The Seal of King Solomon or King Solomon’s ring

Legend has it that King Solomon possessed a magic ring. A seal ring given to him by God made of brass and iron with the name of God on it. It is also said that he was given four jewels by four angles and he set these jewels into the ring and this gave him power over the four elements. This ring allowed him to control demons and gave him the ability to speak to animals or beasts. It is said that Solomon used the power of this ring to make demons build the temple.

There is also a story that Asmodeus or the demon Sakhr obtained the ring from Solomon and held it for forty years. Solomon was penniless during this time and for some reason the ring was tossed into the sea where it was swallowed by a fish and was caught by a fisherman and was rediscovered by Solomon.

What do you think of this legend?

Is this a true story or a mix of stories from antiquity?

What if this ring still exists?

Actually, I just learned about this the other day. Quite an interesting story.

Tell me if I'm crazy, but I believe this is where JRR Tolkien got the idea for Lord of the Rings. Didn't it supposedly have the same engraving on it?

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

I'm pretty sure I heard them say that on a King Solomon special on TV.

I think legends like this are pretty interesting myself.

[edit on 5/27/2008 by bigbert81]

reply to post by bigbert81


King Solomon has been said to be a wizard or a sorcerer. Just imagine the power one can wield with a ring with the name of God on it. Just to know the name of God is huge.

And yes I do believe the Lord of the Rings was inspire from this story.

One ring to Rule them all, well this would be it!

[edit on 27-5-2008 by LDragonFire]

reply to post by LDragonFire


First, "Just imagine the power one can wield with a ring with the name of God on it". We can test this, go to Wal-Mart and get a ring, then have God engraved on it. Let me know about the power.

Now, on to the actual myth being discussed. I find the story allegorical. With out the ring we can't scientifically test for proof. This is apparent. However, I'm a lover of mystery and myth, so let us continue.

King Solomon was the wisest ruler of his time, or so was said. This can lead on to be claimed as a Wizard or such. We can hold as fact that he was either Wise, or had his historians write him as Wise. It is also noted his rule was prosperous. Again, either historic fact or embellished history. Depends on what you choose to believe. Yet he paid the scholars somehow, so I'll concede Wise and Prosperous.

Now, simple folk won't always understand the power of effective thought. Solomon, or an Aide, was extremely gifted in understanding the causes and effects of his part of the world (and perhaps further) allowing him to have his people prosper. He brought them things lesser rulers couldn't.

They then explain this power in numerous ways. God speaks to him. He is a mighty and learned Wizard. He has a Magic Ring. All of the Above. Because, "He's clever" just isn't enough. Marty is 'clever' and he's still just a merchant, not a King/Wizard.

So people add to the story.

However, there may well have been a REAL RING (whether magical or not). This is the actual question, was there a RING?

We have to do ALOT of work to figure this one out. Historic reference. We take the most sound of the historic references we can find, and see if he is described with a ring. Then we take the fringe references and seek the ring there.

If in both, in increases the likelihood of such a ring, powers or no.

We'll start here. What references do you have of this Ring or Rings. Then, we must narrow Rings down to the one in question.

Once this task is done, we'll move to the next step.

Asmodeus The King of Demons: His story relating to Solomon

A long account of Ashmedai appears in the Talmud [1], relating how King Solomon succeeded in capturing him and forcing him into service for the building of the Temple. Later aggadic legend depicts him as a merry trickster rather than an evil demon, while according to some sources his influence is actually beneficent and is directed to guarding the moral order of the universe.
The demon Asmodeus and Solomon trade places
For many years after the Temple was completed, Solomon kept the demon Ashmedai prisoner in his dungeon. One day Solomon said to him, " How can you call yourself King of Demons if I, a mere man of flesh and blood, can hold you captive?"

"Release me from my chains and give me your magic ring," answered Ashmedai. "Then we shall see who is king."

Confident of his own power, Solomon granted Ashmedai's wish. Instantly the demon seized the king's crown, and with a single flick of his powerful wing, hurled Solomon four hundred miles from Jerusalem.

