The iron worker and King Solomon
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Mary Evans Picture Library
The iron worker and King Solomon
The iron worker and King Solomon. Print showing a blacksmith sitting on a stool next to the throne of Solomon, thought to be a usurper, the crowd rushes forward to remove him. The man explains to Solomon that the temple could not have been built without tools made by blacksmiths (iron workers), whereupon Solomon grants him a seat of honor. Relates to quote from Isaiah, 54.16 and text from a Jewish legend. Date c1889
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Media ID 7264953
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10602131
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative print captures a pivotal moment in Jewish legend, as depicted in an image thought to date back to 1889. The scene unfolds before the throne of King Solomon, a monarch renowned for his wisdom and grandeur. A blacksmith, his face etched with the tireless labor of his craft, sits unassumingly on a nearby stool. The crowd, a tumultuous sea of anxious faces, surges forward, their eyes filled with suspicion and hostility. The iron worker, a usurper in their eyes, is believed to have crafted the very tools that enabled the construction of Solomon's magnificent temple. As the tension reaches a fever pitch, the blacksmith addresses the king with quiet confidence. He explains that the temple, a symbol of divine presence and unity, could not have been built without the labor of iron workers like himself. In the face of this unexpected revelation, Solomon's expression softens. He recognizes the truth in the man's words and extends a gracious gesture. The blacksmith is granted a seat of honor, a testament to the indispensable role of laborers in the grand tapestry of history. This powerful image resonates with the words of the prophet Isaiah, who wrote, "Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and settle the desolate towns" (Isaiah 54:2-3). The iron worker and King Solomon serve as a reminder that even the most unlikely of allies can come together to create something truly magnificent, and that every person, no matter their station in life, has a valuable role to play in the unfolding of history.
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