King Solomon

Solomon, also called Jedidiah, was monarch of ancient Israel and the son and successor of King David, according to the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. He is described as having been the penultimate ruler of an amalgamated Israel and Judah. The hypothesized dates of Solomon's reign are from 970–931 BCE.

King Solomon is known for being the king of Israel who built the first Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon's heart had turned away from the LORD to follow other gods. It is said to have had a harem that included 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3) was in part about the treaties and leagues he was making.

Israelite people were in a Corvee system used by Egyptians. And Solomon instituted a similar system to the detriment of Solomon and Israel.

Solomon has been called a second Pharaoh by oppressing the people in a Corvee like the Bondage of Egypt.

Solomon demanded compulsory labor from the people to carry out his vain building projects.

King Asa, as the son of Abijam, father of Jehoshaphat made a proclamation for forced labor where none was exempted.…"

When King Josiah became king of Judah at eight years old he had to rely on others for guidance and support.

In verse 13 of 2 Chronicles 34 we see the word cabbal סֹבֶל suggesting that there were some, bearers of burdens, that were apart of a corvee. It does appears King Josiah repaired the Temple with some of the labor of sabbalim ("corvée workers"). It is also clear that many of the workmen, artificers, and builders in context of verse 10 were actually paid for their labor with money they freely received from Hilkiah the high priest.

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We are told he followed the way of David and broke down the altars of Baalim.

2 Chronicles 34: 10 And they put [it] in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house: 11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they [it], to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12 And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them [were] Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set [it] forward; and [other of] the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick. 13 Also [they were] over the bearers of burdens, and [were] overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites [there were] scribes, and officers, and porters."

2 Chronicles 34:13 Also [they were] over the bearers of burdens <05449>, and [were] overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites [there were] scribes, and officers, and porters. Nehemiah 4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens <05449> is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

There was also corvée labor during the period of the return to Zion. The wall around Jerusalem was built by corvée laborers (Nehemiah 4:11)."<Ref>Three separate terms are used, but they are sometimes juxtaposed, a sign that the original distinctions have become blurred (see Exodus 1:11–12):
(1) mas oved (Genesis 49:10; Joshua 16:10, etc.; "compulsory labor"), and sometimes mas alone (e.g., 1 Kings 4:6; 5:27). This expression is derived from Canaanite massu, "corvée worker," attested at *El-Amarna[eastern side of the Nile River, ... temples, government establishments, utilitarian facilities such as grain silos] and *Alalakh[Bronze Age city-state ]. A Hebrew seal dating from the seventh century b.c.e. reads "belonging to Pelaiah who is in charge of the mas."
(2) sevel or cebel (= Akk. sablum), a term found in the Mari documents[The Mari or Maʾeri documents, 20,000 cuneiform tablets, give information about the earliest government, its customs, and people. More than 3000 are letters, the remainder includes administrative, economic, and judicial texts.] (18th century b.c.e.). Its particularized meaning is a labor unit for emergency use. It appears three times in the Bible, 1 Kings 11:28; Psalms 81:7; and Nehemiah 4:11. Cognate nouns from the same stem are also found in scripture: sivlot ("burdens": Exodus 1:11; Exodus 2:11; Exodus 5:4–5; Exodus 6:6–7); sabbal ("burden-bearer": 1 Kings 5:29; 2 Chronicles 2:1, 17; 2 Chronicles 34:13); subbolo ("his burden": Isaiah 9:3; Isaiah 10:27; Isaiah 14:25).
(3) perekh, sometimes said to be a term, Mesopotamian by origin, for forced labor; but its general meaning in the Bible seems to be "harshness" or "ruthlessness" (Exodus 1:11-12; Exodus 2:11; Leviticus 25:43, 46; Ezekiel 34:4). The children of Israel became familiar with corvée labor (Exodus 1:11, et al.) in the course of their wanderings, inasmuch as the slavery in Egypt was a prolonged period of compulsory labor.

Did Solomon repent at the end of his life?

It is recorded that David repented a number of times, but no record of Solomon repenting.

King Solomon seems to have died of natural causes in 931 BCE at the age of 80. His son, Rehoboam led the nation to a civil war which ended a United Kingdom of Israel in in 930 BCE.