Eloy

David,nowanoldman,isstillkingofIsrael.Amonghissons,theambitiousAdonijahandthecleverSolomon.Thetwoyoungmenarefiercerivals,sincebothareprospectiveheirstothethroneandonlyonecanbesuccessful.Duringahuntingexpedition,AdonijahchallengeshisyoungerbrotherSolomontoachariotrace.WhileSolomon,thoughbrave,stillretainsamodicumofcaution,thedaredevilAdonijahiseagertowinatallcosts-andlosescontrolofhischariot.SolomontakestheseriouslyinjuredAdonijahbacktoJerusalem.OnthewaytheretheymeettheattractiveAbishag,whodespiteheryouthisversedintheu搜索引擎优化fhealingherbs.Sheactuallysucceedsinhelpingtheprince.AdonijahfallsinlovewithAbishag-butBathshebaarrangesthingssothatsheworksforDavid,hopingthatheryouth,herbeautyandherhealingpowerswillsoothetheoldking’ssuffering.SeveralmembersoftheinfluentialpriesthoodandalsotherespectedarmygeneralJoab,whoservedDavidloyallyformanyyears,supportAdonijah’sclaimtothethrone-eventhoughDavidhasstillnotmadeanydecisionwithregardtoapotentialsuccessor.Thebattle-experiencedJoabregardsSolomonasanindecisiveweakling,underwhoseleadershipthekingdomwouldsoonfallapart.WhentheprophetNathanfindsoutaboutAdonijah’sconspiracyheinformsBathshebaandSolomon,whourgeDavidtotakeimmediateaction.AndsoitcomestopassthatpreparationstoanointthefuturekingofIsraelaremadebothattheSpringofEnrogel,whereAdonijahandhismenareencamped,aswellasinJerusalem.ThefestiveprocessionforAdonijahhasalreadybeenassembledandthepeopleenticedwithdeliciousdelicaciestocheerhimon,whenthenewsofSolomon’scoronationreachesEnrogel.ThepeoplepromptlyacknowledgethewillofKingDavidandstreamofftoJerusalemintheirhordestogreetSolomon,theirfutureruler.Adonijahremainsbehindwithahandfulofloyalfollowers.Herealizesthathehaslost-forthetimebeing.Humblyheplaceshislifeinhisbrother’shands.Adonijahisforgivenononecondition:thathealwaysremainsloyaltohisbrotherSolomon.ThegreatKingDavidisdead,andhissonSolomonhassucceededhimastherightfulrulerofIsrael.AdonijahnowhasarequesttomakeofBathsheba:hewantstomarryAbishag.Solomonhearsaboutthisseeminglyinnocentwish,andrecognizesitasarenewedployonbehalfofhisbrothertoreclaimthethrone-Adonijah’smarriagetothelastwomantoshareKingDavid’sbedwouldstrengthenhispoliticalpositionconsiderably.Solomonknowsthathehastoactquicklyanddecisivelyifheistosecurehisownpower.HehashisbrotherAdonijahandthelatter’sclosestassociateJoabexecuted.Afterthisradicaldecision,Solomonwithdrawstopresentsacrifices.InadreamtheLordappearstohimandgrantshimthefulfillmentofawish,whateveritmaybe.Solomonmerelyasksforwisdom-inordertobecomeagoodrulerandjudge.WarwithEgyptislooming.Toarmhiskingdomagainsttheterritorialambitionsofitspowerfulneighbors,Solomonnotonlyintroducesseveralreformsbutalsodecidestomarrythedaughterofthepharaoh.TheEgyptianprincessdoesnotremainSolomon’sonlywife,however:astimegoesbythekingmarriesnumerousnoblewomenfrommanydifferentcountriesforpoliticalandeconomicreasons.Inthiswayhepreservespeaceforhispeople,andcreatesgreatprosperity.ByallowingthewomentocontinuepracticingtheirdomesticcustomsandreligiousritualsinJerusalemaswell,hecomesintoregularconflictwiththepriesthood,whoseetheforeignreligionsasendangeringIsrael’ssolecovenantwiththeLord.ThewisdomgrantedtoSolomonbyGodbecomesfullyevidentwhenthekingsitsinjudgment.Onedaytwoharlotseachclaimtobemotherofthesamebaby.Solomon’sdecisionseemsutterlycruel:hesaysthatthechildshouldbecutintwosothateachwomanreceiveshalf.Solomoncannowdeterminewhotherealmotherisfromherreaction:shewillnotallowherchildtobeharmed.Solomonhandsthechildbacktoitstruemotheramidcheersofapproval.OneofthemostimportanttaskshandeddowntoSolomonbyhisfatherDavidisbuildingthegreatTempletohousetheArkoftheCovenant.Ithastobelargerandmoremagnificentthanallothertemplesintheworld,andSolomonnowsetsaboutfulfillinghisfather’swish.HeplacesJeroboaminchargeoftheIsraeliteworkersaschiefoverseer.Sevenyearslater,theworkiscompleted.Theexpensiveconstructionmaterialshavebeenbroughtfromfar-offlands,andthepeopleofIsraelhavepaidexceedinglyhightaxeswithoutcomplaintinordertofinancetheconstructionwork.TheArkoftheCovenantcannowfinallybetakentotheTempleinatriumphantprocession.Aftersomanyyearsofwandering,theIsraelites’mostsacredpossessionnowhasafixedhomeofitsown.PeoplestreamtoJerusalemfromacrosstheentirecountrytocelebratethegreatday.Abishag,nowmarried,comestooandbringsherfamily.Solomonhasdecidedtomingleamongthepeopleindisguise,andheandAbishagareoverjoyedwhentheyaccidentallymeetagainaftersomanyyears.TheTemplemakesJerusalemanditskingfamousthroughouttheworld.Eventhedark-skinnedQueenofShebasetsoffwithalargeretinuetovisitthewiseandcultivatedSolomonandadmirehismagnificentcity.Theadmirationturnsouttobemutual:Solomon,captivatedbyherbeauty,fallsdeeplyinlovewithher.Thetwoofthemhaveachild,Menelik,butonedaytheQueenofShebadecidestoleave.ShedoesnotwantMeneliktobedeprivedoftheregaldignityawaitinghiminhishomecountry.Solomonstaysbehind,withaheavyheart.Thekinghasnowachievedeverythinghesethishearton,butwiththepassingoftheyearsthewiseSolomongraduallybecomesamelancholy,skepticaloldmanwhoregularlyquestionshisveryexistence.Materialthingsseemtorepresenttheonlyrealityforhim.Healsorefusestoadoptanykindofsteadypolicy,especiallyinreligiousmatters.Withhisforeignwives,Solomonsacrificestoforeigngods,andthisincursthewrathofthepriesthood.TheloyalJeroboamappealstohisking’sconscience,buttonoavail.DuringoneofSolomon’ssortiesindisguiseamonghispeople,asimplefarmerremindshimofthefirstoftheTenCommandmentsrevealedbytheLordtoMoses:"Youshallhavenoothergodsbeforeme."Atanotherdecisivemoment,GodHimselfspeakstoSolomonandannouncesthepunishmentforhissinfulness:thekingdomwillcollapseafterSolomon’sdeath.Thekinghasgrownoldandweary.HehaslosttouchwiththepeopleofIsrael,whoaresufferingfromheavytaxationandforcedlabor.Solomonhastreatedhislong-standingcompanionJeroboam,towhomheentrustedtheadministrationofthenortherntribes,withmurderousangereversinceaprophetpredictedthedivisionofthekingdomtohim.Thekingnolongerhasthestrengthtochangethings-hejustleavesthemastheyare.Theconsequencesofthisbecomeclearshortlyafterhisdeath.Solomon’ssonandsuccessorRehoboamtreatsthecountry’sleaderswitharrogance,andprovokesthedivisionofthekingdomintotwoparts:theonlytribestillloyaltohimisthatofJudah,whilealltheothersuniteunderJeroboam.Theprophecyhasbeenfulfilled.ThekingdomthatSolomonreceivedfromhisfatherDavid,andinvestedwithsuchmightandmagnificence,isnowdivided.

Dictator’sPlaybookTheywereruthlessmenwithuncheckedpower,controllingtheirpeoplewithanironfist.Suppressingalldissent,theydemandedabsoluteloyalty,jailing,orkillingthosewhoopposedthem.Theyruledbyforceofpersonality,butwereplaguedbysecretfearsandprivatedemons.Theyweredictators-tyrantswhoshapedthetwentiethcenturyandlefttheirmarkonourown.FromMussolinitoSaddamHussein,dictatorshaveshapedtheworldwelivein.Whatdrovetheirthirstfordominationandcontrol?Howdidtheyseizeandwieldpower?Whatforcesroseupagainstthemorresistedtheminsecret?Howdidtheyfinallycometothebitterend?Today,withauthoritarianleadersontherisefromthePhilippinestoVenezuela,thesequestionsaremorerelevantthanever.We’llanswertheminsiximmersivehours,eacharevealingportraitofbrutalityandpower.Aswemeetthemostruthlessrulersofrecenthistory,we’lltracetheirriseandfall-anddiscoverthattheytraveledawell-wornpath.Asdifferentasthesemenwerefromeachother,allofthemfollowedaseriesofessentialsteps,fromseizingpowertoeliminatingenemies-anunwrittenDictator’sPlaybook.