4. =It was a period of abundant wealth= (1 Kings 3. 12, 13; 4. 20; 10. 23, 27). The sources of this wealth were: 1.) The _conquests_ of Da'vid, who had plundered many nations and left his accumulated riches to Sol'o-mon (1 Chron. 22. 14-16). 2.) The _tribute_ of the subject kingdoms, doubtless heavy (1 Kings 10. 25). 3.) _Commerce_ with foreign countries (E'gypt, A-ra'bi-a, Tar'shish, and O'phir) in ancient times was not carried on by private enterprise, but by the government. The _trade_ of the East from E'gypt and Tyre passed through Sol'o-mon's dominions, enriching the land. 4.) There were also _taxes_ laid upon the people (1 Kings 4. 7-19; 12. 4). 5.) The erection of _public buildings_ must have enriched many private citizens and made money plenty. 5. =It was a period of literary activity.= The books written during this epoch were Sam'u-el, Psalms (in part), Prov'erbs (in part), and perhaps Ec-cle-si-as'tes and Sol'o-mon's Song. Not all the writings of Sol'o-mon have been preserved (1 Kings 4. 32, 33). VI. =Dangers of the Period.= There was an A-ra'bi-an tradition that in Sol'o-mon's staff, on which he leaned, there was a worm secretly gnawing it asunder. So there were elements of destruction under all the splendor of Sol'o-mon's throne. 1. =The absolute power of the king.= Da'vid had maintained the theocratic constitution of the state; Sol'o-mon set it aside and ruled with absolute power in all departments. He assumed priestly functions (1 Kings 8. 22, 54, 64); he abolished tribal boundaries in his administration (1 Kings 4. 7-19); he ignored both priests and prophets, and concentrated all rule in his own person. 2. =The formal character of the worship.= There was a magnificent temple and a gorgeous ritual, but none of the warmth and personal devotion which characterized the worship of Da'vid. The fervor of the Da-vid'ic Psalms is wanting in the literature of Sol'o-mon's age. 3. =Luxury and corruption of morals.= These are the inevitable results of abundant riches and worldly association. We do not need the warnings of Prov. 2. 16-19; 5. 3-6, etc., to know what a flood of immorality swept over Je-ru'sa-lem and Is'ra-el. 4. =The burden of taxation.= With a splendid court, an immense harem, and a wealthy nobility came high prices and high taxes; the rich growing richer rapidly, the poor becoming poorer. The events of the next reign show how heavy and unendurable these burdens grew. 5. =Heathen customs.= With the foreign peoples came the toleration of idolatry, its encouragement, and all the abominations connected with it. Jer-o-bo'am could not have established his new religion (1 Kings 12. 28) if Sol'o-mon had not already patronized idol worship. 6. Underlying all was the old =tribal jealousy= of E'phra-im and Ju'dah, fostered by an able leader (1 Kings 12. 26), ready to break out in due time and destroy the empire. Blackboard Outline