The Testament of Solomon as an Astronomico-Religious

Treatise

By
Frater In Sterquiliniis Invenitur
Frater I.S.I
 « Elijah is an important figure in man’s unconscious. He is the man with a low threshold
of consciousness or with remarkable intuition. He has the ability to get in touch with
archetypes. He will be surrounded with mana, and will arouse other men because he
touches the archetypes in others. He is fascinating and has a thrill about him. He is the
wise man, the medicine man, the mana man. » - Carl Gustav Jung

« Ten are the numbers, as are the Sefirot, and twenty-two the letters [of the Hebrew
alphabet], these are the Foundation of all things. Of these letters, three are 'mothers',
seven are 'double', and twelve are 'simple'. » -Sefer Yetzirah 1:2

Solomon, son of David, is an important figure in the Abrahamic traditions. His reign,
supposed to have been between 970 and 931 BCE, is very controversial in nature as it is
the object of very important revisions by the exegetes. He is referred to in various locations
in the Hebrew Bible, notably as the architect of the first temple of Jerusalem, destroyed in
587 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar II. Solomon is also attributed as the writer of several books
of the Tanakh: the Second Book of Samuel and the First Book of Kings as well as the
Prophets or Nevi'im. However, several books of the biblical canon are also attributed to
him: The Book of Proverbs chapter 25-29 and others, Song of Songs and Kohelet. These
attributions are disputed by the majority of modern exegetes, including Kohelet which has
been written around 450-330 before the Christian era, depending on the exegetes. In
addition, several pseudepigraphical books are attributed to Solomon.
 The Testament of Solomon is a Greek text that tells the story of Solomon's point of view
in the construction of the first temple. Receiving a ring with a seal, by the archangel
Michael, he linked demons, including Orias, to this ring in order to ultimately build the
temple. The narrative continues with a description of a panoply of demons that
demonstrates a great knowledge of demonology by the author of this text as
personifications of the decans as well as a knowledge of astronomical correspondences as
this passage demonstrates when Solomon invokes the demon Ruax: "I am the first decans
of the zodiacal circle, and I am called the ram, and with me are these two"1 In addition to,
an allusion to the demon Abyzou can be linked and identified as Lilith. This description
varies within other texts of the Hebrew Bible. Towards the end of the story, an important
mention of sexuality is specified with a Shunammite woman. Specifically related to
sacrifices made to the Canaanite deity Moloch. This is important because it describes
Solomon's descent into idolatry. Through this work, I will elaborate on the origin and the
dating of this text, then I will offer a brief description of this manuscript as well as an
anthropo- imaginary and astronomico-religious deepening on the demonology structure
found in the testament of Solomon as well as some themes of the anthropology of
imaginary : the figure of King Solomon and the seal of Solomon.

Dating and other MS

The dating of the text is one of the most important question of this manuscript. In fact,
this question is one of the most thoroughly examined by the exegetes who analyzed the
nature of this work. Chester C. McCown, the first publisher of Solomon's Testament
(TSol), describes several fragmented existing forms of the Solomon Testament in several
other later sources. This is the case of MS A. B, C and D:

"McCown grouped the late medieval manuscripts into three recensional families (A, B, and C), and
argued that the earliest form of the text most closely resembled manuscript D (his so-called

1
Conybeare, F. C. “The Testament of Solomon.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 11, no. 1, 1898, p.35
‘haggadic folktale’ which contains Solomonic biography, with an emphasis on demon-related tales,
and no testament framework)"2

McCown and his research on subsequent sources lead to: Recension A (MS H, I and L XV
and XVI centuries CE) In these manuscripts, the narrative begins with the construction of
the temple and ends with the narrative on the Shunammite. Recension B (MS P and Q, as
well as N. XV and XVI centuries CE) some explanations on the creation of the Testament
and detail of some demons. Recension C (MS V and W as well as Fragments S, T and U.
XV and XVI Centuries CE) These manuscripts focus on descriptions of demons and the
nature of treasures. In addition, four papyri (Pap.Vindob.G. 29,436, Pap.Vindob.G 35,939,
Pap.Vindob.G 330 (18. [33], 34-40)) of the Vienna Papyri Collection are probably dated
from the 5th or 6th century and which consist only of chapter 18, the famous decans list.

