8note-15" name="link8noteref-15" id="link8noteref-15"><small>15</small></SPAN>
but I suppose they made use of other names from their childhood; but when
they were made kings, they changed them into the name which in their own
tongue denoted their authority; for thus it was also that the kings of
Alexandria, who were called formerly by other names, when they took the
kingdom, were named Ptolemies, from their first king. The Roman emperors
also were from their nativity called by other names, but are styled
Caesars, their empire and their dignity imposing that name upon them, and
not suffering them to continue in those names which their fathers gave
them. I suppose also that Herodotus of Halicarnassus, when he said there
were three hundred and thirty kings of Egypt after Menes, who built
Memphis, did therefore not tell us their names, because they were in
common called Pharaohs; for when after their death there was a queen
reigned, he calls her by her name Nicaule, as thereby declaring, that
while the kings were of the male line, and so admitted of the same nature,
while a woman did not admit the same, he did therefore set down that her
name, which she could not naturally have. As for myself, I have discovered
from our own books, that after Pharaoh, the father-in-law of Solomon, no
other king of Egypt did any longer use that name; and that it was after
that time when the forenamed queen of Egypt and Ethiopia came to Solomon,
concerning whom we shall inform the reader presently; but I have now made
mention of these things, that I may prove that our books and those of the
Egyptians agree together in many things.</p>
<p>3. But king Solomon subdued to himself the remnant of the Canaanites that
had not before submitted to him; those I mean that dwelt in Mount Lebanon,
and as far as the city Hamath; and ordered them to pay tribute. He also
chose out of them every year such as were to serve him in the meanest
offices, and to do his domestic works, and to follow husbandry; for none
of the Hebrews were servants [in such low employments]: nor was it
reasonable, that when God had brought so many nations under their power,
they should depress their own people to such mean offices of life, rather
than those nations; while all the Israelites were concerned in warlike
affairs, and were in armor; and were set over the chariots and the horses,
rather than leading the life of slaves. He appointed also five hundred and
fifty rulers over those Canaanites who were reduced to such domestic
slavery, who received the entire care of them from the king, and
instructed them in those labors and operations wherein he wanted their
assistance.</p>
<p>4. Moreover, the king built many ships in the Egyptian Bay of the Red Sea,
in a certain place called Ezion-geber: it is now called Berenice, and is
not far from the city Eloth. This country belonged formerly to the Jews,
and became useful for shipping from the donations of Hiram king of Tyre;
for he sent a sufficient number of men thither for pilots, and such as
were skillful in navigation, to whom Solomon gave this command: That they
should go along with his own stewards to the land that was of old called
Ophir, but now the Aurea Chersonesus, which belongs to India, to fetch him
gold. And when they had gathered four hundred talents together, they
returned to the king again.</p>
<p>5. There was then a woman queen of Egypt and Ethiopia; <SPAN href="#link8note-16" name="link8noteref-16" id="link8noteref-16"><small>16</small></SPAN>
she was inquisitive into philosophy, and one that on other accounts also
was to be admired. When this queen heard of the virtue and prudence of
Solomon, she had a great mind to see him; and the reports that went every
day abroad induced her to come to him, she being desirous to be satisfied
by her own experience, and not by a bare hearing; [for reports thus heard
are likely enough to comply with a false opinion, while they wholly depend
on the credit of the relators;] so she resolved to come to him, and that
especially in order to have a trial of his wisdom, while she proposed
questions of very great difficulty, and entreated that he would solve
their hidden meaning. Accordingly she came to Jerusalem with great
splendor and rich furniture; for she brought with her camels laden with
gold, with several sorts of sweet spices, and with precious stones. Now,
upon the king's kind reception of her, he both showed a great desire to
please her, and easily comprehending in his mind the meaning of the
curious questions she propounded to him, he resolved them sooner than any
body could have expected. So she was amazed at the wisdom of Solomon, and
discovered that it was more excellent upon trial than what she had heard
by report beforehand; and especially she was surprised at the fineness and
largeness of his royal palace, and not less so at the good order of the
apartments, for she observed that the king had therein shown great wisdom;
but she was beyond measure astonished at the house which was called the
Forest of Lebanon, as also at the magnificence of his daily table, and the
circumstances of its preparation and ministration, with the apparel of his
servants that waited, and the skillful and decent management of their
attendance: nor was she less affected with those daily sacrifices which
were offered to God, and the careful management which the priests and
Levites used about them. When she saw this done every day, she was in the
greatest admiration imaginable, insomuch that she was not able to contain
the surprise she was in, but openly confessed how wonderfully she was
affected; for she proceeded to discourse with the king, and thereby owned
that she was overcome with admiration at the things before related; and
said, "All things indeed, O king, that came to our knowledge by report,
came with uncertainty as to our belief of them; but as to those good
things that to thee appertain, both such as thou thyself possessest, I
mean wisdom and prudence, and the happiness thou hast from thy kingdom,
certainly the same that came to us was no falsity; it was not only a true
report, but it related thy happiness after a much lower manner than I now
see it to be before my eyes. For as for the report, it only attempted to
persuade our hearing, but did not so make known the dignity of the things
themselves as does the sight of them, and being present among them. I
indeed, who did not believe what was reported, by reason of the multitude
and grandeur of the things I inquired about, do see them to be much more
numerous than they were reported to be. Accordingly I esteem the Hebrew
people, as well as thy servants and friends, to be happy, who enjoy thy
presence and hear thy wisdom every day continually. One would therefore
bless God, who hath so loved this country, and those that inhabit therein,
as to make thee king over them."</p>
<p>6. Now when the queen had thus demonstrated in words how deeply the king
had affected her, her disposition was known by certain presents, for she
gave him twenty talents of gold, and an immense quantity of spices and
precious stones. (They say also that we possess the root of that balsam
which our country still bears by this woman's gift.) <SPAN href="#link8note-17" name="link8noteref-17" id="link8noteref-17"><small>17</small></SPAN>
Solomon also repaid her with many good things, and principally by
bestowing upon her what she chose of her own inclination, for there was
nothing that she desired which he denied her; and as he was very generous
and liberal in his own temper, so did he show the greatness of his soul in
bestowing on her what she herself desired of him. So when this queen of
Ethiopia had obtained what we have already given an account of, and had
again communicated to the king what she brought with her, she returned to
her own kingdom.</p>
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