00:00When Solomon had completed all this in 20 years' time, because Hiram King of Tyre had contributed a great deal
00:08of gold and more silver to these buildings, as also cedar wood and pine wood, he also rewarded Hiram with
00:16rich presents.
00:18Corn he sent him also year by year and wine and oil, which were the principal things that he stood
00:24in need of because he inhabited an island, as we have already said.
00:28And besides these he granted him certain cities of Galilee, twenty in number that lay not far from Tyre, which
00:36when Hiram went to and viewed and did not like the gift, he sent word to Solomon that he did
00:41not want such cities as they were.
00:44And after that time these cities were called the land of Kabul, which name, if it be interpreted according to
00:51the language of the Phoenicians, denotes what does not please.
00:54Moreover, the king of Tyre sent sophisms and enigmatical sayings to Solomon and desired he would solve them and free
01:04them from the ambiguity that was in them.
01:07Now so sagacious and understanding was Solomon that none of these problems were too hard for him, but he conquered
01:15them all by his reasonings and discovered their hidden meaning and brought it to light.
01:20Menander also one who translated the Tyrean archives out of the dialect of the Phoenicians into the Greek language makes
01:28mention of these two kings where he says thus.
01:32When Abubalus was dead, his son Hiram received the kingdom from him, who when he had lived fifty-three years
01:39reigned thirty-four.
01:40He raised a bank in the large place and dedicated the golden pillar, which is in Jupiter's temple.
01:47He also went and cut down materials of timber out of the mountain called Libanus for the roof of temples.
01:55And when he had pulled down the ancient temples, he both built the temple of Hercules and that of Astarte,
02:02and he first set up the temple of Hercules in the month Peritius.
02:06He also made an expedition against the Yukai, or Titi, who did not pay their tribute.
02:12And when he had subdued them to himself, he returned.
02:16Under this king there was Abdemon, a very youth in age, who always conquered the difficult problems which Solomon king
02:23of Jerusalem commanded him to explain.
02:52Dias also makes mention of him.
02:54Where he says thus.
02:55When Abubalus was dead, his son Hiram reigned.
02:59He raised the eastern parts of the city higher, and made the city itself larger.
03:03He also joined the temple of Jupiter, which before stood by itself, to the city, by raising a bank in
03:10the middle between them.
03:11And he adorned it with donations of gold.
03:14Moreover, he went up to Mount Libanus, and cut down materials of wood for the building of the temples.
03:20He says also that Solomon, who was then king of Jerusalem, sent riddles to Hiram, and desired to receive the
03:28like from him.
03:29But that he who could not solve them should pay money to them that did solve them, and that Hiram
03:35accepted the conditions.
03:36And when he was not able to solve the riddles proposed by Solomon, he paid a great deal of money
03:42for his fine.
03:43But that he afterward did solve the proposed riddles by means of Abdemon, a man of Tyre.
03:49And that Hiram proposed other riddles, which when Solomon could not solve, he paid back a great deal of money
03:57to Hiram.
03:58This it is, which Dias wrote.
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