Ashmedai then flung Solomon's magic ring into the sea, where it was swallowed by a fish. For Ashmedai thought, "If anyone should gain possession of the ring, he will know what I have done."

Then the Demon King disguised himself as Solomon and sat down upon his golden throne.

Originally posted by BradKell
First, "Just imagine the power one can wield with a ring with the name of God on it". We can test this, go to Wal-Mart and get a ring, then have God engraved on it. Let me know about the power.

uh so you think the name of God is God?

reply to post by LDragonFire

I have watched the story about this a while back! This was really interesting!
What i can remember as that the ring as you said can control the demons to!

Solomon's Seal on a stone from arch of a 3-4th century synagogue in the Galilee

Solomon's Seal on a marble slab from a Byzantine church, Khirbet Sufa, Northern Negev

The external source content is very interesting!i will look what i can find!

I researched this ring awhile back and it seems to have just fallen off the face of the earth along with every other special relic that's in the Bible.

It's rather obvious though, that nothing can really fall off the face of the earth, so if they exist (which I believe they do) then they are here, but more than likely dispersed because if an individual had them all, that person or nation would be very boldy empowered.

So what are the relics and where are they?

Relics: Aaron's rod, the written law, a vessel of manna, David's sword, King David's crown (which was a spoil of war), Solomon's ring, Elijah's mantle and possibly the leather girdle of Elijah, that possibly John the Baptist came into possession of.

Most everything listed above is used as power symbols by the monarchy of Great Britain. Just google for yourself "Honours of the Principality of Wales" and you can see for yourself the little power trip they tend to be off on.

And you know what they probably do have a piece of the "pie" but I seriously doubt they have the whole thing - otherwise the early colonies of the United States wouldn't have so successfully broken away and became the power house it is today.

You heard of 'follow the money?' Here's a new one for you "Follow The Power". The bulk of everything in Israel disappeared around the end of Solomon's reign. The spoils of Israel first went to Babylon. The Israelites were returned and their temple rebuilt - but their spoils were not returned.

Alexander the Great was practically handed Israel and Egypt on a silver platter and in no time he owned everything in the known world - including all the spoils of bygone wars. Upon his death, his kingdom splintered into four pieces and the bulk of the power went to Ptolemy Sutor, his top general and some say his half brother (who the Royals trace their lineage too) and he took over Egypt. The Egyptian power ended with Cleopatra in bed with the Romans and the rest is H-I-S-T-O-R-Y.

There's a bit of evidence that Alexander had the ring but it takes a really good conspiratorial mind to get there. Enter - Oliver Stone. His movie "Alexander" begins with the King on his death bed in Babylon, attempting to pass the ring to someone and the ring falls to the floor. The entire movie is told through Ptolemy's eyes (played by Anthony Hopkins) and in the last scene where he is telling the story to his scribes, he has the ring on his finger.

History records that after Alexander died, he was put oustide in a tent and all the sides of it were brought up, so that his troops could all file past him. The ring was on his finger at this time. A year later as his body was being brought back to Macedon for burial, Ptolemy stole his body and took it to Alexandria and it hasn't been seen in over 2000 years. Also of note, should be a kingly purple robe he had - last seen draped over his sarcaphagus. Pompey the Great was said to have plundered closets looking for this cloak.

Finally, back to the ring. This ring was supposedly able to capture demons in jars, vessels or possibly statues and Ptolemy is credited with the Cult of Serapis - which is a creepy read all it's own, with lessor and greater mysteries included.

My whole point is those in power today more than likely have these spoils.



[edit on 28-5-2008 by Myrtales Instinct]

Wonderful. Now, educate me if you will. The Talmud, why type of book/record is this. Religious, Historical, Mythical, a combination?

This is important, because if filled purely with fancifuls then we need more writings on this ring.

Also note that again, this could be allegorial. The Demon could be another side of Solomon, one he only showed during the great fall of his reign. It would surely seem like a different man on the throne if he was stuck in sullen moodiness. This could be how writers described it (truly believing a Demon had stolen his power, though we can not prove/disprove such Demons.), his change.

Also, the Demon could be a Rival that none could have witnessed but had heard whispers about. Solomon could have lost influence to this Rival thus loosing power and prosperity for his lands, sending him into such doldrums.

