Summary: Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the biblical king Solomon, celebrated for his wisdom and as the architect of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon is an important figure in Judaism, Islam and Christianity alike, and is also credited with the authorship of several scriptural texts. For many centuries Solomon was seen as the archetypal enlightened monarch, and his example influenced notions of kingship from the Middle Ages onwards. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Martin Palmer, Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture; Philip Alexander, Emeritus Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester and Katharine Dell, Senior Lecturer in Old Testament Studies at the University of Cambridge, and Fellow of St Catherine's College, Cambridge.
