Solomon
The Wisest King
Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem and received divine wisdom beyond all others. His legacy spans Abrahamic traditions, from builder of sacred space to prophet commanding unseen forces.
Across Traditions
Judaism
Name
Shlomo HaMelech
Role
Wisest king and builder of the Temple
Summary
Solomon is the wisest man who ever lived, whose proverbs and writings form canonical scripture (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs). He built the First Temple in Jerusalem as God's dwelling place. His judgment in the case of two mothers claiming the same baby became the archetype of divine wisdom. His later idolatry brought the kingdom's division.
Source Text
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee
1 Kings 3:12
Christianity
Name
Solomon
Role
Type of Christ and builder of God's house
Summary
Solomon is a type of Christ — the peaceful king who builds God's house where David the warrior could not. Jesus invokes Solomon in teaching ('greater than Solomon is here'). His Temple foreshadows the body of Christ as God's dwelling place. The Song of Solomon is interpreted as an allegory of Christ and the Church.
Source Text
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here
Matthew 12:42
Islam
Name
Sulayman
Role
Prophet-king who commanded jinn and animals
Summary
Sulayman was granted dominion over jinn, wind, and animals. He understood the speech of birds and ants. He built a magnificent palace with a floor of glass. The Queen of Sheba (Bilqis) was brought to him by the jinn. He possessed a ring with God's name that gave him authority over all creation.
Source Text
And gathered for Solomon were his soldiers of the jinn and men and birds, and they were arranged in rows
Quran 27:17
LDS
Name
Solomon
Role
Temple builder whose patterns inform Restoration temples
Summary
Solomon's Temple is studied in Restoration theology as a prototype of sacred space and covenant ordinances. Joseph Smith studied the temple's dimensions and rituals when designing early temples. Solomon's fall into idolatry through foreign wives is taught as a warning against compromising sacred covenants through worldly alliances.
Source Text
Let the house of my glory and my learning, and my order, and my wisdom be built as a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith
D&C 88:119
Connected Figures
Theme
Common Ground
Description
All traditions honor Solomon's extraordinary wisdom and his role as builder of a magnificent sacred structure. His encounter with the Queen of Sheba appears in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sources.
Theme
Unique Insight
Description
Islam uniquely expands Solomon's dominion to include control over jinn (unseen beings), wind, and the speech of animals — portraying him as a cosmic ruler rather than merely a wise human king.