Intro. The wisest man in the Bible.
According to 1 Kings 4:29-34, God gave Solomon a wisdom as vast as the sand of the sea, surpassing that of all peoples. The monarch composed three thousand proverbs and fifteen hundred hymns, mastering knowledge about botany and zoology, which attracted kings and peoples from everywhere. His "wisdom" reflects practical and mystical prudence; "intelligence" is the discernment between good and evil; and "knowledge" represents the breadth of the mind. These gifts enabled him to build a universal Temple and to act as an ombudsman of humanity, personified in the famous trial of the two mothers. At the end of his life, his openness to the cults of foreign wives is interpreted by some as a sign of tolerance. In short, Solomon integrates scientific knowledge with social justice and transcendence, becoming the archetype of the wise ruler who seeks harmony between knowledge of nature and moral rectitude in the leadership of his people.