The kingdom which Solomon inherited was probably at that time the most powerful in western Asia, the fruit of the conquests of Saul and David, of Abner and Joab.  It was bounded by Lebanon on the north, the Euphrates on the east, Egypt on the south, and the Mediterranean on the west.  Its territorial extent was small compared with the Assyrian or Persian empire; but it had already defeated the surrounding nations,—­the Philistines, the Edomites, the Syrians, and the Ammonites.  It hemmed in Phoenicia on the sea-coast, and controlled the great trade-routes to the East, which made it politic for the King of Tyre to cultivate the friendship of both David and Solomon.  If Palestine was small in extent, it was then exceedingly fertile, and sustained a large population.  Its hills were crested with fortresses, and covered with cedars and oaks.  The land was favorable to both tillage and pasture, abounding in grapes, figs, olives, dates, and every species of grain; the numerous springs and streams favored a perfect system of irrigation, so that the country presented a picture in striking contrast to its present blasted and dreary desolation.  The nation was also enriched by commerce as well as by agriculture.  Caravans brought from Eastern cities the most valuable of their manufactures.  From Tarshish in Spain ships brought gold and silver; Egypt sent chariots and fine linen; Syria sold her purple cloths and robes of varied colors; Arabia furnished horses and costly trappings.  All the luxuries and riches which Tyre had collected in her warehouses found their way to Jerusalem.  Even silver was as plenty as the stones in the streets.  Long voyages to the mouth of the Indus resulted in a vast accumulation of treasure,—­gold, ivory, spices, gums, perfumes, and precious stones.  The nations and tribes subject to Solomon from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates, and from Syria to the Red Sea, paid a fixed tribute, while their kings and princes sent rich presents,—­vessels of gold and silver, costly arms and armor, rich garments and robes, horses and mules, perfumes and spices.

But the prosperity of the realm was not altogether inherited; it was firmly and prudently promoted by the young king.  Solomon made alliances with Egypt and Syria, as well as with Phoenicia, and peace and plenty enriched all classes, so that every man sat under his own vine and fig-tree in perfect security.  Never was such prosperity seen in Israel before or since.  Strong fortresses were built on Lebanon to protect the caravans, and Tadmor in the wilderness to the east became a great centre of trade, and ultimately a splendid city under Zenobia.  The royal stables contained forty thousand horses and fourteen hundred chariots.  The royal palace glistened with plates of gold, and the parks and gardens were watered from immense reservoirs.  “When the youthful monarch repaired to these gardens in his gorgeous chariot, he was attended,” says Stanley, “by nobles whose robes of purple floated in the wind, and whose