Solomon was a great, wise king of Israel who had one son according to the Bible, who was named Rehoboam. But what do we know about the other sons of Solomon in the Bible? As it turns out, there is much speculation about Solomon’s other children and even some disputes between the Biblical tradition and other sources. Also view our post on Solomon’s sons and daughters.
This article will explore the sons of Solomon according to the Bible and different traditions, from a Christian perspective.
First, Rehoboam’s reign of Israel will be explored.
Secondly, the legend around Menilek the First will be summarized.
After this, Solomon’s daughters mentioned in the Bible will be mentioned.
Lastly, some fascinating reasons for studying Solomon’s children will be given.
Descendants of Solomon from different traditions
(Near the end of this article, under the heading “Why are Solomon’s children so interesting?”, we will discover Solomon’s life and actions in more depth).
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According to the Bible Solomon’s son was named Rehoboam. He became Solomon’s successor since he was his only son. However, something interesting arises when other sources are also considered… The Biblical account of the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon is well-known. What is not mentioned in the Bible but prevalent in Ethiopian legend is that Solomon and Sheba also had a son… Let’s discover these two sons of Solomon in more detail below.
Did you know that the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles have many places of overlap, telling the same story in a different way?
1. Solomon’s son according to the Bible
The Bible introduces that Solomon had a son with Naamah, the Ammonite princess. We read about their son, Rehoboam, in 1 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 9 right after Solomon’s death.
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It was during Rehoboam’s reign that the nation split into two kingdoms. His father, Solomon, was harsh towards the northern tribes with forced labor.
Now that Solomon had passed away, the northern tribes’ leader, Jeroboam, spoke to Rehoboam and asked him to have mercy on them. All the wise officials told Rehoboam to show them kindness, but he chose to be cruel and promised evil things to them instead. This action led the majority of the Israelites to leave Rehoboam. Ten of the twelve tribes of Israel left Rehoboam’s reign.
Everybody left except for the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Rebellion broke out with the war cry “To your tents!” and Rehoboam knew he had to flee back to Jerusalem in a chariot.
When he arrived there, he plotted his revenge but the word of God came to a prophet named Shemaiah who told him to stand down because this all was the Lord’s will (1 Kings 12:24). This is how the northern kingdom came to be separate from the house of David.
The Bible is not linear or chronological.
In 1 Kings chapter 14:21-31, we read about Rehoboam for a second time. Here, we learn that a war broke out between him and the King of Egypt who stole a lot of the valuable things like gold shields that Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaced those with bronze shields that we guarded safely. 1 Chronicles 11 also tells of how Solomon’s son Rehoboam became a good king of Judah who fortified cities and raised up leaders.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he married 18 wives and had 60 concubines. Interestingly, for the purpose of this article, the Bible tells us exactly how many children Rehoboam had (28 sons and 60 daughters) (2 Chronicles 11:21). This is noteworthy because we have no idea how many children Solomon had – The Bible only mentions Rehoboam and two daughters.
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2. Son of Solomon according to other traditions
Ancient Ethiopian tradition tells the story of a leader called Menilek I, who was supposedly the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
Biblical history does say that Solomon was the wisest man to have ever lived. Solomon’s wisdom attracted many kings and queens to him because they wanted to learn from him and seek his wise counsel. The Queen of Sheba visited Solomon (1 Kings 10), but whether she is from Yemen or Ethiopian descent is disputed. Both countries claim her as their own.
The African legend goes that the queen’s name was Mekada and she built a great friendship with Solomon on their visit. When she was about to return to Ethiopia, Solomon spent an evening with her in his royal palace where they were intimate together. He gave her a ring and told her that if she had a son by him, she must send the son back to him one day. Menilek was Solomon’s first-born son according to the story.
Legend has it that Menilek came back to Jerusalem years later. Someone in his party stole some treasures of the temple of the Lord, including the Ark of the Covenant. It is said that Solomon kept the loss of the Ark a secret from the Israelites. The kings of Ethiopia claim to be the direct bloodline of Solomon. They see themselves as heirs of the promise that God made saying that David’s bloodline will rule over all the world. They are known as the Solomonic Dynasty. Again, it is important to note that the existence of a child between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is not in any of the Biblical narratives.
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3. Daughters of Solomon according to the Bible
Women were not held in as high esteem as men in the Old Testament. It is only through studying genealogies closely, that we can learn that Solomon also fathered daughters. Taphath, daughter of Solomon, is introduced in 1 Kings 4:11 as the wife of one of Israel’s deputies.
Another daughter of Solomon by the name of Basemath is also mentioned later in the same genealogy (verse 15). Both of these daughters are mentioned in a matter-of-fact kind of way as part of talking about something else. It is assumed that their mother’s name was Naamah, so they were Rehoboam’s sisters.
These daughters might be considered evidence that Rehoboam was not Solomon’s only child.
Why are Solomon’s children so interesting?
Solomon was the son of King David. David is one of the most popular Old Testament figures and many of the Psalms are attributed to him too. The book of 1 Chronicles tells us about how David prepared everything so that his son, Solomon, could build a temple for God.
The books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles tell us about David’s son, Solomon’s reign. He asked God for great wisdom and knowledge to rule the people and God granted it to him (2 Chron 1:12). We can read some of his wisdom in the books of Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and the book of Proverbs.
The Bible mentions that Solomon had more than 700 foreign wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). Rehoboam’s mother, Naamah, is the only one who is mentioned by name. Solomon’s wives were not Israelites, they were foreign women. They turned his heart away from the God of Israel and towards false gods and other idols.
The issue of Solomon as a father becomes disconcerting when we consider that Solomon worshiped the ancient pagan god called Molech or Milcom.
Molech was a detestable god of the Ammonites whom Solomon worshiped.
This pagan god was known for receiving human sacrifice in the form of children. Solomon built an altar for this false god (1 Kings 11:7). Some have speculated that many of Solomon’s children with his many wives and concubines were offered there too.
God makes a promise to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:17-18. If he kept the Lord’s commands like his father, David, did, his royal throne would be established. Then in verses 19-22, God warned Solomon about what might happen if he turned away and worshiped other gods. Unfortunately, Solomon does exactly that. The sons of Solomon are a part of this devastating time in Israel’s history.
What do we know about King Solomon’s children?
In summary, whether you believe the Biblical tradition alone or the Ethiopian legend as well, it is clear that Solomon had numerous sons. There is Rehoboam son of Solomon who we read about in the Bible. And then, there is Menilek the son of the Queen of Sheba. Solomon also had numerous daughters. The Bible sets Solomon apart in many fascinating ways which makes this a question worth asking.
Eljoh Hartzer is combining theology and art to nurture faith journeys across generations. She is a Masters-level Practical Theologian with the University of Stellenbosch. She is also a writer and editor in the niche of Christianity and children's content and she illustrates children's books. Eljoh resides in the Swartland area in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
You can follow Eljoh on LinkedIn or Instagram.
