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The Testament of Solomon is the account of his receiving a ring of great power from the archangel Michael that enables him to systematically overcome and enslave a series of demons. He then forces these demons to help build the First Temple in Jerusalem. It is thought by most that the text was developed and organized in the medieval period, but at least some of the core material likely dates from the 1st century AD or earlier because of early citations and even an early reference to the title.
[The] Testament of Solomon, son of David, who was king in Jerusalem, and [who] mastered and controlled all spirits of the air, on the earth, and under the earth. By means of them he also worked all the transcendent works of the Temple, also telling of the authorities they wield against men, and by what messengers these demons are brought to nothing. Of the sage Solomon. Blessed are You, O Lord God, who gave Solomon such authority. Glory to You and might to the ages! Amen.
And behold, when the temple of the city of Jerusalem was being built and the craftsmen were working there, the demon Ornias came among them toward sunset; and he took away half of the pay of the chief-deviser’s little boy, as well as half his food. He also continued to suck the thumb of his right hand every day. And the child grew thin, although he was very much loved by the king. So King Solomon called the boy one day, and questioned him, saying, “Do I not love you more than all the artisans who are working in the temple of God? Do I not give you double wages and a double supply of food? How is it that day by day and hour by hour you grow thinner?” But the child said to the king, “Please, O king. Listen to what has befallen all that your child has. After we are all released from our work on the temple of God, after sunset, when I lie down to rest, one of the evil demons comes and takes away from me one half of my pay and one half of my food. Then he also takes hold of my right hand and sucks my thumb. And behold, my soul is oppressed, and so my body waxes thinner every day.”
Now when I, Solomon, heard this, I entered the temple of God, and prayed with all my soul, night and day, that the demon might be delivered into my hands, and that I might gain authority over him. And it came about through my prayer that grace was given to me from the Lord of Hosts by His chief-messenger Michael. [He brought me] a little ring, having a seal consisting of an engraved stone, and said to me, “Take, O Solomon—king, son of David—the gift which the Lord God, the Highest of Hosts, has sent you. With it you will lock up all demons of the earth, [both] male and female; and with their help you will build up Jerusalem. [But] you [must] wear this seal of God. And this engraving of the seal of the ring sent to you is a Pentalpha.” And I, Solomon, was overjoyed, and praised and glorified the God of the heavens and earth. And on the next day I called the boy, and gave him the ring, and said to him, “take this, and at the hour in which the demon will come to you, throw this ring at the chest of the demon, and say to him: In the Name of God, King Solomon calls you here. And then come running to me, without having any misgivings or fear in respect of anything you may hear on the part of the demon.”
So the child took the ring and went off; and behold, at the customary hour Ornias, the fierce demon, came like a burning fire to take the pay from the child. But the child, according to the instructions received from the king, threw the ring at the chest of the demon, and said, “King Solomon calls you here.” And then he went off running to the king. But the demon cried out aloud, saying, “Child, why have you done this to me? Take the ring off me, and I will render the gold of the earth to you. Only take this off me, and refrain from leading me away to Solomon.” But the child said to the demon, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, I will not allow you [this], so come here.” And the child came running, rejoicing, to the king, and said, “I have brought the demon, O king, as you commanded me, O my master. And behold, he stands before the gates of the court of your palace, crying out, and supplicating with a loud voice, offering me the silver and gold of the earth if I will only bring him to you.”
And when Solomon heard this, he rose up from his throne, and went outside into the vestibule of the court of his palace; and there he saw the demon, shuddering and trembling. And he said to him, “Who are you?” And the demon answered: “I am called Ornias.” And Solomon said to him, “Tell me, O demon, to which of the twelve signs you are subject.” And he answered: “To the Water-pourer [[or Aquarius]]. And those who are consumed with desire for the noble virgins on earth . . . these I strangle. But in case there is no disposition to sleep, I am changed into three forms. Whenever men come to be enamored with women, I transform myself into a beautiful female; and I take hold of the men in their sleep and play with them. And after a while I take to my wings again and hasten to the heavenly regions. I also appear as a lion, and I am commanded by all the demons. I am an offspring of the chief-messenger Uriel, the power of God.”
