4. =His foreign relations= were extensive, for the first and only time in the history of Israel. 1.) His earliest treaty was _with Tyre_ (Phenicia), whose king had been his father's friend (1 Kings 5. 1). What this alliance brought to Solomon (1 Kings 5. 6-10; 2 Chron. 2. 3-14). 2.) His relations _with Egypt_; in commerce (1 Kings 10. 28, 29); in marriage, a bold departure from Israelite customs (1 Kings 3. 1). Probably Psalm 45 was written upon this event. 3.) _With Arabia_, the land bordering on the southern end of the Red Sea (1 Kings 10. 1-10, 14, 15). 4.) _With India_, which is probably referred to in 1 Kings 9. 26-28. 5.) _With Spain_, probably meant in 1 Kings 10. 22. 5. =His buildings.= 1.) Of these the greatest, the most costly, and the most famous was _the temple_ (1 Kings 6. 1). With this building notice: (_a_) The courts and open square, with an inner court inside for the priests only (2 Chron 4. 9). (_b_) The porch (2 Chron 3. 4). (_c_) The holy place (2 Chron. 3. 8; 1 Kings 6. 17). (_d_) The holy of holies (1 Kings 6. 19, 20). (_e_) The chambers for the priests (1 Kings 6. 5, 6). 2.) _His own palace_, situated south of the temple precincts, in the district called Ophel. Its name derived from its columned entrance (1 Kings 7. 1, 2). 3.) _His fortified cities_ (1 Kings 9. 17-19). 4.) _His aqueducts_, some of which may still be seen (Eccl. 2. 4-6). No King of Israel ever built so many public works as did Solomon. 6. But all was not bright in the reign of Solomon. We must notice also =his sins=, for they wrought great results of evil in the after years. 1.) That which led to all his other sins was _foreign marriages_ (1 Kings 11. 1-4). These were the natural and inevitable result of his foreign relations, and were probably effected for political reasons as well as to add to the splendor of his court. 2.) His _toleration of idolatry_, perhaps actual participation in it (1 Kings 11. 5-8). We cannot over-estimate the harm of Solomon's influence in this direction. At once it allied him with the lower and evil elements in the nation, and lost to him the sympathy of all the earnest souls.[H] 3.) Another of Solomon's sins, not named in Scripture, but referred to in many legends of the East, was his _devotion to magical arts_. He appears in Oriental traditions as the great master of forces in the invisible world, engaging in practices forbidden by the law of Moses (Lev. 19. 31; Deut. 18. 10, 11). II. =GENERAL ASPECTS OF ISRAEL IN THE REIGN OF SOLOMON.= 1. =It was a period of peace.= For sixty years there were no wars. This gave opportunity for development, for wealth, and for culture. 2. =It was a period of strong government.= The age of individual and tribal energy was ended, and now all the life of the nation was gathered around the throne. All the tribes were held under one strong hand; tribal lines were ignored in the government of the empire (1 Kings 4. 7-19); every department was organized.