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(^157) So literally.
(^158) Bahr gives a number of instances, both from ancient and modern history, of far
larger harems than that ascribed to Solomon.
(^159) Properly speaking, only Canaanite women were excluded by the Law (Exodus
34:11-16; Deuteronomy 7:1-3). But alliance with those of other nations was contrary to
the spirit of the law, at any rate so long as they continued idolaters. Comp. Ezra 9:1;
Nehemiah 13:23. There is a legend that Solomon married a daughter of Hiram, king of
Tyre.
(^160) Whenever the Jewish kings were personally guilty of idolatry, the Hebrew word
avad, "served," is used. Comp. 1 Kings 16:31; 22:53; 2 Kings 16:3; 21:2-6, 20-22.
Jewish tradition also emphatically asserts (Shab. 56 b.)that Solomon was not
personally guilty of idolatry. The account of Josephus (Ant. 8:7, 5) is worthless.
(^161) Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Phoenicians, was worshipped with impure rites.
Milcom, Malcom, or Molech, was the principal deity of the Ammonites, but must be
distinguished from Moloch, whose terrible rites were only introduced at a later period
(2 Kings 16:3). Chemosh was the sun-god and war-god of the Moabites; his name
frequently occurs on the celebrated Moabite Stone.
(^162) Comp. the account of this war in vol. 4. of this Bible History, chapter 18.
(^163) Hadad, "the Sun," or "Sun-god" - an ancient name, perhaps a royal title among the
Edomite princes (comp. Genesis 36:35). But it seems an ungrounded inference (by
Ewald, Thenius, and even Canon Rawlinson) to connect him (as grandson)with the last
king of the Edomites, who in 1 Chronicles 1:50 is by a clerical error called Hadad
instead of Hadar (comp, Genesis 36:39.)
(^164) The name occurs also on Egyptian monuments. Tahpenes, or rather Thacpenes, was
also the name of an Egyptian goddess (Gesenius, Thesaurus, vol. 3., p. 1500 a.).
(^165) The LXX have here an addition, upon which Josephus bases a notice (Ant. 8. 7, 6),
to the effect that Hadad (Ader) raised the standard of revolt in Edom, but, being
unsuccessful, combined with Rezon, and became king of part of Syria. The notice
cannot be regarded as of historical authority.
(^166) Canon Rawlinson (in the Speaker's Commentary, vol. ii., p. 550) arranges the
succession of the Damascus kings as follows: Hadad-Ezer (Hadad I.), contemporary of
David; Rezon (usurper), contemporary of Solomon; Hezion (Hadad II.), contemporary
(^)