I never say completely excuse things. When working so deep in antiquity and with such myths, one must almost search 2 at once. As in, one must strip all fancies out of the story, study the allegory, and proceed that way... while at the same time tracking seperately the What If approach of allowing such fantastics to be true. Duel Timeline, if you will.

Once we have more text on this Rings existance, we then study the body of Water where it would have been lost. However, we must also realize this could be a ploy. With out the Ring, Solomon has much weaker power. Again, could be allegory. During this dark time he simply has put away his lusterious ring as to avoid rebellion (people are starving and he still wears such things!), perhaps he dressed down during this time, still noble and worthy just less bling. An appeasment to the people. When things changed or he was near lifes end, he brings it out again. (Prosperity returns and they say "The Ring! King Solomon has returned! He has sent the Demon away!")

Please, lecture me on this Telmud (I'll Google what I can, being over here I often can't get to things due to Internet Restrictions).

Originally posted by BradKell
Wonderful. Now, educate me if you will. The Talmud, why type of book/record is this. Religious, Historical, Mythical, a combination?

This is important, because if filled purely with fancifuls then we need more writings on this ring.

The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. It is a central text of Judaism, second only to the Hebrew Bible in importance.

The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (c. 200 CE), the first written compendium of Judaism's Oral Law; and the Gemara (c. 500 CE), a discussion of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Tanakh.

The terms Talmud and Gemara are often used interchangeably. The Gemara is the basis for all codes of rabbinic law and is much quoted in other rabbinic literature. The whole Talmud is also traditionally referred to as Shas (ש"ס), a Hebrew abbreviation of shisha sedarim, the "six orders" of the Mishnah.
Talmud

Also note that again, this could be allegorial. The Demon could be another side of Solomon, one he only showed during the great fall of his reign. It would surely seem like a different man on the throne if he was stuck in sullen moodiness. This could be how writers described it (truly believing a Demon had stolen his power, though we can not prove/disprove such Demons.), his change.

Also, the Demon could be a Rival that none could have witnessed but had heard whispers about. Solomon could have lost influence to this Rival thus loosing power and prosperity for his lands, sending him into such doldrums.

The story goes After King Solomon forced the demon to build his temple, the demon tricked or challenged Solomon for the ring.

I never say completely excuse things. When working so deep in antiquity and with such myths, one must almost search 2 at once. As in, one must strip all fancies out of the story, study the allegory, and proceed that way... while at the same time tracking seperately the What If approach of allowing such fantastics to be true. Duel Timeline, if you will.

Once we have more text on this Rings existance, we then study the body of Water where it would have been lost. However, we must also realize this could be a ploy. With out the Ring, Solomon has much weaker power. Again, could be allegory. During this dark time he simply has put away his lusterious ring as to avoid rebellion (people are starving and he still wears such things!), perhaps he dressed down during this time, still noble and worthy just less bling. An appeasment to the people. When things changed or he was near lifes end, he brings it out again. (Prosperity returns and they say "The Ring! King Solomon has returned! He has sent the Demon away!")

Please, lecture me on this Telmud (I'll Google what I can, being over here I often can't get to things due to Internet Restrictions).

King Solomon, the son of King David, established Jerusalem as the city of justice and peace. His name reflects the original name of the city, Shalem. Solomon is said to have been given both "wisdom and knowledge", this is usually taken to mean wise government, the ability to distinguish morally between good and evil, and a thorough understanding of the universe. "Behold I have given you a wise and understanding heart; there has been none like you before you, nor after you shall any arise like you" (Kings 1, 3, 12).

