Anonymous wrote:

"Marianne, you may also find it of interest that Flavius Josephus records an 80-year reign for King Solomon (Jewish Antiquities 8.211). So if the year of Solomon's accession was 1007 BC (as derived from Na'aman's observation) then his death would fall in 927 BC, which year would correspond to the first year of Rehoboam's reign. That would date Rehoboam's fifth year--the year when Shoshenq I looted the temple in Jerusalem--to 923/22 BC. Assuming that Shoshenq died in early 922 BC, the synchronism with Rehoboam would date Shoshenq's raid on Jerusalem to the summer of 923 BC."

You think it's possible that Solomon was only 14 when David died--as Josephus assigns him 94 years of life? He describes himself as a “little child” [1 Kings 3:7] although, in those times, at 14 he would not have been considered a child.








[205] So Jeroboam was elevated by these words of the prophet; and being a young man, 1 of a warm temper, and ambitious of greatness, he could not be quiet; and when he had so great a charge in the government, and called to mind what had been revealed to him by Ahijah, he endeavored to persuade the people to forsake Solomon, to make a disturbance, and to bring the government over to himself. But when Solomon understood his intention and treachery, he sought to catch him and kill him; but Jeroboam was informed of it beforehand, and fled to Shishak, the king of Egypt, and there abode till the death of Solomon; by which means he gained these two advantages to suffer no harm from Solomon, and to be preserved for the kingdom. So Solomon died when he was already an old man, having reigned eighty years, and lived ninety-four. He was buried in Jerusalem, having been superior to all other kings in happiness, and riches, and wisdom, excepting that when he was growing into years he was deluded by women, and transgressed the law; concerning which transgressions, and the miseries which befell the Hebrews thereby, I think proper to discourse at another opportunity.