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Bible Encyclopedias
Hiram
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Heb. Chiram', חַירָם , high-born; generally written "Huram," חוּרָם, Chramz', in Chronicles, and "Hirom," חַירוֹם, Chirom,' in 1 Kings 5:10; 1 Kings 5:18; 1 Kings 7:40; Sept. Χειράμ or Χιράμ; Joseph. Εἵραμος and Εἵρωμος ), the name of three men.
1. HURAM (Sept. makes two names, Ἀχιρὰν καὶ Ι᾿ωίμ ), the last named of the sons of Bela, son of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:5). B.C. post 1856.
2. HIRAM, HURAM, or HIROM, king of Tyre at the commencement of David's reign. He sent an embassy to felicitate David on his accession, which led to an alliance, or strengthened a previous friendship between them. It seems that the dominion of this prince extended over the western slopes of Lebanon; and when David built himself a palace, Hiram materially assisted the work by sending cedar-wood from Lebanon, and able workmen to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 14:1). B.C. cir. 1044. It was probably the same prince who sent to Jerusalem an embassy of condolence and congratulation when David died and Solomon succeeded, and who contracted with the new king a more intimate alliance than ever before or after existed between a Hebrew king and a foreign prince. The alliance seems to have been very substantially beneficial to both parties, and without it Solomon would scarcely have been able to realize all the great designs he had in view. In consideration of large quantities of corn, wine, and oil furnished by Solomon, the king of Tyre agreed to supply from Lebanon the timber required for the Temple, to float it along the coast, and deliver it at Joppa, which was the port of Jerusalem (1 Kings 5:1 sq.; 1 Kings 9:10 sq.; 1 Chronicles 2:3 sq.). The vast commerce of Tyre made gold very plentiful there; and Hiram supplied no less than 500 talents to Solomon for the ornamental works of the Temple, and received in return twenty towns in Galilee, which, when he came to inspect them, pleased him so little that he applied to them a name of contempt, and restored them to the Jewish king (2 Chronicles 8:2). (See CABUL).
It does not, however, appear that the good understanding between the two kings was broken by this unpleasant circumstance, for it was after this that Hiram suggested, or at least took part in, Solomon's traffic to the Eastern Seas, which certainly could not have been undertaken by the Hebrew king without his assistance in providing ships and experienced mariners' (1 Kings 9:27; 1 Kings 10:11, etc.; 2 Chronicles 8:18; 2 Chronicles 9:10, etc.). B.C. cir. 1010. (See OPHIR); (See SOLOMON).
Josephus has preserved a valuable fragment of the history of Mercander, a native of Ephesus, relating to the intercourse of Hiram and Solomon. professedly taken from the Syrian archives (Apion, 1, 18). "After the death of Abibalus, Hiromus, his son, succeeded him in his kingdom, and reigned thirty-four years, having lived fifty-three. He laid out that part of the city which is called Eurychoron, and consecrated the golden column which is in the temple of Jupiter. And he went up into the forest on the mountain called Libanus, to fell cedars for the roofs of the temples; and having demolished the ancient temples he rebuilt them, and consecrated the fanes of Hercules and Astarte: he constructed that of Hercules first, in the month Peritius; then that of Astarte, when he had overcome the Tityians who had refused to pay their tribute; and when, he had subjected them he returned. In his time was a certain young: man named Abdemonus, who used to solve the problems which were propounded to him by Solomon, king of Jerusalem." According to the same authority (ib. 1, 17), the historian Dius, likewise from the Tyrian annals, says, "Upon the death of Abibalus, his son Hiromus succeeded to the kingdom. He raised the eastern parts of the city, and enlarged the citadel, and joined it to the temple of Jupiter Olympius, which stood before upon am island, by filling up the intermediate space; and he adorned that temple with donations of gold, and he went up into Libanus to cut timber for the construction of the temples. And it is said that Solomon, who at that time reigned in Jerusalem, sent enigmas to Hiromus, and desired others in return, with a proposal that whichsoever of the two was unable to solve them, should forfeit money to the other. Hiromus agreed to the proposal, but was unable to solve the enigmas, and paid treasures to a large amount as a forfeit to Solomon. And it is said that one Abdemonus, a Tyrian, solved the enigmas, and proposed others which Solomon was not able to unriddle, for which he repaid the fine to Hiromus" (Cory's Ancient Fragments, p. 193.) Some of these riddles, the: Jewish historian states (ib. 1, 17), were extant in his day;; and in Ant. 8, 2, 6, 7, he gives what he declares to be authentic copies of the epistles that passed between the two kings respecting the materials for the Temple. (See LEBANON). With the letters in 1 Kings 5,, 2 : Chronicles 2, may be compared not only his copies of thee letters, but also the still less authentic letters between: Solomon and Hiram, and between Solomon and Vaphies. (Apries?), which are preserved by Eupolemon (ap. Eusebius, Praep. Evang. 9, 30), and mentioned by Alexander Polvhistor (Clem. Alex. Strom. 1, 24, p. 332). Some Phoenician historians (ap. Tatian. cont. Graec. § 37) relate that Hiram, besides supplying timber for the Temple, gave his daughter in marriage to Solomon. Jewish writers in less ancient times cannot overlook Hiram's uncircumcision in his services towards the building of the Temple. Their legends relate (Eisenm. Ent. Jud. 1, 868) that because he was a God-fearing man, and built the Temple, he was received alive into Paradise; but. that, after he had been there a thousand years, he sinned by pride, and was thrust down into hell. Eupolemon (Euseb. Praep. Evang. 9, 30) states that David, after a war with Hiram, reduced him to the condition of a tributary prince. (See DAVID).
Some have regarded this Hiram as a different person from the friend of David, since Josephus states that the Temple was built in the twelfth year of the reign of the Tyrian king who aided Solomon in the work (Apion, 1, 17 sq.; the eleventh, according to Ant. 8, 3, 1); but this is probably only by a computation of the historian, whose numerical calculations in these points are far from trustworthy. (See Nessel, Diss. de amicitia Salom. et Hirami, Upsal, 1734.) Hiram is also spoken of by Herodotus (2, 44) as the builder of new temples to Heracles, Melcart, and Astarte, and the adorner of that of Zeus-Baalsamin.
Ewald (Gesch. Israel, III, 1, 28, 83) and Movers (II, 1, 326 sq., 446 sq.) give a Hiram II, who reigned from 551532 B.C., toward the close of the Chald. — Babylonian empire, and who is not mentioned in the Bible.
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