How Rich Was Solomon in the Bible?
The Bible says that Solomon was so rich that everyone who sought His wisdom brought him gifts, which included spices, animals and precious metals. One ancient historian, Josephus, wrote that Solomon had 666 talents of gold. This does not include the gifts from merchants, toparchs and the kings of Arabia.
Solomon’s wealth
The Bible records many accounts of Solomon’s wealth. He is known for writing many songs and proverbs. He also completed many projects, including building a temple in Jerusalem and a fleet of ships. Solomon also acquired tons of gold from the king of Ophir with the help of his cousin, Hiram of Tyre. His biggest building project, however, was the completion of the Jewish temple per David’s instructions.
The Bible mentions Solomon in three different books. Different versions of the story contain different information about the king, including the sinful aspects of his life. For example, the earlier versions of the Bible tend to focus on the less glamorized aspects of Solomon’s life, such as his love for pagan women.
The Bible records that Solomon collected more than six hundred talents of gold in one year. In addition to acquiring a vast amount of wealth, he cultivated relationships with other countries. He continued his father’s profitable relationship with the Phoenician king Hiram I of Tyre, and sent joint expeditions to Tarshish and Ophir. These expeditions resulted in significant trade and investment in gold, silver, and jewels. Additionally, Solomon purchased many exotic animals, such as peacocks and apes.
His wives
While the Biblical account of Solomon’s wealth might seem a little exaggerated, historical records show that the biblical account was not a total fabrication. There were several ways that Solomon accumulated wealth, including sending ships to Tyre, Lebanon, and the coast of Africa, and bringing back valuable items for his kingdom. He also heavily taxed his own people and received tribute from neighboring lands. He also received gifts from visiting dignitaries. One of these gifts was brought by the Queen of Sheba, who supposedly brought her vast train of camels filled with riches.
During the time of Solomon’s reign, the Israelite monarchy was at its height in wealth and glory. In one year alone, Solomon’s kingdom collected more than six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold. This was more than the total annual income of Persia’s 20 satrapies (14,560 silver talents).
His salary
According to the New International Version of the Bible, King Solomon received 666 talents of gold a year. One talent is equivalent to 34.5 kilograms or 1109 troy ounces of gold. At the current market value of gold, 666 talents would be worth approximately $760 million. If multiplied by 40 years, this would equal about $30 billion.
King Solomon’s salary was one of the largest of any king in the Bible. Approximately 490 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen were employed by the king. A chariot cost six hundred shekels of silver while a horse cost one hundred fifty shekels of silver. As the king of Israel, Solomon’s wealth was not limited to the military, but also to the agricultural and trade sectors.
God blessed King Solomon with great wealth. He became the wealthiest king in the world within a short time. His wealth was earned through trade, tribute money, and heavy taxation. He was also able to build a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, and King Hiram sent many seamen to work for Solomon. In exchange for these gifts, Hiram acquired four hundred twenty talents of gold from the god Ophir.