Solomon Is Anointed King

c. 970 BCE

Read while you listen

Kingship in ancient times was a highly pursued and coveted position and jealous ambitious aspirants from within the court constantly devised plans to supplant the king and even kill off his descendants.

Absolom, one of King David’s sons, tried in a failed attempt to take the kingship from his father. So when Nathan the prophet and Batsheva (Solomon’s mother) heard that Adoniyah, King David’s eldest son was planning to do the same, they reminded King David of his promise that Solomon was to inherit the throne.

Watch the Megallim Video courtesy of George Blumenthal and the Gol Family showing the suspenseful events that led to ensuring Solomon’s place on the throne.

City of David Megalim Institute, Courtesy of George Blumenthal and the Gol Family

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Overview

In the Bible

1 Kings 1:33-34, 45

The king (David) said to them, "Take my loyal soldiers, and have my son Solomon ride on my mule and bring him down to Gihon. Let the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anoint him there king over Israel, whereupon you shall sound the horn and shout, Long live King Solomon!"

"... and the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anointed him (Solomon) king at Gihon. Then they came up from there making merry, and the city went into an uproar. That’s the noise you heard.”