what she herself desired of him. So when this queen of Ethiopia
had obtained what we have already given an account of, and had again
communicated to the king what she brought with her, she returned to her
own kingdom.

CHAPTER 7. How Solomon Grew Rich, And Fell Desperately In Love With
Women And How God, Being Incensed At It, Raised Up Ader And Jeroboam
Against Him. Concerning The Death Of Solomon.

1. About the same time there were brought to the king from the Aurea
Chersonesus, a country so called, precious stones, and pine trees, and
these trees he made use of for supporting the temple and the palace,
as also for the materials of musical instruments, the harps and the
psalteries, that the Levites might make use of them in their hymns to
God. The wood which was brought to him at this time was larger and finer
than any that had ever been brought before; but let no one imagine that
these pine trees were like those which are now so named, and which take
that their denomination from the merchants, who so call them, that they
may procure them to be admired by those that purchase them; for those
we speak of were to the sight like the wood of the fig tree, but were
whiter, and more shining. Now we have said thus much, that nobody may be
ignorant of the difference between these sorts of wood, nor unacquainted
with the nature of the genuine pine tree; and we thought it both a
seasonable and humane thing, when we mentioned it, and the uses the king
made of it, to explain this difference so far as we have done.

2. Now the weight of gold that was brought him was six hundred and
sixty-six talents, not including in that sum what was brought by
the merchants, nor what the toparchs and kings of Arabia gave him
in presents. He also cast two hundred targets of gold, each of them
weighing six hundred shekels. He also made three hundred shields, every
one weighing three pounds of gold, and he had them carried and put into
that house which was called The Forest of Lebanon. He also made cups of
gold, and of [precious] stones, for the entertainment of his guests, and
had them adorned in the most artificial manner; and he contrived that
all his other furniture of vessels should be of gold, for there was
nothing then to be sold or bought for silver; for the king had many
ships which lay upon the sea of Tarsus, these he commanded to carry out
all sorts of merchandise unto the remotest nations, by the sale of which
silver and gold w