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Location of the Book of Solomon in the Bible

The "Book of Solomon" is not a single book in the biblical canon, but rather a collective term often used to refer to several books traditionally attributed to King Solomon. These include the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon (also known as Song of Songs) [4]. Some traditions also associate certain Psalms with Solomon, such as Psalm 72 [14].

Solomon, the son of David, reigned in Jerusalem [15]. Jerusalem, also called Salem, Ariel, and Jebus, is described as a "mountain city enthroned on a mountain fastness" [2]. It is located 32 miles from the sea and 18 miles from the Jordan River [1]. Solomon's reign saw the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem [17]. This temple was built on Mount Moriah, which is the eastern eminence of Jerusalem, separated from Mount Zion by the Tyropoeon valley [3]. Some scholars suggest that Mount Moriah might be the same location in the land of Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac [13, 3].

Before the Temple's construction, the Tent of Meeting, which Moses had made, was located at Gibeon [5]. Solomon traveled from Gibeon to Jerusalem to reign over Israel [6]. Upon the completion of the Temple, Solomon brought the Ark of the Lord's covenant from the City of David, which is Zion, into the Temple in Jerusalem [7]. Within the Temple, the Babylonian Talmud describes the placement of various items, noting that the Table of Moses and Solomon's ten tables were situated in the north of the Sanctuary [8, 12, 16]. The Talmud also discusses the partition Solomon prepared within the Temple, behind which the Ark was placed [9, 10].

The Book of Proverbs explicitly attributes its authorship to Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, in its superscriptions [4]. While the last two chapters are assigned to other authors, the main body of the book is generally considered Solomonic [4]. The Song of Solomon is also traditionally attributed to him. The wisdom granted to Solomon by God, as narrated in 1 Kings, is a central theme in understanding these books [11].

