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The period of Israel’s united kingdom under King Solomon is portrayed in 1 Kings 3–11 as ideal in order to arouse hope for the restoration of Israelite kingship. Conversely, postexilic writers were faced with traditions that blamed the division of the united kingdom on Solomon’s sins. Pekka Särkiö explores how the writers of the Hebrew Bible used scribal tools and creativity to weave these disparate perspectives together with a subtle, hidden critique that stretches through the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. This in-depth study reveals the expressions, themes, and structures that evoke Solomon’s foreign wives, his excessive wealth, his respect for other gods, his pride, and his elevation to a venerated character. The resulting texts allow the coexistence of hope for the future and the concerns of northern survivors who blamed Solomon for the exile and the divided kingdom.

Pekka Särkiö is Docent of Old Testament Studies at the University of Helsinki. He is the author of Exodus und Salomo. Erwägungen zur verdeckten Salomokritik anhand von Ex 1–2; 5; 14 und 32 (1998).