Astronomico-religious demonology and short summary

In this section, I will discuss the Testament of Solomon as a whole in a brief summary. I
will use the translation made by F. C. Conybeare and D. C. Duling. I will approach several
anthropological themes as a result of the description of the text. For example, considering
that the work is in itself a demonological manuscript, I will take care to mention what
multiple demons mean in the anthropology of the imaginary and specifically, how the 36
demons of chapter 18 represents decans that were known in the imaginary of the ancient
Near East. Consequently, the Egyptian astronomy (subdivision of zodiacal signs divided
into degrees. Specifically, three decans of ten degrees of ecliptic longitude by zodiac.
Therefore there are 36 decans for the 360 days of the year plus 5 added in the Egyptian
mythos. 3 decans of 10 degrees each by zodiac) as described by Schwarz "There are a
number of sections of the tale which seem to alter this pattern somewhat, such as when a
group of thirty-six demons appears (the decans, or degrees of the zodiac—for more on
these see below)"3 In short, in addition to the summary, I will demonstrate the importance

2
Schwarz, S. L. « Reconsidering the Testament of Solomon ». Journal for the Study of the
Pseudepigrapha, Vol.16, No. 3, 2007, p.215

3
Schwarz, Sarah L. “Demons and Douglas: Applying Grid and Group to the Demonologies of the
‘Testament of Solomon.’” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 80, No. 4, 2012, p.911
of critically reading and analyzing a text while putting the manuscript in its sociohistorical
as well as astronomico-religious context. Specifically, I will propose that the ability of
Solomon's literary character to subjugate a set of legions of "demons", which correspond
to a set of cosmological subjects, thus allows the text to emphasize the desacralization of
the cosmos and to make these "demons" (subject of the cosmological imaginary) change
status from subjects to objects. In other words, the text allows Solomon to submit the divine
importance of these stars, constellations, decans, etc. and make them tributary to the power
of the Hebrew God through his magical ability. As a result, this text makes it possible to
reinforce the discourse of the desacralization of the cosmological divinities of the ancient
Near East. This discourse, it is important to mention, already exists within the Hebrew
Bible. I will also discuss the transgressive nature of this manuscript when King Solomon
sacrifices locusts for Moloch, thereby re-actualizing the idolatrous power of a Canaanite
deity.

"Solomon's gesture of sacrificing the five locusts to the names of the foreign idols Malchal and
Raban is tantamount to the definitive abandonment of the weapons whose Jewish esoteric tradition
has furnished the legendary king of Israel. Thus, Solomon ceases to be the discretionary master of
visible nature and invisible demonic powers. By sacrificing the grasshoppers, Solomon only
confirms the annihilation of his equestrian glory against the demons."4

This act strengthens my point of origin in which this text is meant to help prevent such
danger and thus support the desacralization of cosmological deities.

It all begins with the presentation of King Solomon as the son of David. From the outset,
the author makes us understand the importance and the key character of this literary story.
The story is introduced with the construction of the first temple of Jerusalem by Solomon
when a boy present himself to the king and informs him that a demon named Ornias sucked
his thumb at night in order to gain his life force. Solomon decided to pray to the archangel

4
Colceriu, Stefan. « Le Chevalier, La Femme et Le Diable. Les Gemmes Magiques et Le Testament De
Salomon. » Diversitate si Identitate Culturala in Europa, Vol. 7, No.1, 2010, p.53
Michael who gave him a magical ring imbued with a symbol. Michael stipulated that the
ring can be used to imprison and subdue any demon

"Take, O Solomon, king, son of David, the gift which the Lord God has sent thee, the highest
Sabaoth. With it thou shalt lock up all demons of the earth, male and female; and with their help
thou shalt build up Jerusalem. [But] thou [must] wear this seal of God. And this engraving of the
seal of the ring sent thee is a Pentalpha."5

Thus the king imprisoned the first demon who hastened to beg Solomon's pardon. After a
brief interrogation and a question from the king who asked him which sign of the zodiac
he corresponds, the demon asserted that it corresponds to the zodiac of Aquarius. Already
at the outset, the author shows us the astronomical and cosmological importance of the
correspondences that personify the demons. It is important to note that for each demon, the
king uses the archangel feared by the specific demon to subject him to the temple work. In
the case of Ornias, the Archangel Uriel ordered him to build the temple

"and as he was not willing to be subject to me, I prayed the archangel Uriel to come and succour
me; and I forthwith beheld the archangel Uriel coming down to me from the heavens. And the angel
bade the whales of the sea come out of the abyss. And he cast his destiny upon the ground, and
that [destiny] made subject [to him] the great demon. And he commanded the great demon and bold
Ornias, to cut stones at the Temple"6

What is interesting to note in this quote is F. C. Conybeare's translation for “whales of the
sea”. Although, the translation of DC Duling translates the original Hebrew term by “sea
monsters”, he notes thereafter "The sea monsters are named Behemoth (the male) and
Leviathan (the female) in 4Ezra 6:48-52, 1En 60:7.]"7 The translation of DC Duling thus
makes it possible to make a link with the evil archetypal motif of the dweller of the sea,
symbolizing the underworld. The waters is then represented as a chaotic reservoir where
the Leviathan dwells (Is 27,1).

