Antiquities of the Jews — Book 7, Chapter 14

1. After the delivery of this prophecy, the king commanded the strangers
to be numbered; and they were found to be one hundred and eighty
thousand; of these he appointed fourscore thousand to be hewers of
stone, and the rest of the multitude to carry the stones, and of them he
set over the workmen three thousand and five hundred. He also prepared a
great quantity of iron and brass for the work, with many [and those
exceeding large] cedar trees; the Tyrians and Sidonians sending them to
him, for he had sent to them for a supply of those trees. And he told
his friends that these things were now prepared, that he might leave
materials ready for the building of the temple to his son, who was to
reign after him, and that he might not have them to seek then, when he
was very young, and by reason of his age unskillful in such matters, but
might have them lying by him, and so might the more readily complete the
work.

2. So David called his son Solomon, and charged him, when he had
received the kingdom, to build a temple to God, and said, "I was willing
to build God a temple myself, but he prohibited me, because I was
polluted with blood and wars; but he hath foretold that Solomon, my
youngest son, should build him a temple, and should be called by that
name; over whom he hath promised to take the like care as a father takes
over his son; and that he would make the country of the Hebrews happy
under him, and that, not only in other respects, but by giving it peace
and freedom from wars, and from internal seditions, which are the
greatest of all blessings. Since, therefore," says he, "thou wast
ordained king by God himself before thou wast born, endeavor to render
thyself worthy of this his providence, as in other instances, so
particularly in being religious, and righteous, and courageous. Keep
thou also his commands and his laws, which he hath given us by Moses,
and do not permit others to break them. Be zealous also to dedicate to
God a temple, which he hath chosen to be built under thy reign; nor be
thou affrighted by the vastness of the work, nor set about it
timorously, for I will make all things ready before I die: and take
notice, that there are already ten thousand talents of gold, and a
hundred thousand talents of silver 25 collected together. I have also
laid together brass and iron without number, and an immense quantity of
timber and of stones. Moreover, thou hast many ten thousand stone-
cutters and carpenters; and if thou shalt want any thing further, do
thou add somewhat of thine own. Wherefore, if thou performest this work,
thou wilt be acceptable to God, and have him for thy patron." David also
further exhorted the rulers of the people to assist his son in this
building, and to attend to the Divine service, when they should be free
from all their misfortunes, for that they by this means should enjoy,
instead of them, peace and a happy settlement, with which blessings God
rewards such men as are religious and righteous. He also gave orders,
that when the temple should be once built, they should put the ark
therein, with the holy vessels; and he assured them that they ought to
have had a temple long ago, if their fathers had not been negligent of
God's commands, who had given it in charge, that when they had got the
possession of this land, they should build him a temple. Thus did David
discourse to the governors, and to his son.

3. David was now in years, and his body, by length of time, was become
cold, and benumbed, insomuch that he could get no heat by covering
himself with many clothes; and when the physicians came together, they
agreed to this advice, that a beautiful virgin, chosen out of the whole
country, should sleep by the king's side, and that this damsel would
communicate heat to him, and be a remedy against his numbness. Now there
was found in the city one woman, of a superior beauty to all other
women, [her name was Abishag,] who, sleeping with the king, did no more
than communicate warmth to him, for he was so old that he could not know
her as a husband knows his wife. But of this woman we shall speak more
presently.

4. Now the fourth son of David was a beautiful young man, and tall, born
to him of Haggith his wife. He was named Adonijah, and was in his
disposition like to Absalom; and exalted himself as hoping to be king,
and told his friends that he ought to take the government upon him. He
also prepared many chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
When his father saw this, he did not reprove him, nor restrain him from
his purpose, nor did he go so far as to ask wherefore he did so. Now
Adonijah had for his assistants Joab the captain of the army, and
Abiathar the high priest; and the only persons that opposed him were
Zadok the high priest, and the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah, who was
captain of the guards, and Shimei, David's friend, with all the other
most mighty men. Now Adonijah had prepared a supper out of the city,
near the fountain that was in the king's paradise, and had invited all
his brethren except Solomon, and had taken with him Joab the captain of
the army, and: Abiathar, and the rulers of the tribe of Judah, but had
not invited to this feast either Zadok the high priest, or Nathan the
prophet, or Benaiah the captain of the guards, nor any of those of the
contrary party. This matter was told by Nathan the prophet to Bathsheba,
Solomon's mother, that Adonijah was king, and that David knew nothing of
it; and he advised her to save herself and her son Solomon, and to go by
herself to David, and say to him, that he had indeed sworn that Solomon
should reign after him, but that in the mean time Adonijah had already
taken the kingdom. He said that he, the prophet himself, would come
after her, and when she had spoken thus to the king, would confirm what
she had said. Accordingly Bathsheba agreed with Nathan, and went in to
the king and worshipped him, and when she had desired leave to speak
with him, she told him all things in the manner that Nathan had
suggested to her; and related what a supper Adonijah had made, and who
they were whom he had invited; Abiathar the and Joab the general, and
David's sons, excepting Solomon and his intimate friends. She also said
that all the people had their eyes upon him, to know whom he would
choose for their king. She desired him also to consider how, after his
departure, Adonijah, if he were king, would slay her and her son
Solomon.