I, Solomon, having heard the name of the chief-messenger, prayed and glorified God, the Lord of the heavens and earth. And I sealed the demon and set him to work at stone-cutting, so that he might cut the stones in the temple, which, lying along the shore, had been brought by the Sea of Arabia. But he, fearful of the iron, continued and said to me, “Please, King Solomon, let me go free, and I will bring you all the demons.” And as he was not willing to be subject to me, I pleaded [with] the chief-messenger Uriel to come and assist me; and I immediately beheld the chief-messenger Uriel coming down to me from the heavens.
And the messenger commanded the whales of the sea to come out of the abyss. And he cast his destiny on the ground, and that [destiny] made the great demon subject [to him]. And he commanded the great demon and bold Ornias to cut stones at the temple. And accordingly I, Solomon, glorified the God of Heaven and Maker of the earth. And he commanded Ornias to come with his destiny, and gave him the seal, saying, “Away with you, and bring the prince of all the demons here to me.”
So Ornias took the finger-ring, and went off to Beelzebul, who has kingship over the demons. He said to him, “Here! Solomon calls you.” But Beelzebul, having heard, said to him, “Tell me, who is this Solomon of whom you speak to me?” Then Ornias threw the ring at the chest of Beelzebul, saying, “Solomon the king calls you.” But Beelzebul cried aloud with a mighty voice, and shot out a great burning flame of fire; and he arose, and followed Ornias, and came to Solomon. And when I saw the prince of demons, I glorified the Lord God, Maker of the heavens and earth, and I said, “Blessed are You, Lord God Almighty, who has given wisdom to Your servant Solomon, the assessor of the wise, and has subjected all the power of the Devil to me.” And I questioned him, and said, “Who are you?” The demon replied: “I am Beelzebul, the exarch of the demons. And all the demons have their chief seats close to me. And it is I who make the apparition of each demon manifest.” And he promised to bring all the unclean spirits to me in bonds. And I again glorified the God of the heavens and earth, as I always give thanks to Him.
I then asked of the demon if there were females among them. And when he told me that there were, I said that I desired to see them. So Beelzebul went off at high speed, and brought to me Onoskelis, who had a very pretty shape, and the skin of a lovely woman; and she tossed her head. And when she had come, I said to her, “Tell me, who are you?” But she said to me, “I am called Onoskelis, a spirit worked . . . lurking on the earth. There is a golden cave where I lie. But I have a place that always shifts. At one time I strangle men with a noose; at another, I creep up from the nature to the arms. But my most frequent dwelling-places are the precipices, caves, [and] ravines. Oftentimes, however, I consort with men in the semblance of a woman, and above all with those of a dark skin. For they share my star with me, since it is they who privily or openly worship my star, without knowing that they harm themselves, and but whet my appetite for further mischief. For they wish to provide money by means of memory, but I supply a little to those who worship me fairly.” And I, Solomon, questioned her about her birth, and she replied: “I was born of an untimely voice, the so-called echo of a man’s filth dropped in a wood.” And I said to her, “Under what star do you pass?” And she answered me: “Under the star of the full moon, for the reason that the moon travels over most things.” Then I said to her, “And what messenger is it that frustrates you?” And she said to me, “He that in you [[or through you]] is reigning.” And I thought that she mocked me, and I commanded a soldier to strike her, but she cried aloud and said, “I am [subjected] to you, O king, by the wisdom of God given to you, and by the messenger Joel.” So I commanded her to spin the hemp for the ropes used in the building of the house of God; and accordingly, when I had sealed and bound her, she was so overcome and brought to nothing as to stand night and day spinning the hemp.
