160 The Legends of the Jews
Solomon, appropriated it as indemnity for claims which he urged against the Jewish state in behalf of his widowed daughter. When Sennacherib conquered Egypt, he carried the throne away with him, but, on his homeward march, dur- ing the overthrow of his army before the gates of Jerusalem, he had to part with it to Hezekiah. Now it remained in Pal- estine until the time of Jehoash, when it was once more car- ried to Egypt by Pharaoh Necho. His possession of the throne brought him little joy. Unacquainted with its won- derful mechanism, he was injured in the side by one of the lions the first time he attempted to mount it, and forever af- ter he limped, wherefore he was given the surname Necho, the hobbler." Nebuchadnezzar was the next pos- sessor of the throne. It fell to his lot at the conquest of Egypt, but when he attempted to use it in Babylonia, fared no better than his predecessor in Egypt. The li standing near the throne gave him so severe a blow that never again dared ascend it* Through Darius the throne reached Elam, but, knowing what its other owners had s fered, he did not venture to seat himself on it, and his ample was imitated by Ahasuerus. The latter tried to ha his artificers fashion him a like artistic work, but, of cou they failed.7* The Median rulers parted with the throne the Greek monarchs, and finally it was carried to Rome.™
The Hippodrome
The throne was not the only remarkable sight at the courl of the magnificent king. Solomon attracted visitors to hi: capital by means of games and shows. In every month the year the official who was in charge for the mon
of
z
i