5. Now, as Bathsheba was speaking, the keeper of the king's chambers
told him that Nathan desired to see him. And when the king had commanded
that he should be admitted, he came in, and asked him whether he had
ordained Adonijah to be king, and delivered the government to him, or
not; for that he had made a splendid supper, and invited all his sons,
except Solomon; as also that he had invited Joab, the captain of his
host, [and Abiathar the high priest,] who are feasting with applauses,
and many joyful sounds of instruments, and wish that his kingdom may
last for ever; but he hath not invited me, nor Zadok the high priest,
nor Benaiah the captain of the guards; and it is but fit that all should
know whether this be done by thy approbation or not. When Nathan had
said thus, the king commanded that they should call Bathsheba to him,
for she had gone out of the room when the prophet came. And when
Bathsheba was come, David said, "I swear by Almighty God, that thy son
Solomon shall certainly he king, as I formerly swore; and that he shall
sit upon my throne, and that this very day also." So Bathsheba
worshipped him, and wished him a long life; and the king sent for Zadok
the high priest, and Benaiah the captain of the guards; and when they
were come, he ordered them to take with them Nathan the prophet, and all
the armed men about the palace, and to set his son Solomon upon the
king's mule, and to carry him out of the city to the fountain called
Gihon, and to anoint him there with the holy oil, and to make him king.
This he charged Zadok the high priest, and Nathan the prophet, to do,
and commanded them to follow Solomon through the midst of the city, and
to sound the trumpets, and wish aloud that Solomon the king may sit upon
the royal throne for ever, that so all the people may know that he is
ordained king by his father. He also gave Solomon a charge concerning
his government, to rule the whole nation of the Hebrews, and
particularly the tribe of Judah, religiously and righteously. And when
Benaiah had prayed to God to be favorable to Solomon, without any delay
they set Solomon upon the mule, and brought him out of the city to the
fountain, and anointed him with oil, and brought him into the city
again, with acclamations and wishes that his kingdom might continue a
long time: and when they had introduced him into the king's house, they
set him upon the throne; whereupon all the people betook themselves to
make merry, and to celebrate a festival, dancing and delighting
themselves with musical pipes, till both the earth and the air echoed
with the multitude of the instruments of music.

6. Now when Adonijah and his guests perceived this noise, they were in
disorder; and Joab the captain of the host said he was not pleased with
these echoes, and the sound of these trumpets. And when supper was set
before them, nobody tasted of it, but they were all very thoughtful what
would be the matter. Then Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the high priest,
came running to them; and when Adonijah saw the young man gladly, and
said to him that he was a good messenger, he declared to them the whole
matter about Solomon, and the determination of king David: hereupon both
Adonijah and all the guests rose hastily from the feast, and every one
fled to their own homes. Adonijah also, as afraid of the king for what
he had done, became a supplicant to God, and took hold of the horns of
the altar, which were prominent. It was also told Solomon that he had so
done; and that he desired to receive assurances from him that he would
not remember the injury he had done, and not inflict any severe
punishment for it. Solomon answered very mildly and prudently, that he
forgave him this his offense; but said withal, that if he were found out
in any attempt for new innovations, that he would be the author of his
own punishment. So he sent to him, and raised him up from the place of
his supplication. And when he was come to the king, and had worshipped
him, the king bid him go away to his own house, and have no suspicion of
any harm; and desired him to show himself a worthy man, as what would
tend to his own advantage.

7. But David, being desirous of ordaining his son king of all the
people, called together their rulers to Jerusalem, with the priests and
the Levites; and having first numbered the Levites, he found them to be
thirty-eight thousand, from thirty years old to fifty; out of which he
appointed twenty-three thousand to take care of the building of the
temple, and out of the same, six thousand to be judges of the people and
scribes, four thousand for porters to the house of God, and as many for
singers, to sing to the instruments which David had prepared, as we have
said already. He divided them also into courses: and when he had
separated the priests from them, he found of these priests twenty-four
courses, sixteen of the house of Eleazar, and eight of that of Ithamar;
and he ordained that one course should minister to God eight days, from
sabbath to sabbath. And thus were the courses distributed by lot, in the
presence of David, and Zadok and Abiathar the high priests, and of all
the rulers; and that course which came up first was written down as the
first, and accordingly the second, and so on to the twenty-fourth; and
this partition hath remained to this day. He also made twenty-four parts
of the tribe of Levi; and when they cast lots, they came up in the same
manner for their courses of eight days. He also honored the posterity of
Moses, and made them the keepers of the treasures of God, and of the
donations which the kings dedicated. He also ordained that all the tribe
of Levi, as well as the priests, should serve God night and day, as
Moses had enjoined them.