And I immediately commanded another demon to be led to me; and instantly the demon Asmodeus approached me, bound, and I asked him, “Who are you?” But he shot a glance of anger and rage at me, and said, “And who are you?” And I said to him, “Thus punished as you are, [this is how] you answer me?” But he, with rage, said to me, “But how will I answer you, for you are a son of man, whereas I was born of a messenger’s seed by a daughter of man, so that no word of our heavenly kind addressed to the earth-born can be overconfident. For what reason also my star is bright in the sky, and some men call it the Wagon [[or Ursa Major]], and some the Dragon’s Child. I keep near to this star. So do not ask me many things; for your kingdom also after a short time is to be disrupted, and your glory is but for a season. And your tyranny over us will be short; and then we will have free range over mankind again, so as that they will revere us as if we were gods, not knowing, men that they are, the names of the messengers set over us.” And I, Solomon, on hearing this, bound him more carefully, and ordered him to be flogged with thongs of ox-hide, and to humbly tell me what was his name and what [was] his business. And he answered me thus: “I am called Asmodeus among mortals, and my business is to plot against the newly wedded, so that they may not know one another. And I utterly sever them by many calamities, and I waste away the beauty of virgin women, and estrange their hearts.” And I said to him, “Is this your only business?” And he answered me: “I transport men into fits of madness and desire, when they have wives of their own, so that they leave them, and go off by night and day to others that belong to other men, with the result that they commit sin, and fall into murderous deeds.” And I adjured him by the Name of the Lord of Hosts, saying, “Fear God, Asmodeus, and tell me by what messenger you are frustrated.” But he said, “By Raphael, the chief-messenger that stands before the throne of God. But the liver and gall of a fish put me to flight, when smoked over ashes of the tamarisk.” I asked him again, and said, “Do not hide anything from me. For I am Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. Tell me the name of the fish which you revere.” And he answered: “It is the Glanos by name, and is found in the rivers of Assyria, for what reason it is that I roam around in those parts.” And I said to him, “Do you have nothing else [to say] concerning yourself, Asmodeus?” And he answered: “The power of God knows, which has bound me with the indissoluble bonds of that one’s seal, that whatever I have told you is true. Please, King Solomon, do not condemn me to [go into] water.” But I smiled, and said to him, “As the Lord God of my fathers lives, I will lay iron on you to wear. But you will also make the clay for the entire construction of the temple, treading it down with your feet.” And I ordered them to give him ten water-jars to carry water in. And the demon groaned terribly and did the work I ordered him to do. And I did this because that fierce demon Asmodeus even knew the future. And I, Solomon, glorified God, who gave wisdom to me, His servant Solomon. And I hung the liver of the fish and its gall on the spike of a reed and burned it over Asmodeus because of his being so strong, and his unbearable malice was thus frustrated.
And I summoned Beelzebul, the prince of demons, to stand before me again, and I sat him down on a raised seat of honor and said to him, “Why are you alone, prince of the demons?” And he said to me, “Because I alone am left of the messengers of Heaven that came down. For I was first messenger in the first heaven being entitled Beelzebul. And now I control all those who are bound in Tartarus. But I too have a child, and he haunts the Red Sea. And on any suitable occasion he comes up to me again, being subject to me, and reveals to me what he has done, and I support him.” I, Solomon, said to him, “Beelzebul, what is your employment?” And he answered me: “I destroy kings. I ally myself with foreign tyrants. And my own demons I set on to men, in order that the latter may believe in them and be lost. And the chosen servants of God, priests and faithful men, I excite to desires for wicked sins, and evil heresies, and lawless deeds; and they obey me, and I bear them on to destruction. And I inspire men with envy, and murder, and for wars, and sodomy, and other evil things. And I will destroy the world.” So I said to him, “Bring to me your child, who is, as you say, in the Red Sea.” But he said to me, “I will not bring him to you, but another demon called Ephippas will come to me. I will bind him, and he will bring him up to me from the deep.” And I said to him, “How does your son come to be in the depth of the sea, and what is his name?” And he answered me: “Do not ask me, for you cannot learn from me. However, he will come to you by any command, and will tell you openly.” I said to him, “Tell me by what messenger you are frustrated.” And he answered: “By the holy and precious Name of the Almighty God, called by the Hebrews by a row of numbers, of which the sum is six hundred forty-four, and among the Greeks it is Emmanuel. And if one of the Romans adjures me by the great name of the power Eleéth, I disappear at once.” I, Solomon, was astounded when I heard this; and I ordered him to saw up Theban marbles. And when he began to saw the marbles, the other demons cried out with a loud voice, howling because of their king, Beelzebul. But I, Solomon, questioned him, saying, “If you would gain a respite, discourse to me about the things in Heaven.” And Beelzebul said, “Hear, O king, if you burn gum, and incense, and bulb of the sea, with nard and saffron, and light seven lamps in an earthquake, you will firmly fix your house. And if, being pure, you light them at dawn in the sun gleaming, then you will see the heavenly dragons, how they wind themselves along and drag the chariot of the sun.” And I, Solomon, having heard this, rebuked him, and said, “Silence for this moment, and continue to saw the marbles as I commanded you.”
