Abstract
This article examines the transition from David to Solomon within the Biblical-Lunar-Solar Chronology (BLSC) framework. By re-evaluating the evidence for a David–Solomon co-regency and correlating Solomon’s 4th year with the 12th year of King Hiram of Tyre, it establishes a secure synchronism that links the biblical record to Mediterranean history. Through this alignment — further confirmed by the foundation of Carthage — the chronology of Israel’s United Monarchy becomes an independent anchor within the broader BLSC sequence, extending from the Exodus to the early Iron Age.
1. Introduction: Establishing the Final Anchor
The reigns of David and Solomon form the closing link in the covenantal sequence that began with the Exodus in 1438 BC.
While earlier articles in this series demonstrated how astronomical, Egyptian, and textual synchronisms uphold the integrity of the BLSC, the present study confirms that the transition between David and Solomon provides a definitive chronological bridge between biblical and Mediterranean timelines.
This is achieved through three lines of evidence:
The textual description of a co-regency between David and Solomon.
The Phoenician synchronism between Solomon and Hiram of Tyre.
The Carthaginian foundation as the terminal point in the Tyrian sequence.
Together, these yield a fixed and verifiable date for the Temple foundation in 959 BC, which stands as the BLSC’s final historical anchor.
2. David and Solomon: A Co-Regency of Transition
The final years of King David are marked by weakness, internal division, and an urgent need for succession (1 Kings 1–2).
To ensure national stability, Solomon was appointed king while David was still alive — a co-regency that balanced wisdom and continuity with dynastic security.
The BLSC reconstructs the sequence as follows:
|
Event |
BLSC Date |
Description |
|
David’s 37th year |
965 BC |
Solomon proclaimed co-regent |
|
David’s death |
962 BC |
Solomon becomes sole ruler |
|
4th year of Solomon’s reign as sole ruler |
959 BC |
Temple construction begins |
This short overlap between father and son clarifies apparent chronological tensions in the biblical text. The 4th year of Solomon’s rule refers to his fourth year as sole monarch, not to his initial coronation alongside David.
3. The Phoenician Synchronism: Solomon and Hiram of Tyre
Josephus, quoting Menander of Ephesus (Against Apion 1.18), records that in the 12th year of Hiram, king of Tyre, Solomon began to build the Temple in Jerusalem.
This historical synchronism provides an external confirmation of the biblical record (1 Kings 5–6), linking the chronology of Israel directly with the maritime chronology of Phoenicia.
Because the BLSC places Solomon’s 4th year at 959 BC, this same year corresponds to Hiram’s 12th — creating an unambiguous point of intersection between two independent regnal systems.
4. Hiram and the Foundation of Carthage
The Tyrian records preserved by Josephus also note that Carthage was founded 155 years and 8 months after Hiram began to reign.
This figure, when projected forward from Hiram’s accession, aligns precisely with the historically secure date of 814 BC for Carthage’s foundation, known from classical Greek and Roman sources (e.g., Timaeus and later historians).
By extension, the chronological chain is as follows:
Temple Foundation = Solomon’s 4th year = Hiram’s 12th year (959 BC)
Hiram’s Accession = 969/968 BC
Carthage Founded = 814 BC
This continuous Phoenician sequence provides a closed and independent circuit connecting the biblical record with Mediterranean history — one that requires no external adjustment.
5. Shishak’s Campaign: The Closing Anchor (922 BC)
The BLSC identifies the invasion of Judah by Shishak (1 Kings 14:25–26) with the campaign of Shoshenq I of Egypt’s 22nd Dynasty.
The event occurred in 922 BC, the 5th year of Rehoboam, and marks the final externally verifiable synchronism in the biblical royal chronology.
This date completes the line of continuity that extends from the Exodus to the United Monarchy:
|
Event |
Date (BLSC) |
|
Exodus |
26 April 1438 BC |
|
Temple Foundation |
959 BC |
|
Shishak’s Campaign |
922 BC |
6. The Chain of Continuity
When the biblical, Phoenician, and Mediterranean data are placed side by side, the pattern forms an unbroken historical chain:
|
Sequence |
Synchronism |
BLSC Date |
|
Exodus to Temple |
480 years (1 Kings 6:1) |
1438 → 959 BC |
|
Solomon’s 4th year = Hiram’s 12th |
Josephus – Menander |
959 BC |
|
Hiram’s accession → Carthage founded |
Tyrian record (155 yrs 8 mo.) |
969 → 814 BC |
|
Rehoboam’s 5th year = Shishak’s invasion |
Egyptian record (Shoshenq I) |
922 BC |
Each interval is independently supported yet seamlessly connected, establishing a closed, self-verifying system of chronology.
7. Conclusion: A Unified Historical Framework
The co-regency of David and Solomon provides a crucial pivot in the Biblical-Lunar-Solar Chronology.
Through the integration of textual precision, Phoenician synchronisms, and Mediterranean anchors, the entire narrative from the Exodus to the early monarchy resolves into a coherent timeline.
This system stands independently on its own evidence — astronomy, text, and history — requiring no external support.
The resulting pattern is one of remarkable order: from divine covenant to national fulfillment, from Exodus to Temple, the chronology forms an unbroken line through which history, faith, and the heavens speak with one voice.