154 The Legends of the Jews
suit, unless he paid homage to these gods. At first Solomc was firm, but, when the woman bade him take five locust and crush them in his hands in the name of Moloch, he obeyed her. At once he was bereft of the Divine spirit, of his strength and his wisdom, and he sank so low that to please his beloved he built temples to Baal and Raphan.**
The Building of the Temple Among the great achievements of Solomon first place must be assigned to the superb Temple built by him. He was long in doubt as to where he was to build it. A heavenly voice directed him to go to Mount Zion at night, to a field owned by two brothers jointly. One of the broth- ers was a bachelor and poor, the other was blessed both with wealth and a large family of children. It was harvesting time. Under cover of night, the poor brother kept adding to the other's heap of grain, for, although he was poor, thought his brother needed more on account of his larj family. The rich brother, in the same clandestine waj added to the poor brother's store, thinking that though had a family to support, the other was without means. Tl field, Solomon concluded, which had called forth so remark- able a manifestation of brotherly love, was the best site for the Temple, and he bought it.w
Every detail of the equipment and ornamentation of the Temple testifies to Solomon's rare wisdom. Next to required furniture, he planted golden trees, which bore fi all the time the building stood. When the enemy enterc the Temple, the fruit dropped from the trees, but they put forth blossoms again when it is rebuilt in the days of Messiah."
