The Testament of Solomon

Now I took wives from every country and kingdom, whose number was countless. And I went to the king of the Jebusites and saw a woman in their kingdom and loved her greatly, and I desired to join her with my wives.

And I said to their priests, “Give me this Shunamite, for I love her greatly.” And they said to me, “If you love our daughter, worship our gods, the great Raphan and Moloch, and take her.”

But I was unwilling to worship. Instead, I said to them, “I do not worship a foreign god.”

But they pressured the virgin, saying, “If it happens that you enter into Solomon’s kingdom, tell him, ‘I will not sleep with you unless you conform to my people, and take five locusts and sacrifice them in the name of Raphan and Moloch.’”

But because I loved the girl, as she was very beautiful, and being foolish, I thought nothing of the blood of the locusts, and I took them in my hands and sacrificed them in the name of Raphan and Moloch to the idols. And I took the virgin into the house of my kingdom.

And the Spirit of God departed from me, and from that day my words became as nonsense. And she compelled me to build temples for the idols.

And so I, the wretched one, followed her counsel, and completely the glory of God departed from me and my spirit was darkened, and I became a laughingstock to idols and demons.

Therefore, I have written this testament of mine, so that those who hear may pray and give heed to the last things and not to the first, so that they may fully find grace forever; Amen.

So I, Solomon, son of David, son of Jesse, wrote my testament and sealed it with the ring of God. And I died in my kingdom and was gathered to my fathers in peace in Jerusalem. And the temple of the Lord God was completed, where beneath his throne a river flows; to whom ten thousands of angels and thousands of archangels and cherubim stood by, crying out, seraphim crying out and saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, and blessed are you forever and ever; Amen.”

Glory to you, my God and Lord, glory to you with the most glorious Theotokos and the venerable Forerunner and all the saints, glory to you.