And I, Solomon, praised God, and commanded another demon to present himself to me, and one came before me who carried his face high up in the air, but the rest of the spirit curled away like a snail. And it broke through the few soldiers, and also raised a terrible dust on the ground, and carried it upwards, and then hurled it back again to frighten us, and asked what questions I could ask as a rule. And I stood up, and spat on the ground in that spot, and sealed [it] with the ring of God. And immediately the dust-wind stopped. Then I asked him, saying, “Who are you, O wind?” Then he once more shook up a dust, and answered me: “What would you have [of me], King Solomon?” I answered him: “Tell me what you are called, and I would will to ask you a question. But so far I give thanks to God who has made me wise to answer their evil plots.” But [the demon] answered me: “I am the spirit of the ashes (Tephras).” And I said to him, “What is your pursuit?” And he said, “I bring darkness on men, and set fire to fields, and I bring homesteads to nothing. But I am most busy in summer. However, when I get an opportunity, I creep into corners of the wall, by night and day. For I am offspring of the great one, and nothing less.” Accordingly I said to him, “Under what star do you lie?” And he answered: “In the very tip of the moon’s horn, when it is found in the south. My star is there. For I have been commanded to restrain the convulsions of the tertian fever; and this is why many men pray for the tertian fever using these three names: Bultala, Thallal, Melchal. And I heal them.” And I said to him, “I am Solomon; when therefore you would do harm, by whose aid do you do it?” But he said to me, “By the messenger’s, by whom also the third day’s fever is lulled to rest.” So I questioned him, and said, “And by what name?” And he answered: “That of the chief-messenger Azael.” And I summoned the chief-messenger Azael, and set a seal on the demon, and commanded him to seize great stones and toss them up to the workmen on the higher parts of the temple. And, being compelled, the demon began to do what he was commanded to do.
And I again glorified God who gave me this authority and ordered another demon to come before me, and seven spirits came, females, bound and woven together—lovely in appearance and beautiful. And I, Solomon, seeing them, questioned them and said, “Who are you?” But they, with one accord, said with one voice: “We are of the thirty-three elements of the cosmic ruler of the darkness.” And the first said, “I am Deception.” The second said, “I am Strife.” The third: “I am Klothod, which is Battle.” The fourth: “I am Jealousy.” The fifth: “I am Power.” The sixth: “I am Error.” The seventh: “I am the worst of all, and our stars are in Heaven. Seven stars humble in sheen, and all together. And we are called, as it were, goddesses. We change our place—all and together, and together we live, sometimes in Lydia, sometimes in Olympus, sometimes in a great mountain.” So I, Solomon, questioned them one by one, beginning with the first, and going down to the seventh. The first said, “I am Deception, I deceive and weave snares here and there. I whet and excite heresies. But I have a messenger who frustrates me, Lamechalal.” Likewise also the second said, “I am Strife, strife of strifes. I bring timbers, stones, hangers—my weapons on the spot. But I have a messenger who frustrates me, Baruchiachel.” Likewise also the third said, “I am called Klothod, which is Battle, and I cause the well-behaved to scatter and fall foul of one another. And why do I say so much? I have a messenger that frustrates me: Marmarath.” Likewise also the fourth said, “I cause men to forget their sobriety and moderation. I part them and split them into parties; for Strife follows me hand in hand. I tear the husband from the sharer of his bed, and children from parents, and brothers from sisters. But why tell so much to my disdain? I have a messenger that frustrates me, the great Balthial.” Likewise also the fifth said, “I am Power. By power I raise up tyrants and tear down kings. I furnish power to all rebels. I have a messenger that frustrates me, Asteraôth.” Likewise also the sixth said, “I am Error, O King Solomon. And I will make you to err, as I have before made you to err, when I caused you to slay your own brother. I will lead you into error, so as to pry into graves, and teach them that dig; and I lead errant souls away from all piety, and many other evil traits are mine. But I have a messenger that frustrates me, Uriel.” Likewise also the seventh said, “I am the worst, and I make you worse off than you were, because I will impose the bonds of Artemis. But the locust will set me free, for by means thereof it is fated that you will achieve my desire . . . For if one were wise, he would not turn his steps toward me.” So I, Solomon, having heard and wondered, sealed them with my ring; and since they were so considerable, I commanded them to dig the foundations of the temple of God. For the length of it was two hundred fifty cubits. And I commanded them to be industrious, and with one murmur of joint protest they began to perform the tasks enjoined.
