Chastisement visited his sins, and
was meekly borne, but bereavement and rebellion, care, sorrow, and
disappointment, severely tried the Sweet Psalmist of Israel, shepherd,
prophet, soldier, and king, ere in 1016, in his seventieth year, he went
to his rest, after having been king for forty years, he was assured that
his seed should endure for ever.
All promises of temporal splendour were accomplished in his peaceful
son, Solomon, who asked to be the wisest, and therefore was likewise
made the richest, most prosperous, and most peaceful of kings. No enemy
rose against him, but all the nations sought his friendship; and Zidon
for once had her merchandise hallowed by its being offered to build and
adorn the Temple, Solomon's great work. The spot chosen for it was that
of Isaac's sacrifice, where was the threshing-floor bought by David from
Araunah, but to give farther room, he levelled the head of the mountain,
throwing it into the valley; and thus forming an even space where,
silently built of huge stone, quarried at a distance, arose the courts,
for strangers, women, men, and priests, surrounded by cloisters,
supporting galleries of rooms for the lodging of the priests and
Levites, many hundreds in number.
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