remained standing for
many years.

The great work of Solomon's reign was the building of the House of God.
It was generally called the Temple. It was built on Mount Moriah, one of
the hills of Jerusalem. King David had prepared for it by gathering
great stores of silver, stone and cedar-wood. The walls were made of
stone and the roof of cedar. Solomon had great ships which visited other
lands and brought precious stones and fine woods for the building.
Seven years were spent in building the Temple, and it was set apart to
the worship of God with beautiful ceremonies in which Solomon, in his
robes of state, took part.

[Illustration: _Supposed form of Solomon's temple_]

Solomon was indeed a great king, and it was said that he was also the
wisest man in all the world. He wrote many of the wise sayings in the
Book of Proverbs, and many more that have been lost.

[Illustration: _Ship in Solomon's time_]

THE STORY OF ELIJAH, THE PROPHET

One of the greatest of all the kings of the Ten Tribes was Jeroboam the
second. Under him the kingdom of Israel grew rich and strong. He
conquered nearly all Syria, and made Samaria the greatest city of all
those lands.

But though Syria went down, another nation was now rising to
power--Assyria, on the eastern side of the river Tigris. Its capital was
Nineveh, a great city, so vast that it would take three days for a man
to walk around its walls. The Assyrians were beginning to conquer all
the lands near them, and Israel was in danger of falling under their
power.

One of the kings who ruled over Israel was named Ahab. He provoked the
anger of the Lord. His wife, Jezebel, who was a worshiper of Baal,
persuaded him to build an altar to the false god.

Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, was sent to him and proposed a test. Two
altars were built; one to Jehovah and one to Baal. The priests of Baal
called upon their god to send down fire; but there was no answer. Then
Elijah called upon the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and fire
came down and burnt up the offering.

The people turned upon the priests of Baal and killed them all. Later
the wicked queen, Jezebel, coveted a vineyard for Ahab, and she caused
Naboth, the owner of the vineyard, to be placed in front of the battle.
When he was slain Ahab took the vineyard.

[Illustration: _Denounced Ahab and Jezebel_]

Once more Elijah came and denounced Ahab and Jezebel, telling them that
they had done wickedly, and th