The Bible in 1 Kings 11:42 and 2 Chronicles 9:30 note that King Solomon reigned for 40 years, but do not give his age at death.
Nor his age when crowned.
Crowned at Bar
Mitzvah age
In I Chronicles 22:5, King David discusses his
preparation for the Temple and notes re: Solomon that he is “young and tender”:
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ה וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד, שְׁלֹמֹה בְנִי נַעַר וָרָךְ,
וְהַבַּיִת לִבְנוֹת לַיהוָה לְהַגְדִּיל לְמַעְלָה לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת
לְכָל-הָאֲרָצוֹת, אָכִינָה נָּא לוֹ; וַיָּכֶן דָּוִיד לָרֹב, לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ. |
5 And David said: 'Solomon my
son is young and tender, and the house that is
to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of
glory throughout all countries; I will therefore make preparations for him.'
So David prepared abundantly before his death. |
In 1 Chronicles 29:1 David repeats this reference to
Solomon:
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א וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ לְכָל-הַקָּהָל, שְׁלֹמֹה בְנִי אֶחָד
בָּחַר-בּוֹ אֱלֹהִים נַעַר וָרָךְ;
וְהַמְּלָאכָה גְדוֹלָה--כִּי לֹא לְאָדָם הַבִּירָה, כִּי לַיהוָה אֱלֹהִים. |
1 And David the king said unto
all the congregation: 'Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the
palace is not for man, but for the LORD God. |
And in 1 Kings 3:7 Solomon, in his first vision and
communication with God the Eternal, refers to himself as “a little child” נַעַר קָטֹן
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ז וְעַתָּה, יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי, אַתָּה הִמְלַכְתָּ אֶת-עַבְדְּךָ, תַּחַת דָּוִד
אָבִי; וְאָנֹכִי נַעַר קָטֹן, לֹא אֵדַע צֵאת
וָבֹא. |
7 And now, O LORD my God, Thou
hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. |
In brief, then, there are three (3) Biblical
quotations which state Solomon at his coronation was a very young person.
Rashi in his commentary to 1 Kings 3:7 calculates that
Solomon was just twelve (12) years old when crowned – i.e. just pre-Bar Mitzvah
age and not considered an adult in Jewish Law.[i] And Radak does a similar—age 12 --
calculation.[ii]
But there are problems with such an early age reign.
As pointed out in the University of Chicago Press
Journal note on Solomon’s age at coronation, Rashi’s (and Radak’s) calculation
assumes the events recorded in 2 Samuel’s re David’s later years occurred back
to back without any time gaps.[iii]
In fact, the full context of the 1 Kings 3: 7-9 verse
suggests the ‘child’ reference is metaphorical
as it is the lead in to the ensuing clause: “I know not how to go out or come in” לֹא אֵדַע צֵאת
וָבֹא. [iv] and the ensuing details.
Solomon, then, is asking God for
the wisdom to judge and lead his people properly: to know between Good and Bad.
(1 Kings 3:9).
Why? Because he is a novice
at being a king – like a little child.
It is similar to the metaphorical reference by the
prophet Jeremiah in Jeriemiah 1:6-7
where the adult prophet seeks to avoid his mission claiming to be ‘a child’.
It is also noteworthy that when the 1 Kings 3:7-9 text
of Solomon’s communication with God the Eternal is repeated as 2 Chronicles 1: 8-10,
there is no mention of Solomon being a ‘child’.
·
2 Chronicles 1: 8-10
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ח וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁלֹמֹה, לֵאלֹהִים,
אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ עִם-דָּוִיד אָבִי, חֶסֶד גָּדוֹל; וְהִמְלַכְתַּנִי,
תַּחְתָּיו. |
8 And Solomon said unto
God: 'Thou hast shown great kindness unto David my father, and hast made me
king in his stead. |
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ט עַתָּה, יְהוָה
אֱלֹהִים--יֵאָמֵן דְּבָרְךָ, עִם דָּוִיד אָבִי: כִּי אַתָּה,
הִמְלַכְתַּנִי, עַל-עַם, רַב כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ. |
9 Now, O LORD God, let Thy
promise unto David my father be established; for Thou hast made me king over
a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. |
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י עַתָּה, חָכְמָה וּמַדָּע
תֶּן-לִי, וְאֵצְאָה לִפְנֵי הָעָם-הַזֶּה, וְאָבוֹאָה: כִּי-מִי
יִשְׁפֹּט, אֶת-עַמְּךָ הַזֶּה הַגָּדוֹל. |
10 Give me now wisdom and
knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can
judge this Thy people, that is so great?' |
That Solomon was far older when he
had this vision of 1 Kings 3:7-9 is indicated by a number of facts given in the
text beforehand.
