King Solomon is said to have been the third king to rule over the united kingdom of Israel in the 10th century BC. He was also the builder of the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
The most famous myth about King Solomon is the Judgement of Solomon. Here, two women are fighting over a child. The two mothers live together in a house and each has a child. But one mother smothers her child in her sleep. When she notices this, she sneaks into the other mother's room and exchanges the dead child with the living one.
The next morning, the second mother immediately realises that the dead child is not hers and begins to argue with the other mother. They are both firmly convinced that they are the mother of the living child.
The dispute is brought before King Solomon. Both mothers affirm before the king and the court to be the mother of the living child. King Solomon orders his servant to fetch his sword. He wants to cut the child in half so that both mothers get a part of the child and the dispute is over.
The child's true mother begs the king not to do this. She begs him to give the child to the other mother, because then at least it would stay alive. The other mother, driven mad by the loss of her child, wants to cut the child in half. She thinks that it should not belong to either of them.
The king then realises who the real mother is. He orders the child to be given to the mother who was willing, in the face of his cruel judgement, to give the child to the other one. For a true mother lets go of her child in order to protect it.
The court and all Israel see the king's wise judgement and recognise the wisdom of God in him.