8. After this he parted the entire army into twelve parts, with their
leaders [and captains of hundreds] and commanders. Now every part had
twenty-four thousand, which were ordered to wait on Solomon, by thirty
days at a time, from the first day till the last, with the captains of
thousands and captains of hundreds. He also set rulers over every part,
such as he knew to be good and righteous men. He set others also to take
charge of the treasures, and of the villages, and of the fields, and of
the beasts, whose names I do not think it necessary to mention. When
David had ordered all these officers after the manner before mentioned,
he called the rulers of the Hebrews, and their heads of tribes, and the
officers over the several divisions, and those that were appointed over
every work, and every possession; and standing upon a high pulpit, he
said to the multitude as follows: "My brethren and my people, I would
have you know that I intended to build a house for God, and prepared a
large quantity of gold, and a hundred thousand talents of silver; but
God prohibited me by the prophet Nathan, because of the wars I had on
your account, and because my right hand was polluted with the slaughter
of our enemies; but he commanded that my son, who was to succeed me in
the kingdom, should build a temple for him. Now therefore, since you
know that of the twelve sons whom Jacob our forefather had Judah was
appointed to be king, and that I was preferred before my six brethren,
and received the government from God, and that none of them were uneasy
at it, so do I also desire that my sons be not seditious one against
another, now Solomon has received the kingdom, but to bear him
cheerfully for their lord, as knowing that God hath chosen him; for it
is not a grievous thing to obey even a foreigner as a ruler, if it be
God's will, but it is fit to rejoice when a brother hath obtained that
dignity, since the rest partake of it with him. And I pray that the
promises of God may be fulfilled; and that this happiness which he hath
promised to bestow upon king Solomon, over all the country, may continue
therein for all time to come. And these promises O son, will be firm,
and come to a happy end, if thou showest thyself to be a religious and a
righteous man, and an observer of the laws of thy country; but if not,
expect adversity upon thy disobedience to them."

9. Now when the king had said this, he left off; but gave the
description and pattern of the building of the temple in the sight of
them all to Solomon: of the foundations and of the chambers, inferior
and superior; how many they were to be, and how large in height and in
breadth; as also he determined the weight of the golden and silver
vessels: moreover, he earnestly excited them with his words to use the
utmost alacrity about the work; he exhorted the rulers also, and
particularly the tribe of Levi, to assist him, both because of his
youth, and because God had chosen him to take care of the building of
the temple, and of the government of the kingdom. He also declared to
them that the work would be easy, and not very laborious to them,
because he had prepared for it many talents of gold, and more of silver,
with timber, and a great many carpenters and stone-cutters, and a large
quantity of emeralds, and all sorts of precious stones; and he said,
that even now he would give of the proper goods of his own dominion two
hundred talents, and three hundred other talents of pure gold, for the
most holy place, and for the chariot of God, the cherubim, which are to
stand over and cover the ark. Now when David had done speaking, there
appeared great alacrity among the rulers, and the priests, and the
Levites, who now contributed and made great and splendid promises for a
future Contribution; for they undertook to bring of gold five thousand
talents, and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and
many ten thousand talents of iron; and if any one had a precious stone
he brought it, and bequeathed it to be put among the treasures; of which
Jachiel, one of the posterity of Moses, had the care.

10. Upon this occasion all the people rejoiced, as in particular did
David, when he saw the zeal and forward ambition of the rulers, and the
priests, and of all the rest; and he began to bless God with a loud
voice, calling him the Father and Parent of the universe, and the Author
of human and divine things, with which he had adorned Solomon, the
patron and guardian of the Hebrew nation, and of its happiness, and of
that kingdom which he hath given his son. Besides this, he prayed for
happiness to all the people; and to Solomon his son, a sound and a
righteous mind, and confirmed in all sorts of virtue; and then he
commanded the multitude to bless God; upon which they all fell down upon
the ground and worshipped him. They also gave thanks to David, on
account of all the blessings which they had received ever since he had
taken the kingdom. On the next day he presented sacrifices to God, a
thousand bullocks, and as many lambs, which they offered for burnt-
offerings. They also offered peace-offerings, and slew many ten thousand
sacrifices; and the king feasted all day, together with all the people;
and they anointed Solomon a second time with the oil, and appointed him
to be king, and Zadok to be the high priest of the whole multitude. And
when they had brought Solomon to the royal palace, and had set him upon
his father's throne, they were obedient to him from that day.