Subsequently, it is with the help of this demon that Solomon submits Beelzeboul
nicknamed the prince of demons. It is with the subjugation of Beelzeboul and his promise

5
Conybeare, F. C. “The Testament of Solomon.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 11, no. 1, 1898, p.16
6
Conybeare, F. C. “The Testament of Solomon.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 11, no. 1, 1898, p.18
7
D. C. Duling in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume 1: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments,
Doubleday, 1983, p. 935
as prince of all demons that Solomon begins his quest for subjugation. He therefore invoke
several demons one after the other, asking them which signs of the zodiac, which stars and
which powers they belong to. Then he asks them what archangels / angels they fear in order
for him to submit them to the construction of the temple. All this in the light of an
interrogation.

Subsequently appear the thirty-six demons associated with the decans. As mentioned
earlier in the introduction to this section of the work, decans are astronomical subdivisions
associated with the zodiac cycle. Thus, every ten days, a star associated with a particular
constellation appears at dawn, towards the east, just behind the sunrise. This is called a
heliacal rising. The appearance of a star then makes a full year cycle. Therefore, the
Egyptians (Book of Nut or The Fundamentals of the Course of the Stars) and several other
cultures of the ancient Near East as well as the Greeks with the Attic calendar were aware
of this astronomical clock. In short, the point of this work is not to make apparent the
astronomico-religious history of the cultures of the ancient Near East, but to demonstrate
the knowledge of the author of the testament of Solomon about these decans. These thirty-
six demons appear on page 34 or chapter 18 of the edition of Conybeare, F. C. According
to certain exegetes it is possible that this part of the testament was distributed well before
the conception of the manuscript as underlined by Schwarz

"Chapter 18 is unique, and would stand out even if we did not have this independent copy. Unlike
the surrounding passages, it is briefer and much more formulaic, and contains what is known as a
‘decans list’. The decans are identified here as demonic powers, each of which controls one tenth
of the zodiac, and which cause harm to human beings unless they are thwarted by the actions of the
practitioner in calling upon each decan’s appropriate angel. Such decans lists are known from
earlier Egyptian sources, and, based simply on its form and content, this version could easily once
have been an independent document. It is quite plausible that this chapter was one of the oldest
portions of the story, and that it circulated independently of the rest until it was agglomerated with
other Solomonic incantation materials at some later point"8

8
Schwarz, S. L. “Reconsidering the Testament of Solomon“. Journal for the Study of the
Pseudepigrapha, Vol.16, No. 3, 2007, p.219
More specifically, here is a list of each of these 36 demons associated with their decans
and zodiac. Aries: (1.Rhyax 2.Barsafael 3. Arôtosael). Taurus: (4.Horopel 5.
Kairoxanondalon 6. Sphendonael). Gemini: (7.Sphandor 8.Belbel 9.Kourtael). Cancer:
(10.Metathiax 11.Katanikotael 12.Saphthorael). Leo: (13.Phobothel 14.Leroel
15.soubetti). Virgo: (16.Katrax 17.Jeropa 18.Modobel). Balance: (19.Madero 20.Nathotho
21.Alath). Scorpio: (22.Audameoth 23.Nefthada 24.Akton). Sagittarius: (25.Anatreth
26.Enautha 27.Phêth). Capricorn: (28.Harpax 29.Anoster 30.Alleborith). Aquarius:
(31.Hephesimireth 32.Ichthion 33.Agchoniôn). Pisces: (34.Autothith 35.Phthenoth
36.Bianakith). This exhaustive list is described in much more detail in the testament where
each demon associated with a decan is illustrated with its powers and influences.

The text ends with the king falling in love with a Shunammite foreign woman. The priests
of Moloch tells the king that if he wants to take her for wife and have intercourse, he have
to sacrifice locusts for Moloch. He did and sank into the veneration of idolatry as the text
describes it to us. There are two important points about the end of this text.

The first: It is not without reminding that during the Persian period, there was a great
cultural problem regarding foreign women who “contaminated” the Judean religion as the
book of Ezra and Tobias imply. This is what some individuals have been trying to associate
with Genesis 2 when Eve "contaminated" the garden. But God never acknowledged that
the fault came from Eve or Adam. Furthermore, the sanction was equal for both Eve and
Adam indicating that the fault was equal for both. Therefore, there is no connection with
the “contamination” of the proto-religious state and foreign women in Genesis 2. In short,
there is subsequently an interesting link with the young Shunammite woman who comes
to corrupt Solomon with idolatry and this same Hebrew cultural problem of the Persian
period.

