The Testament of Solomon — What is it?

TL;DR:

The Testament of Solomon is a book that was written sometime between the third and fifth centuries, hundreds of years after the life of Christ and approximately fifteen hundred years after the life of Solomon. The Testament of Solomon has deep ties to astrology and was never believed to be truthful or scriptural by either Jews or the early church.

what does the bible say?

The Testament of Solomon is an ancient Jewish pseudepigraphical text, meaning it is attributed to King Solomon but was not actually written by him. The Testament of Solomon was likely written between the first and fifth centuries AD, long after Solomon’s lifetime (tenth century BC). It presents itself as a confessional or instructional work in which Solomon recounts how God gave him a magical ring that allowed him to control and command demons. Using this power, Solomon is depicted as organizing the spirits to aid in the construction of the Temple, while also learning about their natures, weaknesses, and the spiritual realm. The text blends elements of Jewish mysticism, folklore, and early demonology, focusing on Solomon’s wisdom, his interaction with supernatural beings, and the use of divine authority to bring order to the spiritual and earthly world. While it provides insight into cultural views of angels, demons, and spiritual hierarchy in the early centuries AD and offers a fascinating window into the interplay between Jewish theology, magical traditions, and storytelling, it should not be read as a historical nor divinely inspired Scripture.

from the old testament

The Bible does portray Solomon as wise (1 Kings 3:12, 4:29-34) and as the builder of the temple (1 Kings 6:1-38). The Testament of Solomon claims to record his supernatural encounters and is written in a style resembling a confessional or a letter one might write from the deathbed.
The Bible doesn’t mention Solomon commanding demons or using a magical ring. Scripture emphasizes that God’s wisdom and authority come from Him, not from magical objects (Proverbs 3:5-6; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

from the new testament

The New Testament affirms Solomon’s wisdom and his role as a figure in God’s plan (Matthew 6:29; Luke 11:31), but it never attributes supernatural control over spirits to him.
The New Testament teaches that authority over spiritual forces comes only through God and Christ (Luke 10:19; Ephesians 6:10-18).

implications for today

The Testament of Solomon is a fictional work that combines Christian, Egyptian, and Greek spirituality. There are strong links to astrology such as by associating the demons with different constellations, and the book also contains medical alchemy.

A good portion of the Testament of Solomon tells of Solomon enslaving demons and using a powerful magic ring to get the temple built. In the book, there is a young boy helping to build the temple who is being tormented by a demon who is sucking his vitality out of his right thumb. When Solomon prays for wisdom about the situation, the angel Michael appears to give him a magical ring, sometimes called the Seal of Solomon, which was supposedly in the shape of a pentagram or a hexagram (like the Star of David). Using the ring's power, Solomon forces the demons into slavery and makes them work on the temple construction. He also questions each of the demons to learn about what issues they cause and how to win against them.

The demons Solomon interrogates take responsibility for some specific ailments and provide spells that will break off their power. Some demon names such as Asmodeus and Abyzou show up in much other ancient literature and mythology. Solomon was a popular historical figure at the time the Testament of Solomon was written, so the work does provide an interesting glance into some of the popular cultural mythology about Solomon from that time. But it is nothing more than that.

understand

The Testament of Solomon is a pseudepigraphical work written centuries after Solomon and is not considered canonical.
The Testament of Solomon describes Solomon using a magical ring to command demons, which the Bible never records.
The Testament of Solomon offers cultural insights into early beliefs about spirits but is purely literary, not divinely inspired.

reflect

How does understanding that The Testament of Solomon is not Scripture affect the way you view it?
How can you discern between cultural or literary stories and the truth of God’s Word?
How does Scripture’s teaching that God alone has authority over spiritual forces shape how you approach spiritual battles in your life?

engage

How does The Testament of Solomon reflect the blending of Jewish, Greek, and early Christian thought, and why might this have appealed to people at the time?
How can we use the contrast between the fictional stories of The Testament of Solomon and the biblical accounts of Solomon to deepen our understanding of true wisdom?
What insight does The Testament of Solomon give us of the early church’s culture?