The son of Beth-Sheba and David (of sling-shot/rock/Goliath fame), Solomon was King of the Hebrews in the 10th century B.C., and his reign lasted the relatively long span of about forty years.

He therefore had time to do much for the betterment of his kingdom. He built numerous cities, the first grand temple in Jerusalem, and even foundries and furnaces for copper smelting in the Negev Desert. Under Solomons' leadership, Israel reached the height of its glory and territorial dimensions in the ancient days, and for the most part this was accomplished peacefully.

He was able to establish friendships--even alliances--with some of the past (and future) antagonists of Israel, namely Egypt and Phoenicia.

The Bible speaks well of King Solomon, of how he managed to preserve his profound sense of fairness and justice in spite of the vast power he possessed. And Solomons' great wisdom has become proverbial.

One tale tells of two women who both claimed to be the mother of the same child. To figure out which one was being truthful, Solomon handed his sword to a soldier and commanded him to split the baby into two halves and to give one piece to each woman. The real mother begged the king to spare her son and to grant him to the other woman.

Whether Solomon really intended to chop the kid up is doubtful but beyond our ability to ascertain, but by their reactions the wise monarch discovered which womans' story was true, and thus the problem was solved without resorting to infant bisection.

Alas, like so many other wonders of the ancient world, the glory depicted in the bible of Solomons' kingdom has vanished and is impossible to confirm by modern archaeological methods.

• Overall Length: 51"
• Blade Length: 37 "
• Blade Steel: Stainless Steel
• Blade: False Edge
• Handle Material: Cast Metal
• Condition: New in the box