The legend of King Solomon's Seal, of the wondrous signet ring which he received from heaven, is common to Judaism, to Christianity and to Islam. King Solomon's Seal, whose base is on the ground and whose tip reaches heaven, symbolizes a harmony of opposites, whose significance is manifold as much as it is multi-cultural. It reflects the cosmic order, the skies, the movement of the stars in their spheres, and the perpetual flow between heaven and earth, between the elements of air and fire. The Seal, therefore, symbolizes super-human wisdom and rule by divine grace.
King Solomon-s Seal

What we are attempting to discover is was this just a fairy tale, myth or History. As posted above their seems to be many power items written about in the Bible the Talmud and Koran but we have lost every single one, did these items really exist or not?

reply to post by BradKell


Talmud is religious book, however it is written as a discussion and in those discussions mystical/historical/whatnot examples are "engraved". It actually takes Mishna - which is sort of collection of laws, and an attempt to see how a certain law was decided this way and not the opposite one.
As for the seal, cannot add anything. But lord of the rings idea is really nice!

I found this to be interesting

IsraelNN.com) In honor of Jerusalem Day, which begins Tuesday night, archaeologists revealed a number of seals from the time of the Biblical Kings David and Solomon. The seals, along with other recently uncovered artifacts, were displayed for the first time on Monday, atat a conference marking 40 years since the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem by the modern State of Israel.

The Bible-period artifacts were unearthed during archaeological excavations underway in Ir David, the City of David, below Jerusalem’s Old City to the east. The specific artifacts on display on Monday were found at the Beit HaMaayan (well-house) dig, overseen by Haifa University's Archaeology Department Director, Professor Ronny Reich.

The greatest scientific and public interest was focused on more than 100 seals and signet rings, used as a means of authentication for written papyrus documents, from the time of the reigns of Kings David and Solomon. The seals bear various markings that, when deciphered, indicate the sender of the document and his or her location. The large number of such seals, archaeologists explained, indicate that the City of David area was a commercial and trading center.
Artifacts From Time of Kings David and Solomon Revealed

This is going to be like looking for a needle in a stack of needles, we are interested in One Ring and I'm thinking it has been lost to antiquity or has it? Perhaps the various secret societies such as the Free Masons have in there possession treasures such as this. Wouldn't the royal bloodlines that are spoken of so much possibly have these religious power items?

Any other information or even opinions would be helpful at this time.

You are absolutely correct, which is why Historic Text is our current best friend. Defined descriptions give you an idea of what KIND of ring... what it is made of, what accessory it has (gems, jewels), engravings, etc.

Once we set on which ring, we then move forward to track the ring. It will indeed take us into other avenues such as Secret Societies. Also we will have to be on our Historic Geography.

The search for answers continues. The Testament of Solomon, who wrote it? And when was it written? Again the question must be asked is this myth or fairytale or is this biblical history?

1. WHAT IS THE TESTAMENT OF SOLOMON?
The Testament of Solomon is a medium-length Greek text which tells the legendary story of King SolomonÕs Ring and explains the power it bestowed on its possessor over the demons which plagued the building of the Temple. It is written from the point of view of the king himself, and closes with SolomonÕs fall into idolatry. The narrative works at several levels. At one level, and for much of the text, it is an entertaining ÔArabian NightsÕ-style narrative of a super magician and his contests with a variety of demons and djinns from the desert: there is always the underlying frisson of the supernatural, but the narrative also contains a certain aura of wry humour, and demons are satisfyingly routed by SolomonÕs supernatural knowledge. But the narrative also provides a repository for serious magical lore about the names of the demons, their areas of influence, and the names and formulae by which they can be controlled. It is this factor which led McCown, the TestamentÕs first editor, to label it Òa combination of folktales and a magicianÕs vade-mecumÓ (McCown, 1922, p.1); and it is this agglutiantive quality which has led to the complex textual situation with which McCown and subsequent editors have wrestled.

Several demons are not only named in this text but there purpose is also revealed, we will look at When this text was written originally.