The second point: The main reason why Solomon (the literary character) writes this
testament is the fall to idolatry. The literary character of Solomon thus writes this testament
to be certain that no one will make the same mistake as himself.

"I then, wretch that I am, followed her advice, and the glory of God quite departed from me; and
my spirit was darkened, and I became the sport of idols and demons. Wherefore I wrote out
this Testament, that ye who get possession of it may pity, and attend to the last things 1, and not to
the first. So that ye may find grace for ever and ever. Amen"9

In my opinion, this point supports the fact that this text is not only in favor of the
desacralization of the ancient Near East cosmic deities by subordinating them to the divine
magic of God used by Solomon, but in addition, it comes to reinstate the necessity of not
being idolatrous, as this can bring bad luck and curse "And this I actually did. And at once
the Spirit of God departed from me, and I became weak as well as foolish in my
words"10 Finally, this manuscript is both a literary work of cultural and cultual richness as
well as a treatise blooming with astronomical knowledge. It would have been uncritical to
analyze the importance of the demonological aspect without accounting for its
astronomical reality.

"On one level, TSol is an extracanonical expansion of the power of the biblical king Solomon and
a folktale about the construction of the Jerusalem Temple with the assistance of demonic labor. On
another level, it presents an encyclopedic miscellany of practical instructions for writing amulets,
curing ailments, and controlling demons. It incorporates a testamentary framework—a genre
known from Jewish and Christian examples in which a great figure from the past reflects on his
sins in facing death—and draws on biblical and parabiblical literature broadly in its details; yet it
is at home with a panoply of Greco-Roman and Egyptian notions of power, from detailed
knowledge of astrology [...]"11

9
Conybeare, F. C. “The Testament of Solomon.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 11, no. 1, 1898, p.45
10
Conybeare, F. C. “The Testament of Solomon.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 11, no. 1, 1898, p.45
11
Schwarz, Sarah L. “Demons and Douglas: Applying Grid and Group to the Demonologies of the
‘Testament of Solomon.’” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 80, No. 4, 2012, p.911
Brief comments on the archetypal imagery

In the previous section, we have seen the importance of cosmological and astronomical
imagery in the demonological classification as well as in the very brief summary of this
text. As a result, I will discuss the subject of the anthropology of the imaginary in the
testament of Solomon. More particularly, the seal of Solomon and the image of the king of
Solomon.

The seal of Solomon

The seal of Solomon has been present in the collective imagery for centuries. This magic
ring which has the ability to subjugate beings by the mere means of its magical powers was
repeated and used again and again. Especially in Tolkien's works and in his rich
mythological imagery around a ring of power. Despite the fact that there is no detailed
description of the ring in the testament of Salomon, in some Arabic versions, Solomon uses
four gems that represent four angels to control four elements. Moreover, Jacobs Joseph &
Seligsohn M demonstrate that according to Flavius Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews VIII
-2 to5, the story of the seal of Solomon obtained by Asmodeus and thrown into the sea,
comes from the history of Polycrates’ ring

"Josephus' statement ("Ant." viii. 2, § 5) that one Eleazar exorcised demons in the presence of
Vespasian by means of a ring, using incantations composed by Solomon Fabricius (l.c.) thinks that
the legend of the ring of Solomon thrown into the sea and found afterward inside a fish is derived
from the story of the ring of Polycrates, a story which is related by Herodotus (iii. 41 et seq.), Strabo
(xiv. 638) "12

It is later in the Arab world that we find the seal of Solomon in the shape of the Star of
David, a six-pointed star. This symbol rich in imagery is also found in the famous story of
the Arabian Nights. In short, it goes without saying that this ring and its archetypal symbol

12
Jacobs Joseph & Seligsohn M. "Seal of Solomon", The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 11, New York : Funk
& Wagnalls, 1901–1906, pp. 448
as a magic tool is also found in a multitude of manuscripts and grimoires aiming at the
submission or the invocation of demons, and thus by proxy, their astronomical aspects. For
example, this is the case of Solomon's Magic Treatise (Clavicula Salomonis, Harleian MS,
5596), a 14th-15th century magic spell book, influenced by early texts of the Jewish
Kabbalah, Arabic Alchemy, Western Esotericism, Magical Renaissance and the Testament
of Solomon.

