What were the chief accomplishments of Kings David and Solomon?

Answer 1

1) King David authored/compiled the book of Psalms (Talmud, Bava Batra 14b).

2) King David subdued all of the surrounding nations.

3) He secured from the prophet Nathan a promise from God that his (David's) son Solomon would build the Holy Temple.

4) He set the blueprints, with Divine inspiration, for the Holy Temple.

5) He amassed vast amounts of material for the construction of the Temple (1 Chronicles ch.29).

6) Together with Samuel, he instituted the 24 groupings of families of Kohanim and Levites (Talmud, Taanit 27a).

7) He served God all the days of his life (1 Kings 11:38); and God was with him (1 Samuel 16:18).

8) King David serves as the archetype of the effectiveness of repentance (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b).

• King Solomon

1) King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem.

2) Through his vast God-given wisdom (1 Kings ch.3), he spoke and taught about God's creations, influencing many nations (at least temporarily) to recognize the wisdom of God.
During Solomon's time, the Israelites enjoyed unequaled prosperity (1 Kings 4:20).
3) King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes (Kohellet), Proverbs, and Song of Songs.

Answer 2

King Solomon is King David's son. King David wanted to build the temple but God did not allow it. In the end King Solomon built the temple, but put false idols inside of it. King David was a righteous man before God. He remained faithful until his death. He praised God through many songs called Psalms. Whereas, King Solomon wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon.

Answer 3

A:The Bible tells us that King David was a great military leader who united the Israelites under his rule and conquered lands to create and empire all the way to the Euphrates.

King Solomon was David's son and successor. The greatest single achievement attributed in the Bible to Solomon was the construction of his Temple, which took seven years to build. His defining legend was his great wisdom, gifted to him by God. However, finding specific biblical examples of his wisdom proves difficult. According to the Bible, Solomon demonstrated no political wisdom, nor even sufficient common sense to govern wisely in the interests of his own son's succession to the throne of the United Monarchy. The Bible tells us that Solomon's reckless spending and swingeing taxes, maintained by his son, were the cause of the breakup of the United Monarchy.

Archaeologists have found evidence that the biblical story is not historically true. They say that David was probably only a local chieftain, and that there never was a United Monarchy of Israel. And evidence of military conquests previously attributed to David because he was the Bible's great military leader, are now being considered as likely evidence of King Omri's achievements. Likewise, the biblical evidence shows Solomon was not really a wise ruler, either before or after the gift of wisdom, but Jewish tradition has built up this image of Solomon. Psalms that show any evidence of wisdom have been attributed to him, as have the wisdom books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

The Jewish people needed a glorious past, with both great and wise rulers. They could not, and would not, claim King Omri as part of their past, as he ruled the northern kingdom, Israel. David and Solomon became part of the fabled Jewish past.

Answer 4

• 1) King David authored/compiled the book of Psalms and gave it to us in its present form (Talmud, Bava Batra 14b). The Psalms (Tehillim), which we might call the soul of the Jewish people, express the yearning of King David and of the entire nation to be close to God. They are one of the foundations of our prayerbook to this day.
  
• 2) King David was the one who finally succeeded in subduing all of the surrounding nations (see 2 Samuel ch.8 and ch.10) plus the entire territory of Israel, something which no one else did previously or subsequently. He succeeded in all his endeavors (1 Samuel 16:18).
  
• 3) He secured from the prophet Nathan a promise from God that his (David's) son Solomon would build the Holy Temple (2 Samuel ch.7). The First Temple is actually considered the accomplishment of David himself (Rashi commentary, Berakhot 18a), since it existed in his merit ("Torat Chaim," commenting on Talmud, Shabbat 30a).
  
• 4) He set the blueprints, with Divine inspiration, for the Holy Temple (1 Chronicles 28:19). Together with the prophet Samuel, he located the spot where the Temple would be built (Talmud, Zevachim 54b); and he dug the foundations for the Temple (Talmud, Sukkah 53a).
  