Sources

  1. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jerusalem — (the habitation of peace), Jerusalem stands in latitude 31 degrees 46' 35" north and longitude 35 degrees 18' 30" east of Greenwich. It is 32 miles distant from the sea and 18 from the Jordan, 20 from Hebron and 36 from Samaria. "In several respects," says Dean Stanley, "its situation is singular among the cities of Palestine. Its elevation is remarkable; occasioned not from its being on the summit of one of the numerous hills of Judea, like most of the towns and villages, but because it is on the edge of one of the highest table-lands of the country. Hebr”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jerusalem — Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the "holy city;" by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning "the holy;" once "the city of Judah" (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means "possession of peace," or "foundation of peace." The dual form probably refers to the two mountains on which it was built, viz., Zion and Moriah; or, as some suppose, to the two parts of the city, the "upper" and the "lower city." Jerusalem is a "mountain city enthroned on a mountain fastness" (comp. Ps. 68:15, 16; 87:1; 125:2; 76:1, 2; 122:3”
  3. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Moriah — (chosen by Jehovah). + The land of Moriah--On "one of the mountains" in this district took place the sacrifice of Isaac. (Genesis 22:2) Its position is doubtful, some thinking it to be Mount MOriah, others that Moreh, near Shechem, is meant. [See [885]Mount, [886]Mount, Mountain MORIAH] + Mount Moriah .--The elevation on which Solomon built the temple, where God appeared to David "in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." it is the Eastern eminence of Jerusalem, separated from Mount Zion by the Tyropoeon valley. The tope was levelled by Solomon, and im”
  4. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Proverbs, Book Of — The title of this book in Hebrew is taken from its first word, mashal, which originally meant "a comparison." It is sometimes translated parable, sometimes proverb as here. The superscriptions which are affixed to several portions of the book, in chs. (Proverbs 1:1; 10:1; 25:1) attribute the authorship of those portions to Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. With the exception of the last two chapters, which are distinctly assigned to other author it is probable that the statement of the superscriptions is in the main correct, and that the ma”
  5. 2 Chronicles “So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the Tent of Meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the wilderness. -- 2 Chronicles 1:3”
  6. 2 Chronicles “So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel. -- 2 Chronicles 1:13”
  7. I Kings “I Kings 8:1 (BBE) — Then Solomon sent for all the responsible men of Israel, and all the chiefs of the tribes, and the heads of families of the children of Israel, to come to him in Jerusalem to take the ark of the Lord's agreement up out of the town of David, which is Zion.”
  8. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 98b.6: Rather, the verse means that the Table of Moses was placed in the middle of the north section of the Sanctuary, while five of Solomon’s tables were placed to the right of Moses’ Table and the other five were placed to the left of Moses’ Table. All of the tables were in the north of the Sanctuary.”
  9. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 176a.103:9: The Gemara explains the dilemma. Should it be read: And Solomon prepared a partition in the midst of the House within to set there, meaning that he placed the partition within the Temple and behind it he prepared a space to place the Ark, and the partition itself did not possess the sanctity of the Holy of Holies? Or perhaps this is what the verse states: A partition in the midst of the House within, i.e., the verse ends there, while the rest of the text forms a new verse. According to this interpretation, the place of the partition itself was part of the Ho”
  10. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 52a.9: The Gemara explains the dilemma. Should it be read: And Solomon prepared a partition in the midst of the House within to set there, meaning that he placed the partition within the Temple and behind it he prepared a space to place the Ark, and the partition itself did not possess the sanctity of the Holy of Holies? Or perhaps this is what the verse states: A partition in the midst of the House within, i.e., the verse ends there, while the rest of the text forms a new verse. According to this interpretation, the place of the partition itself was part of the Holy of”
  11. 1 Kings (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Kings 3:4: 3:4-15 God’s gift of wisdom to Solomon is narrated as a chiasm (a symmetrical arrangement in which sections A and B are mirrored by sections B’ and A’), drawing the focus in on Solomon’s transaction with the Lord: A: While he sacrificed at Gibeon . . . the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream (3:4-5). B: Solomon prayed for wisdom to govern his people equitably and efficiently (3:6-9). B’: The Lord favorably answered his request and granted additional blessings (3:10-14). A’: Solomon awoke from the dream and offered additional sacrifices to the Lord (3:15). 3:4 The ”
  12. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 99a.4: The Gemara answers: Do you maintain that the Table of Moses resided together with the other ten tables, i.e., parallel to them? It was not so. The Table of Moses was situated to the west of the other tables, in the space corresponding to the space between the two rows of tables, and its width should not be added to the width of the two rows of Solomon’s tables. All the tables were therefore situated in the north of the Sanctuary. Since the Temple was built on terrain that sloped downward from west to east, this means that the Table of Moses was raised above t”
  13. 2 Chronicles (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 3:1: Here is, I. The place where the temple was built. Solomon was neither at liberty to choose nor at a loss to fix the place. It was before determined (Ch1 22:1), which was an ease to his mind. 1. It must be at Jerusalem; for that was the place where God had chosen to put his name there. The royal city must be the holy city. There must be the testimony of Israel; for there are set the thrones of judgment, Psa 122:4, Psa 122:5. 2. It must be on Mount Moriah, which, some think, was that very place in the land of Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac, Gen 22:2. So the”
  14. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. XXXIV.--NOR DOES PS. LXXII. APPLY TO SOLOMON, WHOSE FAULTS CHRISTIANS SHUDDER AT. (part 2): from the man of power, and the needy that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy: He shall redeem their souls from usury and injustice, and His name shall be honourable before them. And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, and they shall pray continually for Him: they shall bless Him all the day. And there shall be a foundation on the eart”
  15. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 20.--OF DAVID'S REIGN AND MERIT; AND OF HIS SON SOLOMON, AND THAT PROPHECY RELATING TO CHRIST WHICH IS FOUND EITHER IN THOSE BOOKS WHICH ARE JOINED TO THOSE WRITTEN BY HIM, OR IN THOSE WHICH ARE (part 1): David therefore reigned in the earthly Jerusalem, a son of the heavenly Jerusalem, much praised by the divine testimony; for even his faults are overcome by great piety, through the most salutary humility of his repentance, that he is altogether one of those of whom he himself says, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgive”
  16. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Menachot 98b.21: The Gemara replies: But according to your reasoning, the last question applies according to the one who said the tables were positioned from east to west as well: Where would one place the Table built by Moses? If the ten tables of Solomon occupied the entire twenty cubits of the inner half of the Sanctuary, how could Moses’ Table be placed in the middle of the ten tables?”
  17. Introduction “1 Enoch (Book of Enoch), Introduction, section 109: rest? Footnote 246: _in it._ Footnote 247: _after it has been completed._ Footnote 248: The deluge. Footnote 249: Abraham. Footnote 250: The Law. Footnote 251: Temple of Solomon. Footnote 252: Nebuchadnezzar. Footnote 253: Babylonian captivity. Footnote 254: The preceding six verses, viz. 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th, are taken from between the 14th and 15th verses of the nineteenth chapter, where they are to be found in the MSS. But the sense in this place seemed so manifestly to require them here, that I have ventured to transpose”
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