In Session 1 of “Solomon’s World: Wisdom and History,” Joshua Tallent sets the stage for studying Solomon by walking through the historical backdrop from the Judges period through David’s reign, and explaining the wider Near Eastern world Solomon inherited.

The teaching highlights key timeline questions (including competing Exodus chronologies), the Bronze Age Collapse and the rise of new regional powers (like the Philistines, Phoenician city-states, and Aramean kingdoms), and closes with a tour of major archaeological finds tied to David and the United Monarchy (including Jerusalem structures and the Tel Dan Stele).