But I, Solomon, glorified the Lord, and commanded another demon to come before me, and a demon having all the limbs of a man was brought to me, but without a head. And I, seeing him, said to him, “Tell me, who are you?” And he answered: “I am a demon.” So I said to him, “Which?” And he answered me: “I am called Envy. For I delight to devour heads, being desirous to secure a head for myself, but I do not eat enough, but am anxious to have such a head as you have.” I, Solomon, on hearing this, sealed him, stretching out my hand against his chest, whereon the demon leapt up, and threw himself down, and gave a groan, saying, “Woe is me! where have I come to? O traitor Ornias, I cannot see!” So I said to him, “I am Solomon. Tell me then how you manage to see.” And he answered me: “By means of my feelings.” I then, Solomon, having heard his voice come up to me, asked him how he managed to speak. And he answered me: “I, O King Solomon, am wholly voice, for I have inherited the voices of many men. For in the case of all men who are called dumb, it is I who smashed their heads when they were children and had reached their eighth day. Then when a child is crying in the night, I become a spirit, and glide by means of his voice . . . In the crossways I also have many services to render, and my encounter is fraught with harm. For in an instant I grasp a man’s head, and with my hands, as with a sword, I cut it off, and put it on myself. And in this way, by means of the fire which is in me, it is swallowed up through my neck. It is I that send grave and incurable mutilations on men’s feet, and inflict sores.” And I, Solomon, on hearing this, said to him, “Tell me how you discharge forth the fire? Out of what sources do you emit it?” And the spirit said to me, “From the Daystar. For here that Elburion, to whom men offer prayers and kindle lights, has not yet been found. And his name is invoked by the seven demons before me. And he cherishes them.” But I said to him, “Tell me his name.” But he answered: “I cannot tell you. For if I tell his name, I render myself incurable. But he will come in response to his name.” And on hearing this, I, Solomon, said to him, “Tell me then by what messenger you are frustrated.” And he answered: “By the fiery flash of lightning.” And I bowed myself before the Lord God of Israel, and commanded him to remain in the keeping of Beelzebul until I should come.
Then I ordered another demon to come before me, and a hound came into my presence having a very large shape, and it spoke with a loud voice, and said, “Greetings, lord, King Solomon!” And I, Solomon, was astounded. I said to it, “Who are you, O hound?” And it answered: “I do indeed seem to be a hound to you, but before you were, O King Solomon, I was a man that worked many unholy deeds on earth. I was surpassingly educated in letters, and was so mighty that I could hold the stars of the heavens back. And I prepared many divine works. For I do harm to men who follow after our star and turn them . . . And I seize the frenzied men by the larynx, and so destroy them.” And I, Solomon, said to him, “What is your name?” And he answered: “Staff” (Rabdos). And I said to him, “What is your employment? And what results can you achieve?” And he replied, “Give me your man, and I will lead him away into a mountainous spot, and will show him a green stone tossed to and fro, with which you may adorn the temple of the Lord God.” And I, Solomon, on hearing this, ordered my servant to set off with him, and to take the finger-ring bearing the seal of God with him. And I said to him, “Whoever will show you the green stone, seal him with this finger-ring, and mark the spot with care, and bring me the demon here.” And the demon showed him the green stone, and he sealed it, and brought the demon to me. And I, Solomon, decided to confine with my seal on my right hand the two—the headless demon [and] likewise the hound that was so huge; he should be bound as well. And I commanded the hound to keep the fiery spirit safe so that lamps, as it were, might cast their light through its maw on the artisans at work by day and night. And I, Solomon, took from the mine of that stone two hundred shekels for the supports of the table of incense, which was similar in appearance. And I, Solomon, glorified the Lord God, and then closed around the treasure of that stone. And again I ordered the demons to cut marble for the construction of the house of God. And I, Solomon, prayed to the Lord, and asked the hound, saying, “By what messenger are you frustrated?” And the demon replied, “By the great Brieus.”
And I praised the Lord God of the heavens and earth and commanded another demon to come forward to me, and one in the form of a roaring lion came before me. And he stood and answered me, saying, “O king, in the form which I have, I am a spirit quite incapable of being perceived. I leap on all men who lie prostrate with sickness, coming stealthily along; and I render the man weak, so that his habit of body is enfeebled. But I also have another glory, O king: I cast out demons, and I have legions under my control. And I am capable of being received in my dwelling-places, along with all the demons belonging to the legions under me.” But I, Solomon, on hearing this, asked him: “What is your name?” But he answered: “Lion-bearer, Rath in kind.” And I said to him, “How are you to be frustrated along with your legions? What messenger is it that frustrates you?” And he answered: “If I tell you my name, I do not only bind myself, but also the legions of demons under me.” So I said to him, “I adjure you in the Name of the God of Hosts to tell me by what name you are frustrated along with your host.” And the spirit answered me: “The Great Among Men, who is to suffer many things at the hands of men, whose name is the figure six hundred forty-four, which is Emmanuel; it is He who has bound us, and who will then come and plunge us from the steep under water. He is spread abroad in the three letters which bring Him down.” And I, Solomon, on hearing this, glorified God, and condemned his legion to carry wood from the thicket. And I condemned the lion-shaped one himself to saw up the wood small with his teeth, for burning in the unquenchable furnace for the temple of God.