1.
1 Kings 3:1 begins by noting Solomon had
already married a daughter of Pharaoh (literally, he married himself to
pharaoh by taking pharaoh’s daughter as a wife).
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א וַיִּתְחַתֵּן שְׁלֹמֹה, אֶת-פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם; וַיִּקַּח אֶת-בַּת-פַּרְעֹה, וַיְבִיאֶהָ אֶל-עִיר
דָּוִד, עַד כַּלֹּתוֹ לִבְנוֹת אֶת-בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶת-בֵּית יְהוָה, וְאֶת-חוֹמַת
יְרוּשָׁלִַם סָבִיב. |
1 And
Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by marriage, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David,
until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the
LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. |
That a
mighty pharaoh would make such a marital alliance with a ‘little child’ is
highly unlikely.
And the 1
Kings 3:7-9 vision took place some time after this marriage and also after the
events of 1 Kings chapter 2.
Events
sandwiched between two statements asserting his kingship was now – finally –
secure.
1 Kings 2
As the
Radak notes [v] for
Solomon’s throne to be secure, he had to carry out King David’s last wishes as
stated in 1 Kings 2: 5-9.
This
included eliminating, i.e., killing Joab the former army commander – which
Solomon does in 1 Kings 2:29-34.
Solomon also follows David’s advice re: Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a kinsman
of King Saul,[vi] and
orders him to live in Jerusalem (so Solomon could watch him) and threatens to
have him killed if he ever left the city. (1 Kings 2: 36-38)
And 3 years later Shimei left Jerusalem
(supposedly) to recover some escaped slaves that had fled to enemy Philistine
territory, and he was put to death by Solomon when ordered to return (as
Solomon did not believe the excuse) (1 Kings 2:39-46).
Solomon also banished the High Priest Abiathar (1 Kings 2:26-27) and replaced him with Zadok as High Priest (1 Kings 2:35)
And, most
notably, he orders the death of his older half-brother Adonijah when he
asks to marry King David’s final companion and bedmate , Abishag the Shunammite . The marital request is done cleverly by
Adonijah: through Solomon’s mother who naively takes Adonijah’s request as a
sign of love. But Solomon realizes such a union would further Adonijah’s claim
to the throne and orders his execution.
(1 Kings 2: 13-25).
So, before Solomon went off to Gibeon to
worship at the tabernacle in 1 Kings
chapter 3, where he had his vision and communication with God the Eternal, and where
he refers to himself as ‘a child’, he had been extremely busy for a number of
years as king:
In chronological order:
·
Executing Joab
the commander of the army
·
Executing his
older half-brother, Adonijah, after the latter’s clever ruse failed to trick
Solomon though he had gotten the queen mother, Bath Sheba, to support his
marriage plan.
·
He exiled the
high priest Abiathar and replaced him with Zadok
·
he had Shimei,
King Saul’s kinsman, killed after Shimei had resided in Jerusalem on Solomon’s
orders for 3 years.
·
And Solomon was
able to convince the mighty Pharaoh of Egypt to allow Solomon to become his
son-in-law.
All this
before the vision at Gibeon and self-reference as a ‘little child’.
Put
simply, Solomon spent a number of years ‘solidifying‘ his rule as king: through
the elimination of old opponents of King David and new threats to his own
throne. Events that probably took far
more than 3-4 years, and, if the Bible text is to be believed, all were actions
he took independently and on his own
deliberation.
Solomon,
from the day he sat on the throne, was not under the control of any regent or
crown queen mother. He acted as an adult
king.
Consequently,
the idea suggested by various modern historians that he was in his 20’s or 30’s
on coronation[vii] has
merit.
Especially
as he was succeeded by his son Rehoboam who
was age
41 when crowned to succeed Solomon -- as 1 Kings 14: 21 and 2
Chronicles 12:13 concur, and so too the Greek Septuagint, 3 Kings: 14: 21 and 2 Chronicles 12:13).
Josephus
in his Jewish Antiquities, Book VIII,
ch. 10, section 4 similarly notes that after a reign of 17 years (as per the Bible)
Rehoboam died at age 57.[viii]
So, if
Solomon reigned for exactly 40 years, then Rehoboam must have been born to
Solomon a year before Solomon was made king.
Again,
suggesting Solomon was at least in his 20’s when he became king.
This
would also explain the Biblical text that states Solomon was old long before he
died: when he built pagan shrines for his pagan wives and joined in their
services (1 Kings 11:4-8).
CONCLUSION
The tradition that Solomon was age 12 or so
when crowned king – based on the wording of “little child” 1 Kings 3:7 and “young
and tender” in 1 Chronicles 22:5 and 29:1, does not hold up to scrutiny.
