-
Use Cases
-
Resources
-
Pricing
Solomon Timeline
(c. 990 BCE – 931 BCE)Legends & Traditions
Book of Wisdom attributed to Solomon
100 BC
Rabbinical tradition attributes the Book of Wisdom (included within the Septuagint and recognized as part of a biblical canon by several churches) to Solomon, although this book was probably written in the 2nd century BCE.
Image source: Book of Wisdom
Gnostic Apocalypse of Adam refers to Solomon's demons
150
The Gnostic Apocalypse of Adam, which may date to the 1st or 2nd century, refers to a legend in which Solomon sends out an army of demons to seek a virgin who had fled from him, perhaps the earliest surviving mention of the later common tale that Solomon controlled demons and made them his slaves.
Image source: Apocalypse of Adam
Menelik I founds Ethiopian Solomonic dynasty
950
According to Ethiopian tradition, the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba became Menelik I, King of Axum, and founded a dynasty that would reign as the Jewish, then Christian, Empire of Ethiopia which lasted 2900 years until Haile Selassie was overthrown in 1974.
Image source: Menelik I
Solomonic lineage legitimizes Ethiopian monarchy
1270 - 1974
The claim to such a lineage and to possession of the Ark was an important source of legitimacy and prestige for the Ethiopian monarchy throughout the centuries and had important and lasting effects on Ethiopian culture.
Image source: Solomonic dynasty
Kebra Nagast recounts Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
1320
An Ethiopian account from the 14th century (Kebra Nagast) maintains that the Queen of Sheba had sexual relations with King Solomon and gave birth beside the Mai Bella stream in the province of Hamasien, Eritrea.
Image source: Kebra Nagast
Álvaro de Mendaña names the Solomon Islands
1568
The Solomon Islands, a country and archipelago in Melanesia, were named for King Solomon by the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña, who became the first European to see the islands in 1568, believing they held the gold of Ophir.
Image source: Solomon Islands
Testament of Solomon composed
50
Solomon is the subject of many later references and legends, most notably the Testament of Solomon, part of biblical apocrypha from the 1st century CE, which portrays him commanding demons to build the Temple.
Haile Selassie overthrown, ending Solomonic dynasty
1974
The dynasty founded by Menelik I, said to descend from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, reigned as the Jewish, then Christian, Empire of Ethiopia for 2900 years until Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown in 1974.
Image source: 1974 Ethiopian coup d'état
Historical Scholarship
Thompson argues Jerusalem became a state capital only mid-7th century BCE
650
Thompson goes further than other minimalist scholars, arguing that Jerusalem became a city and capable of being a state capital only in the mid-7th century BCE.
Yadin excavations at Hazor, Megiddo, Beit Shean and Gezer
1955 - 1960
Yigael Yadin's excavations at Hazor, Megiddo, Beit Shean and Gezer uncovered structures that he and others argued date from Solomon's reign, though others, such as Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman, argue they should be dated to the Omride period, more than a century later.
Image source: Yigael Yadin
Key Facts
- Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba, and he became king of Israel around 970 BCE.
- He is famously known for his exceptional wisdom, as illustrated by the biblical story of judging two mothers claiming the same child.
- Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, a central religious site for the Israelites, completed around 957 BCE.
- Under his rule, Israel experienced unprecedented prosperity, peace, and expanded trade, including alliances with neighboring kingdoms such as Phoenicia and Egypt.
- His reign ended around 931 BCE, after which the kingdom split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
Source
This Solomon timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.
Want a timeline like this one?
Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.