But before the historian can get to work on the text, there is a question of dating to be settled. Scholarly opinion on the date of the Testament varies widely.
• mediaeval: F.F. Fleck (1837) originally argued that the Testament was a Byzantine work dating from the Middle Ages. V.M. Istrin (1898) also defended a date for the Testament in the Middle Ages (ca. 1200 C.E.), whilst admitting that the text contains a number of pre-Christian elements.
• fourth century CE or earlier: On the basis of arguing that the demonology of the Testament is similar to that portrayed in the Divinae Institutiones of Lactantius, F.A. Bornemann suggested a date in the early fourth century C.E. This dating was followed by McCown, partly because of the apparent allusion to TSol 26.5 found in the Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila (see below), and partly because the fluent koine of the Testament suggests a date at a time when this form of Greek was current after the completion of the New Testament. McCown also argued that the allusions to the cornerstone of the Temple are to be attributed to a date before the notion of the cornerstone referring to Christ became common amongst Christians; and that the demonology of the Testament is very close to that found in Origen Contra Celsum.
• 1st./2nd century CE: F.C. Conybeare noted a number of points in support of a date around 100 C.E., at least for the Christian elements present in the Testament. He noted that Òthe stress laid on the name Emmanuel and on its numerical value, on the writing of the name on the forehead, the use of the word tanustheis, the patripassian conceptions, all have a very archaic air, and seem to belong to about 100 A.D.Ó K. Kohler concurs with Conybeare, noting that the Testament represents pre-Talmudic demonology, and both Conybeare and Kohler were followed in their conclusions by G. Salzberger. More recently, K. Preisendanz has argued in favour of dating the original form of the Testament to the first or second centuries C.E. Prior to Preisendanz, W. Gundel had argued that the archetype of the list of thirty-six decans in TSol 18 is dateable to the first century B.C.E., and that Ch.18 was in use in pre-Christian Egypt.

What we see is are valid arguments for various dates or approximation for when this text was written.

7. SUMMARY AND PROVISIONAL CONCLUSIONS
Only a small part of the relevant material has been covered here. However, it seems that the traditions which the Testament has in common with other texts were in existence before the seventh century. Various traditions found in the Testament are attested in many different documents, each with a different provenance, over a very long period of time. Thus when the relevant material is taken into account, and when the various extant MSS and papyri have been considered, a sixth century date for the Ur-Text of the Testament would seem to make good sense. However, to say that such a date makes sense is not to say that the Testament of Solomon was written in any form in the sixth century. This does seem to be the most likely date, but our evidence is ambiguous enough to preclude any possibility of certainty. We are hindered by the fact that the evidence of which we must take account in attempting to date the Testament is not extensive, and is made up of texts which are wildly different in date, authorship, provenance, and (possibly) ideology. We are also hindered by the lack of allusions within the Testament to contemporary events, and by the extremely complex textual and redactional histories of the Testament. We are able to deal only with possibilities.
DATING THE TESTAMENT OF SOLOMON

James Harding and Loveday Alexander have stated that the Testament of Solomon predates the seventh century, but they admit that not all variables and sources have been included, as there is evidence that it is as old as the first century. If you have interest in this I strongly recommend that you read the entire paper.

The Testament of Solomon, translated by F. C. Conybeare

Greek title:--
NOTES: 1. Testament of Solomon, son of David, who was king in Jerusalem, and mastered and controlled all spirits of the air, on the earth, and under the earth. By means of them also he wrought all the transcendent works of the Temple. Telling also of the authorities they wield against men, and by what angels these demons are brought to naught.
Of the sage Solomon.
Blessed art thou, O Lord God, who didst give Solomon such authority. Glory to thee and might unto the ages. Amen.
2. And behold, when the Temple of the city of Jerusalem was being built, and the artificers were working thereat, Ornias the demon came among them toward sunset; and he took away half of the pay of the chief-deviser's (?)1 little boy, as well as half his food. [16] He also continued to suck the thumb of his right hand every day. And the child grew thin, although he was very much loved by the king. 1. [D: master workman’s ] 3. So King Solomon called the boy one day, and questioned him, saying: "Do I not love thee more than all the artisans who are working in the Temple of God? Do I not give thee double wages and a double supply of food? How is it that day by day and hour by hour thou growest thinner?"
The Testament of Solomon, translated by F. C. Conybeare

[edit on 29-5-2008 by LDragonFire]

To the OP. According to the Solomonian testament his seal was not that of the hexagram, but rather a skewed pentagram, one cycle of the morningstar, not all of it.

reply to post by LDragonFire


I also heard this story once...about a ring..

It goes something like this.....


"Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

Originally posted by Neo Christian Mystic
To the OP. According to the Solomonian testament his seal was not that of the hexagram, but rather a skewed pentagram, one cycle of the morningstar, not all of it.

Yes thats one version but there appears to be several different descriptions of this ring:

In some versions of the story, the ring was made of brass and iron, carved with the Name of God, and set with four jewels. In later versions the ring simply bore the symbol now called the Star of David (hexagram), often within a circle, usually with the two triangles interlaced (hence chiral) rather than intersecting. Often the gaps are filled with dots or other symbols. Other versions have it as a pentagram or other more complicated figures. Works on demonology typically depict the pattern of the seal as being two concentric circles, with a number of mystical sigils between the inner and outer circles, and various more-or-less complex geometric shapes within the inner circle.
wikipedia

This makes the search for the ring even more difficult. I even read somewhere that the image I posted in the opening post was not complete and lines would be connecting the dots making it have both the Star of David and the pentagram.

What became of these power items of biblical history? Aarons Staff, Davids crown and sword the Seal of Solomon, and countless other artifacts.

Did they ever exist? Did they throw them all into the oceans? Do the Secret societies with royalty have them, perhaps this is how the PTB control much of the Earth?

I posted a thread earlier today about the relationship between King Solomon and Queen Makeda of Sheba, centering on the possibility that the Queen had a son by Solomon. After reading this thread, there are some interesting corelations in regard to the ring theory, as well as that of the demon imposter on the throne of Israel.

The Kebra Negast states that when Menelek was 12 years old, he began asking his mother about his father, and that when he was 22, he traveled to Jerusalem, bearing the ring which Solomon had given Makeda. Because Menelek's facial features, eyes, legs and gait were similar to his father's, Solomon recognized him instantly.

source

So, there is a ring and a resemblance. This resemblance was so striking, in fact, that the Israelites had difficulty telling them apart.

Menelik looked very like his father, which confused the Israelites as they had difficulty in telling the difference between Solomon and Menelik. Because of this confusion they complained to King Solomon and asked him to send Menelik home.

source

Fascinating how the story of this ring and the resemblance between Solomon and his son Menelik share many of the characteristics of the story of Solomon and his ring of demonic control.

If these two rings are one and the same, which I have no way of proving, this ring would most likely have returned to Sheba with Menelik and, purportedly, the Ark of the Covenant.

[edit on 1-6-2008 by Icarus Rising]

Anyway, the hexagram inscribed within a circle is the classic depiction of Saturns cycle. If you see the solar system as a giant watch, Venus moves in a pentagonal pattern, while Mercury moves in a square cycle, Mars however is very complex, while Jupiter's cycle suggests a twelvepointed shape. This was known to the ancient astrologers, but it's not even taught in schools these days.

In the book "Dark Mission" Richard Hoagland speaks of this and it is in relation to differet planets and their effects on earth. This is ancient knowledge. I don't know aout the key itself, it could have to do with geological locations here on earth and those in the galaxy.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
I posted a thread earlier today about the relationship between King Solomon and Queen Makeda of Sheba, centering on the possibility that the Queen had a son by Solomon. After reading this thread, there are some interesting corelations in regard to the ring theory, as well as that of the demoimposter on the throne of Israel.

Excellent find and a very good thread you have made I do wish I had something of value to add, but I'm a noob about all of this, but I'm attempting to learn all I can. I have heard the story before about Solomon and the Queen of Sheba [wasn't she a Ethiopian Queen?].

So, there is a ring and a resemblance. This resemblance was so striking, in fact, that the Israelites had difficulty telling them apart.

Fascinating how the story of this ring and the resemblance between Solomon and his son Menelik share many of the characteristics of the story of Solomon and his ring of demonic control.

If these two rings are one and the same, which I have no way of proving, this ring would most likely have returned to Sheba with Menelik and, purportedly, the Ark of the Covenant.

It would have been a ring of value to be giving it to his son, this to me is the first clue as to where this ring may have went after King Solomon. Awesome and thanks for the reply. Very interesting that 2 Very powerful [perhaps the most powerful] biblical power items may have went to the same country by the same people.