King Solomon and Ashmedai: A Wisdom Tale

Written by: Barak A. Bassman

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Drawing from the extensive tradition of medieval Jewish folklore surrounding the Biblical King Solomon, King Solomon and Ashmedai: A Wisdom Tale recounts the fall and restoration of the legendary king of Israel.  In order to build the Temple in Jerusalem, King Solomon is forced to entrap the demon king Ashmedai to obtain the magical stone-cutting worm known as the shamir.  But once he has entered Solomon’s palace, Ashmedai slowly tempts and seduces Solomon into ever greater acts of tyranny and oppression, imperiling the stability of his kingdom, before finally exiling him altogether – and forcing Solomon to confront his moral shortcomings and to acquire the true wisdom of humility before he can be restored to his throne.