Remembering Solomon: Constructions of Solomon in Kings and Chronicles

Abstract

Narratives of King Solomon’s life and reign are preserved in both the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, and both texts contain similar narrative elements and mnemonic constructions, such as Solomon’s role as Temple builder and his great wisdom. Other elements of the narrative have been shortened, lengthened or even omitted between the texts. By using the lens of social memory to investigate the reshaping of the narrative of Solomon by the Chronicler, one can attempt to further understand the reasoning for both the changes and similarities between the two texts. Although the mnemonic constructions of Solomon in both Kings and Chronicles are rooted in matters of kingship and rule, the issues themselves are vastly different and representative of the concerns of their respective communities. In Kings, the narrative of Solomon’s rise and ultimate fall interacted with these larger mnemonic constructions to inform the reader about the fundamental issues with mortal kingship. In contrast, the narrative of Solomon in the Book of Chronicles instead focused its attention on the maintenance of cult, leading to memories of ancestral merit, legitimization and even utopia during a time of non- Davidic kingship.