The figure of King Solomon

King Solomon is directly linked to a sapiential archetype. Indeed, it transpires the image
of a king of infinite wisdom. This is one of the reason why the Book of Wisdom was
formerly called The Wisdom of Solomon. Moreover, chapters seven through nine elaborate
why Solomon is the very archetype of the sage. That being said, as Pablo A. Torijano
elaborate in The Figure of Solomon in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Tradition, the image
of king Solomon in the anthropology of the imaginary played an important role in the
conception of magic as well as in a multitude of sapiential themes

"Solomon's name and figure played an important role in magic or ritual power practices, derived
from a first glance from a special interpretation of the themes of his wisdom and the building of
the Temple. The use of Solomon and his legend in magical texts and practices constitute an
extraordinary development that, in some aspects, would have a bigger impact in the world than
the biblical account itself"13

The testament of Solomon become an important figure in the field of Jewish magic as
well as in Western esotericism. By his archetypal figure as a wise man and king of Israel,
he was also linked to Sefer HaRazim. Ancient text of Jewish magic supposedly given to
Noah by Raziel and passed down the lineage to Solomon. Of course, it is important to
analyze this text critically and let it give us something to think about. Mordecai
Margalioth dates this text around the IV-III century before the Christian era which pre-
dates the Zohar and Sepher Yetzirah.

13
Verheyden, Joseph et al. "The Figure of Solomon in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Tradition" Themes in
Biblical Narrative, Vol. 16, Boston : Leiden, 2013. p.107
In conclusion

As we have seen, the testament of Solomon is not a monolithic text. Several documents
were found after the discovery of the oldest manuscript. Moreover, according to some
exegetes, chapter eighteen would have been circulated separately from the whole of the
work well before the conception of the text which one calls today: Testament of
Solomon. Later, in the face of the summary of this text and an analysis of the
demonological theme as personifications of certain astrological concepts, we have found
that the thirty-six demons presented in chapter eighteen are actually personifications of
the thirty-six decans. In addition, most demons are associated with stars, constellations,
or the zodiac. Finally, a brief analysis of the themes of Solomon's seal and his figure as a
sage in the anthropology of the imaginary allows us to close the loop on this unfinished
work. Considering the space and time allocated to the realization of this text, as well as
the scale of this work. It seems obvious to me that I have not exhausted the whole of this
subject. It would have been equally relevant to look at an analysis of the Sefer Yetzirah
or Book of Creation as to the cosmological conception of the ten sephiroth and the
twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, namely: the three parent letters; Aleph (‫)א‬,
Mem (‫ )מ‬and Shin (‫)ש‬. The seven double letters; Beth (‫)ב‬, Gimel (‫)ג‬, Daleth (‫)ד‬, Kaph (‫)כ‬,
Pe (‫)פ‬, Resh (‫ )ר‬and Tav (‫ )ת‬as well as the twelve simple letters; He (‫)ה‬, Vav (‫)ו‬, Zain (‫)ז‬,
'Heth (‫)ח‬, Teth (‫)ט‬, Yod (‫)י‬, Lamed (‫)ל‬, Nun (‫)נ‬, Samekh (‫)ס‬, Ayin (‫ )ע‬, Tsadi (‫ )צ‬and
Qoph (‫)ק‬.
References

D. C. Duling “The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha”, Apocalyptic Literature and

McCown, Chester Charlton, "The Testament of Solomon", edited from manuscripts at

Schwarz, S. L. “Reconsidering the Testament of Solomon“. Journal for the Study of the
Pseudepigrapha, Vol.16, No. 3, 2007, pp. 203–237.

Conybeare, F. C. “The Testament of Solomon. ” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 11, no.
1, 1898, pp. 1–45

Jackson, H. M. “Notes on the testament of solomon“. Journal for the Study of Judaism in
the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Period. Vol. 19, 1988, pp. 19-60

Schwarz, Sarah L. “Demons and Douglas: Applying Grid and Group to the Demonologies
of the ‘Testament of Solomon.’” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 80,
No. 4, 2012, pp. 909–931

Colceriu, Stefan. « Le Chevalier, La Femme et Le Diable. Les Gemmes Magiques et Le

Jacobs Joseph & Seligsohn M. "Seal of Solomon", The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 11,
New York : Funk & Wagnalls, 1901–1906, pp. 448

Howell Toy, Crawford "Testament of Solomon", The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 11, New
York : Funk & Wagnalls, 1901–1906, pp. 448-449

Verheyden, Joseph et al. "The Figure of Solomon in Jewish, Christian and Islamic
Tradition" Themes in Biblical Narrative, Vol. 16, Boston : Leiden, 2013. 281p