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TESTAMENT of SOLOMON (First to Third Century A.D.)

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TESTAMENT of SOLOMON (First to Third Century A.D.) TESTAMENT OF SOLOMON (First to Third Century A.D.) A NEW TRANSLATION AND INTRODUCTION BY D. C. DULING The Testament of Solomon is a haggadic-type folktale about Solomon's building the Temple of Jerusalem combined with ancient lore about magic, astrology, angelology, demonology, and primitive medicine. According to the majority of manuscripts, the testament begins with the story of Solomon's favorite, a boy who inspires the artisans of the Temple, but whose soul is being sucked out of him by a pesky demon, Ornias. In response to Solomon's prayer to God for aid, the archangel Michael grants Solomon a magic seal ring by which he is able to call up the demons, to interrogate them as to their names, astrological locations, demonic activities (pains, diseases, immoral deeds), to compel them to reveal their thwarting angels, and to enlist their help with the construction of the Temple. Thus, Solomon learns that the pesky demon is named Ornias, is located in Aquarius, can undergo several transformations (strangler of those who are located under Aquarius; a man who craves bodies of effeminate boys; a heavenly, winged creature), and is thwarted by the archangel Ouriel. With Ouriel's help, Ornias is sentenced to cut stone in the stone quarry and, with the aid of the ring, to go and get Beelzeboul, the Prince of Demons (chs. 1-3). Beelzeboul is interrogated and promises to bring forth the unclean spirits bound. Beelzeboul shows Solomon Onoskelis, a cliff-dwelling satyra, who associates with men and travels by the full moon; she is commanded to spin hemp for construction ropes (ch. 4). Beelzeboul brings forth the impertinent Asmodeus, who is the Great Bear constellation, who spreads the wickedness of men, hatches plots against newly w e d s , spreads madness about women through the stars, and commits murders; Solomon learns that Asmodeus is thwarted by the angel Raphael and smoke from a burning liver and gall of a fish (ch. 5). Solomon learns that Beelzeboul is a fallen angel who destroys by means of tyrants, causes demons to be worshiped, arouses desires in holy men, brings about jealousies and murders, and instigates wars. Beelzeboul prophesies about the Arabian wind demon Ephippas (chs. 22-24), tells that he is thwarted by the Almighty God and the oath "the Elo-i," and informs Solomon about heavenly things; he is commanded to cut marble (ch. 6). Solomon interrogates the wind demon Lix Tetrax, learns that he creates divisions among men, makes whirlwinds, starts fires, disrupts households, is the offspring of the Great One, has a star near the tip of the southern moon, and is thwarted by the archangel Azael; he is commanded to hurl stones up to the heights of the Temple for the workmen (ch. 7). Solomon interrogates the seven heavenly bodies (Deception, Strife, Fate, Distress, Error, Power, The Worst), learns of their evil activities and their thwarting angels (respectively, Lamechiel, Baruchiel, Marmaroth, Balthioul, Ouriel, Asteraoth, [name unknown]), seals them with the ring, and commands them to dig the Temple foundation (ch. 8). Solomon interrogates the headless demon called Murder, who sees through his breasts, attacks the voices of infants, cuts off heads, attaches them to himself and consumes them through his neck, inflames limbs, inflicts feet, and produces festering sores; he is ordered to stay with Beelzeboul (ch. 9). Solomon interrogates the doglike demon, Scepter, who deceives those who follow his star and subdues the hearts of men through their throats; Scepter then helps Solomon to obtain an emerald stone for the Temple; Solomon learns that the demon is thwarted by the great Briathos (ch. 10). Solomon interrogates the Lion-Shaped Demon, who prolongs illness and rules a legion of demons; they are thwarted by Emmanouel, who will drive them over the cliff into the water; the legion is commanded to carry wood and the Lion-Shaped One is made to saw it with his claws and to fuel the perpetually burning kiln (ch. 11). Solomon interrogates the three-headed dragon spirit, Head of the Dragons, and learns that he blinds fetuses and makes them deaf and dumb, and causes men to fall down and grind their teeth; he is thwarted by the place marked "Place of the Skull" and the angel of the Wonderful Counselor on the cross; after revealing a treasure of gold in the Temple, he is sealed and ordered to make bricks for the Temple (ch. 12). Solomon interrogates Obyzouth, the female demon with disheveled hair, who strangles newborn infants at birth, injures eyes, condemns mouths, destroys minds, and creates