Solomon and Solomonic LiteratureConway, Moncure Daniel
History
Solomon and Solomonic Literature
Conway, Moncure Daniel
Hebrew literature -- History and criticism; Solomon, King of Israel
After the supposed resurrection of Jesus everything he did, even
taking a bath, became mystical. Jerome says that in his time there
was a place called Salumias, and he maintained that it was there that
Melchizedek refreshed Abraham. There are various readings of this
Saleim in the New Testament, all, no doubt, variants of Solomon,
all meaning "rest"; and the fourth Gospel supplies in 'Ainôn engys
Salêm' the basis of the legend in the Aramaic Gospel of the "rest"
which the Holy Spirit found in her son, on whom her "entire fountain"
was poured. And with this legend may also be read the words of "Wisdom
of Solomon," vii. 27, 28: "She (Wisdom) maketh all things new; and in
all ages entering into holy souls she maketh them friends of God and
prophets. For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with Wisdom." The
representation in this Aramaic Gospel of the Holy Spirit as "entering
into" Jesus is especially interesting in connection with the use of
the same phrase in "Wisdom of Solomon,"--into whose heart Wisdom was
put by God (1 Kings x. 24).
It is only after Wisdom has entered into Jesus that the voice is
heard, "This is my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." This
accords with Solomon's words, "God loveth none but him that dwelleth
with Wisdom." The angelic song at the birth (Luke ii. 14) preserves
the heavenly voice at the baptism concerning "peace." The "peace"
is Solomon's own name, associated with the "rest" given to his reign
in order that he might build the temple (1 Kings v. 4, Ecclesiasticus
xlvii. 13). "My Son," says the spirit from within Jesus, "Thou art
my rest."
It is remarkable that the title preëminently belonging to Solomon,
"Prince of Peace," and unknown to the Gospels as a title of Jesus,
should be traditionally given to one said to have declared that
he had come on earth to bring not peace but a sword, and bids his
disciples arm themselves. No doubt the religious instinct tells true
in this; it is tolerably plain that the warlike words were ascribed
to Jesus not because he said them, but to adapt him to the "Word"
as described in the "Wisdom of Solomon": "While all things were in
quiet silence ... thine Almighty Word leaped down from heaven out
of thy royal throne as a fierce man of war ... and brought thine
unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword," etc. The fierce metaphor
was, as we have seen, caught up and spiritualized in the Epistle to
the Hebrews, and passed on to be literalized for the risen Christ,
so that the consecration of the sword by the Prince of Peace is writ
large in the Christian wars of many centuries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account