During his reign, Solomon controlled the trade routes coming out of Edom, Arabia, India, Africa, and Judea; he constructed an elaborate and profitable web of alliances.
International commercial ties were established and developed to a very advanced degree. Roads were built to meet the new needs of world trade as well as a merchant fleet. Centralized and magnificent expression was given to the monotheistic religion of Israel through the erection of the Solomonic Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple complex also enabled Solomon to achieve legitimacy according to Near Eastern cultural expectations.
The building of the Temple began in about 959 BC, and took seven years to complete. It was a national project of immense size. To preserve the holiness of the Temple site, and minimize noise, most of the masonry and carpentry was completed elsewhere, before the components were assembled on the actual site.
“Solomon . . . . assigned 70,000 men to carry building supplies and 80,000 to cut stone from the hills. And he chose 3,600 men to supervise these workers.”(2 Chronicles 2:2).
David had already established a royal sanctuary on Mount Moriah at Jerusalem, and to Solomon as his heir fell the task of constructing a temple according to his orders, worthy of the Lord.
Temple
of Solomon