• 5) He amassed vast amounts of material and precious metals for the construction of the Temple (1 Chronicles ch.29).
  
• 6) Together with Samuel, he instituted the 24 groupings of families of Kohanim and Levites (Talmud, Taanit 27a).
  
• 7) He served God all the days of his life (1 Kings 11:38); and God was with him (1 Samuel 16:18).
  
• 8) He was without peer in clarifying and applying the halakhot (laws) of the Oral Tradition (Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b).
  
• 9) King David serves as the archetype of the effectiveness of repentance (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b).
  

See also:

More from archaeology

• 1) King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem.
  
• 2) Through his vast God-given wisdom (1 Kings ch.3), he spoke and taught about God's creations, influencing many nations (at least temporarily) to recognize the wisdom of God. This was similar to the practice of Abraham (Genesis 21:33) and is what is meant by "And he [Solomon] spoke of the trees, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on the wall; and he spoke of the animals, the birds, the insects, and the fishes. And people came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom" (1 Kings 5:13-14). During Solomon's time, the Israelites enjoyed unequaled prosperity (1 Kings 4:20).

• 3) King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes (Kohellet), Proverbs, and Song of Songs.
  

See also:

About Solomon's errors

Answer 5

David's accomplishments:

• 1) King David authored/compiled the book of Psalms and gave it to us in its present form (Talmud, Bava Batra 14b). The Psalms (Tehillim), which we might call the soul of the Jewish people, express the yearning of King David and of the entire nation to be close to God. They are one of the foundations of our prayerbook to this day.

Link: Source of the Psalms

• 2) King David was the one who finally succeeded in subduing all of the surrounding nations (see 2 Samuel ch.8 and ch.10) plus the entire territory of Israel, something which no one else did previously or subsequently. He succeeded in all his endeavors (1 Samuel 16:18).
• 3) He secured from the prophet Nathan a promise from God that his (David's) son Solomon would build the Holy Temple (2 Samuel ch.7). The First Temple is actually considered the accomplishment of David himself (Rashi commentary, Berakhot 18a), since it existed in his merit ("Torat Chaim," commenting on Talmud, Shabbat 30a).
• 4) He set the blueprints, with Divine inspiration, for the Holy Temple (1 Chronicles 28:19). Together with the prophet Samuel, he located the spot where the Temple would be built (Talmud, Zevachim 54b); and he dug the foundations for the Temple (Talmud, Sukkah 53a).
• 5) He amassed vast amounts of material and precious metals for the construction of the Temple (1 Chronicles ch.29).
• 6) Together with Samuel, he instituted the 24 groupings of families of Kohanim and Levites (Talmud, Taanit 27a).
• 7) He served God all the days of his life (1 Kings 11:38); and God was with him (1 Samuel 16:18).
• 8) He was without peer in clarifying and applying the halakhot (laws) of the Oral Tradition (Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b).
• 9) King David serves as the archetype of the effectiveness of repentance (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 4b).

See also the Related Links.

Link: Why didn't David kill Saul?

Link: About the Psalms

Link: More about the Hebrew Bible

Solomon's accomplishments:

• 1) King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem.
  
• 2) Through his vast God-given wisdom (1 Kings ch.3), he spoke and taught about God's creations, influencing many nations (at least temporarily) to recognize the wisdom of God. This was similar to the practice of Abraham (Genesis 21:33) and is what is meant by "And he [Solomon] spoke of the trees, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on the wall; and he spoke of the animals, the birds, the insects, and the fishes. And people came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom" (1 Kings 5:13-14).
  
• During Solomon's time, the Israelites enjoyed unequaled prosperity (1 Kings 4:20).
  
• 3) King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes (Kohellet), Proverbs, and Song of Songs.
  

See also the Related Links.

Link: About Solomon's errors

Link: More about the Hebrew Bible

Link: More about the Song of Songs

Answer 6

King David was appointed and anointed by Samuel as king, Solomon succeeded him. David did commit adultery , and he had a few wives only. But Solomon had 700 concubines and 300 wifes.