Rehoboam’s age of 41 when crowned alone
refutes this, as does the Biblical accounts of Solomon’s numerous actions once
king to secure his throne (1 Kings 2:
12-46) without any over-the-shoulder guidance of a regent or queen mother.
And a royal marriage with Egypt as well.
All this was done prior to his Divine vision
and calling himself ‘a little child’.
Age at death
If Solomon ascended the throne at age 12 as Rashi
and Radak calculated, then he would have been just age 52 years at his death.
Too young to be called “old” in his later
years as per 1 Kings 11: 4 and concurring Greek Septuagint 3 kings 11: 4.
It is far more likely based on the full Biblical
evidence that Solomon, free of the ravages of war and hiding his father David
had to endure, may even have outlived him.
David died at age 70 after 40 years of
kingship, and Solomon after 40 years died at least in his 60’s and, possibly,
even in his 70’s.
________________
PS: I
have left to this endpoint mentioning the text that has come down to us from Josephus
re: Solomon.
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews Book VIII ch 7, section 8.
So Solomon died when he was already an old man, having reigned eighty years, (36) and lived ninety-four. He was buried in
Jerusalem: having been superior to all other Kings in happiness, and riches,
and wisdom; excepting that when he was growing into years he was deluded by women, and
transgressed the law, concerning which transgressions, and the miseries which
befell the Hebrews thereby, I think proper to discourse at another
opportunity. (37)[ix]
Yes, Josephus’ text states Solomon died in
extreme old age: at age 94, after
ruling a remarkable 80 years.
It also means he was crowned at
age 14.
Now no Biblical passage (as
cited above) nor Greek Septuagint translation ever deviates from a 40 year reign for
Solomon.
And, as argued above, Solomon
was far older than age 14 when he became king and married pharaoh’s daughter.
Living to age 70 and even age 80
in that era (due to wars, plague and ordinary diseases) was rare enough to be
noted in Psalm 90 verse 10.
יְמֵֽי־שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ בָהֶ֥ם שִׁבְעִ֪ים שָׁנָ֡ה
וְאִ֤ם בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀ שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים שָׁנָ֗ה
וְ֭רׇהְבָּם עָמָ֣ל וָאָ֑וֶן כִּי־גָ֥ז חִ֝֗ישׁ
וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃ [x]
The days of our lives are seventy
years and extra-ordinarily eighty years;
and most of them are troubled and sorrowed.
And they pass by speedily, and fly away.
(My literal translation.)
Age 70 was considered ripe old
age, and reaching age 80 was ‘extra-ordinary’.
Rabbinic tradition has
elaborated on this:
Talmud Bavli, Moed Katan 28a: 10 [xi]
One who dies at the age of seventy has reached old age. One who dies at the age of eighty dies in strength, as it is written: “The days of our years are seventy, or if by
reason of strength, eighty years” (Psalms 90:10). Rabba said: Not only is death at the
age of fifty a sign of karet, but even death from fifty to sixty years of age is death by karet. And the reason that all of these years were not counted in
connection with karet is due to
the honor of Samuel from Ramah, who died at the age of fifty-two.[xii]
Talmud Bavli, Tractate Semachot 3:8[xiii]
If one dies under fifty, that is death by kareth; at
fifty-two, that is the death of Samuel of Ramah; at sixty, that is the death
referred to in the Torah, as it is stated, Thou shalt come to thy grave in
ripe age; at seventy, that is the death of the hoary head, as it is stated,
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; at eighty, that is
the death of a vigorous old man, as it is stated, Or even by strength
fourscore years. More than this is a life of trouble, for so Barzilai
the Gileadite said to David, I am this day fourscore years old; can I discern
between good and bad?
In brief, there is no rabbinic tradition that
Solomon lived to age 94 -- nor even age 80.
If he had reached such an exceptional old age, it
would have been commented upon.
The Josephus text re
Solomon, Antiquities of the Jews Book VIII ch 7, section 8 is an ‘error’ and probably a later scribal
interpolated ‘corruption’.
[i][i]
I Kings 3:7 with Rashi (sefaria.org) right sidebar Commentaries
[ii] I Kings 3:7 with Radak (sefaria.org) right sidebar Commentaries
[iv] The expression “how to go out
or come in” appears two other times in the Bible referring to being the
nation’s leader and guide.
Most notably Num. 27:16-17 where Moses asks God to
appoint his replacement:
And in
1 Samuel 18:15-16 the expression is used re David and his success as a military
general:
[v] I
Kings 2:12 with Radak (sefaria.org) Comm3ntaries, right sidebar
[xii] The
tradition that Samuel the prophet died at age 52 is untenable, as I have argued in an earlier blog “How old was
Samuel when he died --Talmud Bavli
tractate Taanit 5b?”
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