pain; learning that she is thwarted by the angel Raphael, or writing her name on a piece of papyrus when women give birth, Solomon binds her by the hair and hangs her in front of the Temple (ch. 13). Solomon interrogates the Winged Dragon, who copulates through the buttocks of women who have beautiful bodies and who suddenly sets on fire with his breath wood for constructing the Temple. Learning that the demon is thwarted by Bazazath, Solomon invokes the angel and condemns the demon to cut marble for constructing the Temple (ch. 14). Solomon interrogates Enepsigos, the female demon with two heads, learns that she hovers near the moon, can also take the form of Kronos or another form, and that she is thwarted by the angel Rathanael; Solomon prays to God, invokes Rathanael, seals Enepsigos with a triple-link chain, and after she prophesies the destruction of kingdom, Temple, and Jerusalem, the scattering of the demons, and the coming of the Son of God, Emmanouel, who is crucified on a cross and born of a virgin, Solomon explains that he wrote the testament so that the sons of Israel might know the powers and forms of the demons and their thwarting angels (ch. 15). Solomon interrogates Kunopegos, the cruel sea-horse demon who becomes a great wave that causes ships to capsize, drowns men, and causes seasickness; learning that he is thwarted by the angel Iameth, Kunopegos is sealed in a bowl and stored away in the Temple (ch. 16). Solomon interrogates a lecherous spirit born from a giant in the age of giants, a spirit who has the shadowy form of a man and gleaming eyes; at midnight in the tombs the demon slays men with a sword or possesses a man, causing him to gnaw his own flesh; learning that the demon will be thwarted by the Savior or his mark written on the forehead (the sign of the cross), Solomon locks up the demon (ch. 17). Solomon interrogates the thirty-six heavenly bodies who are divisions (decans) of the Zodiac; he learns their names, the mental, physical, and social illnesses they cause, their thwarting angels, and orders them to bear water and to go to the Temple (ch. 18). Riches are given to Solomon by all the kings of the earth, including Sheeba, the Queen of the South, who is a witch (ch. 19). Solomon hears the conflict between an old man and his son; Omias the demon prophesies that the son will die and Solomon compels him to explain how he knows God's plan for the future; Ornias tells that demons in the heavens overhear God's decisions and that falling stars are really demons who are exhausted because they have no way stations on which to rest; Ornias's prophecy is fulfilled (ch. 20). Sheeba, impressed with the new Temple, contributes ten thousand shekels (ch. 21). A letter from Adarkes, king of Arabia, requests Solomon's help against the wind demon Ephippas, which kills man and beast; when the gigantic cornerstone of the Temple cannot be moved by the artisans or demons, Solomon dispatches his servant boy to Arabia, where the boy entraps the wind demon in a leather flask by the aid of the ring; the boy brings the demon to the Temple, where he is interrogated by Solomon, who learns that his thwarting angel is the one who will be born of a virgin and crucified by the Jews (ch. 22). Solomon learns that the wind demon has great powers and requests that he put the cornerstone in place; the demon agrees and states that, with the aid of the demon who lives in the Red Sea, he will lift up the pillar of air which is in the Red Sea and place it where Solomon wishes; the cornerstone is inserted in place by the wind demon, fulfilling the keystone prophecy (Ps 118:22; ch. 23). The Arabian demon Ephippas and the demon of the Red Sea bring back the pillar from the Red Sea and continue to hold it in the air to this very day (ch. 24). Solomon interrogates the demon from the Red Sea, learns that his name is Abezethibou, that he was the one whom Iannes and Iambres called to their aid against Moses in Egypt, that he hardened Pharaoh's heart and caused the pursuit of the sons of Israel to the Red Sea, where, with the company of the Egyptians, he was trapped when the waters receded; Solomon adjures him to continue holding up the pillar (ch. 25). Solomon falls madly in love with a beautiful Shummanite woman; to have her, he sacrifices five locusts to the foreign gods Raphan and Moloch, and takes her to his palace; the glory of God departs from Solomon after he builds temples to her idols; to those who hear he writes his testament (ch. 26). Texts The standard edition of the Greek text of the Testament of Solomon, introduced and edited by C. C. McCown, comments on fourteen Greek manuscripts.1 Another Greek manuscript2 and a fragment3 are known.
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