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KING DAVID David means beloved in Hebrew.  He was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel, chosen to rule after Saul.  He is depicted as righteous, that is knowing and doing God’s will, although imperfect, as when he had sex with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah go into battle situated such that he was killed.  As a youngster David a shepherd.  He later became a highly popular warrior, which made King Saul jealous.  Eventually he himself became Israel's King, continued to fight Israel's enemies, composed music and poetry.  In fact he is believed to have written many of the psalms in the Book of Psalms. Some critics have denied David even existed although the Tel Dan stele records that in the mid-9th century a Judean royal dynasty still existed called the "House of David." According to Judaism, from David’s lineage would come the Mashiach, that is the Messiah or Savior of Israel.  In Christianity he is known as an ancestor of Jesus Christ of Nazareth on the side of his mother Mary and also an ancestor of Jesus’ step-father Joseph. He was not permitted by God to build the Temple at Jerusalem because he had been a man of war.  However, he was permitted to gather supplies for later having the Temple built by his son Solomon.

ECHOS OF DAVID SLAYING GOLIATH In 2008 archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel announced he had found a piece of pottery with the name “Goliath” on it in ruins of Elah an ancient fortified city southwest of Jerusalem and dating to David time. In the Bible the Elah Valley was where the Israelites encamped when David as a young shepherd came and slew the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Sam 17:2, 19) with a slingshot then cut off his head. Some claim the Goliath whom David slew was ten feet tall but others note that the measures cited actually refer to a person about six foot seven inches tall, still, a giant for those times and tall today too.  Read more at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081121-biblical-city.html

KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE Solomon, son of David, directed the building of a temple on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem.  It is known as either Solomon's Temple or the First Temple. It held the Ark of the Covenant and was a focus for God Almighty, Yahweh (or Jehovah, the LORD).  It and most of Jerusalem were burnt by the Babylonians when they attacked Jerusalem in 597 BCE. (2 Kings 25).

KING SOLOMON'S TABLETS OF STONE Solomon's Temple included not only the Ark of the Covenant but within it what have variously been called the Ten Commandment tablets, the Stone Tablets, the Law Tablets etc.  Originally Moses received a set of tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments.  When coming down from Mount Sinai he saw the tribes of Israel were worshiping  golden calves, which made him angry so that he smashed the first tablet that he had with him.  He later received a second set.  (Ex 31:18)

KING SOLOMON God gave Solomon, whose name means Peace, great wisdom, wealth, and power,  However Solomon had many wives and concubine, and they turned him to worshipping idols.  He was also noted for building the First great Temple in Jerusalem with some help from the King of Lebanon.

AFTER SOLOMON After Solomon's death the United Kingdom consisting of all twelve tribes of Israel was split during the reign of his son Rehoboam.  This was due to Rehoboam's insistance upon extra heavy taxation.  Ten tribes invited the conspirator Jeroboam to return from Egypt and be their king.  Jeroboam established the new nation of Israel with its capital at Shechem in the north.  Later the capital would become Tirzah and then Samaria (Shomron). Rehoboam continued as king in the nation of Judah which consisted of just the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south.  Being divided, enemies were able to conquer both nations much more easily later in history.