s, and his reason became weaker by length of time, it
was not sufficient to recall to his mind the institutions of his own
country; so he still more and more contemned his own God, and continued
to regard the gods that his marriages had introduced nay, before this
happened, he sinned, and fell into an error about the observation of the
laws, when he made the images of brazen oxen that supported the brazen
sea, [20] and the images of lions about his own throne; for these he
made, although it was not agreeable to piety so to do; and this he did,
notwithstanding that he had his father as a most excellent and domestic
pattern of virtue, and knew what a glorious character he had left
behind him, because of his piety towards God. Nor did he imitate David,
although God had twice appeared to him in his sleep, and exhorted him
to imitate his father. So he died ingloriously. There came therefore
a prophet to him, who was sent by God, and told him that his wicked
actions were not concealed from God; and threatened him that he should
not long rejoice in what he had done; that, indeed, the kingdom should
not be taken from him while he was alive, because God had promised to
his father David that he would make him his successor, but that he would
take care that this should befall his son when he was dead; not that
he would withdraw all the people from him, but that he would give
ten tribes to a servant of his, and leave only two tribes to David's
grandson for his sake, because he loved God, and for the sake of the
city of Jerusalem, wherein he should have a temple.

6. When Solomon heard this he was grieved, and greatly confounded,
upon this change of almost all that happiness which had made him to be
admired, into so bad a state; nor had there much time passed after
the prophet had foretold what was coming before God raised up an enemy
against him, whose name was Ader, who took the following occasion of his
enmity to him. He was a child of the stock of the Edomites, and of the
blood royal; and when Joab, the captain of David's host, laid waste the
land of Edom, and destroyed all that were men grown, and able to bear
arms, for six months' time, this Hadad fled away, and came to Pharaoh
the king of Egypt, who received him kindly, and assigned him a house to
dwell in, and a country to supply him with food; and when he was grown
up he loved him exceedingly, insomuch that he gave him his wife's
sister, whose name was Tahpenes, to wife, by