Solomon the Pagan

Solomon showing pagan wisdom

The crude monotheism of the Biblical Jews was so dull, dreary, and spiritually empty that it could hardly be followed by the more intelligent Jews, who required something more sophisticated. Later this led to religious hybrids like Christianity and later to esoteric Talmudic Judaism, but in an earlier period the simplest solution was to abandon the Abrahamic faith altogether.

 King Solomon, who was renowned for his great wisdom, is the perfect example of this type, who was continually drawn to more interesting gods than Jehovah, and more fulfilling beliefs.

The main evidence for this can be found in The First Book of the Kings, Chapter 11, which mentions the many gods that Solomon honoured, even building shrines and temples for the likes of Chemosh and Molech.

4. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
7. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

Jehovah was reportedly angry about this, but instead of responding directly, he instead acted in a typical passive aggressive way by grumbling, raising petty opponents against Israel, and making distant threats to the kingdom's unity. With such a weak and petty-minded god, it is no wonder that Solomon had been tempted to look elsewhere.