And I worshiped the Lord God of Israel and commanded another demon to come forward, and a dragon came before me, three-headed, of fearful aspect. And I questioned him: “Who are you?” And he answered me: “I am a caltrop-like spirit, whose activity [is] in three lines. But I blind children in women’s wombs and twirl their ears around. And I make them deaf and mute. And I have again in my third head means of slipping in. And I strike men in the limbless part of the body, and cause them to fall down, and foam, and grind their teeth. But I have my own way of being frustrated, Jerusalem being signified in writing, to the place called [Place] of [the] Skull.” For there is appointed beforehand the Messenger of the great counsel, and now He will openly dwell on the Cross. He frustrates me, and I am subject to Him. But in the place where you sit, O King Solomon, stands a column in the air, of purple . . . The demon called Ephippas has brought [it] up from the Red Sea, from inner Arabia. It is he that will be shut up in a skin-bottle and brought before you. But at the entrance of the temple, which you have begun to build, O King Solomon, lies much stored gold, which you can dig up and carry off.” And I, Solomon, sent my servant, and found it to be as the demon told me. And I sealed him with my ring and praised the Lord God.” So I said to him, “What are you called?” And the demon said, “I am the crest of dragons.” And I commanded him to make bricks in the temple. He had human hands.
And I adored the Lord God of Israel and commanded another demon to present himself, and a spirit in woman’s form came before me that had a head without any limbs, and her hair was dishevelled. And I said to her, “Who are you?” But she answered: “No, who are you? And why do you want to hear concerning me? But, as you would learn, here I stand bound before your face. Go then into your royal storehouses and wash your hands. Then sit down again before your tribunal, and ask me questions, and you will learn, O king, who I am.” And I, Solomon, did as she enjoined me, and restrained myself because of the wisdom dwelling in me, in order that I might hear of her deeds, and reprehend them, and manifest them to men. And I sat down, and said to the demon, “What are you?” And she said, “I am called Obizuth among men; and I do not sleep by night, but go my rounds over all the world, and visit women in childbirth. And divining the hour, I take my stand; and if I am lucky, I strangle the child. But if not, I retire to another place. For I cannot retire unsuccessfully for a single night. For I am a fierce spirit, of myriad names and many shapes. And now here, now there I roam. And to westward parts I go my rounds. But as it now is, though you have sealed me around with the ring of God, you have done nothing. I am not standing before you, and you will not be able to command me. For I have no work other than the destruction of children, and the making their ears to be deaf, and the working of evil to their eyes, and the binding their mouths with a bond, and the ruin of their minds, and paining of their bodies.” When I, Solomon, heard this, I marveled at her appearance, for I beheld all her body to be in darkness. But her glance was altogether bright and greenish, and her hair was tossed wildly like a dragon’s; and the whole of her limbs were invisible. And her voice was very clear as it came to me. And I cunningly said, “Tell me by what messenger you are frustrated, O evil spirit?” But she answered me: “By the messenger of God called Afarôt, which is interpreted Raphael, by whom I am frustrated now and for all time. His name, if any man knows it, and writes the same on a woman in childbirth, then I will not be able to enter her. Of this name the number is six thousand four hundred and one.” And I, Solomon, having heard this, and having glorified the Lord, ordered her hair to be bound, and that she should be hung up in front of the temple of God, that all the sons of Israel, as they passed, might see it, and glorify the Lord God of Israel, who had given me this authority, with wisdom and power from God, by means of this signet.
And I again ordered another demon to come before me, and this came, rolling itself along—one in appearance like to a dragon, but having the face and hands of a man. And all its limbs, except the feet, were those of a dragon; and it had wings on its back. And when I beheld it, I was astonished, and said, “Who are you, demon, and what are you called? And from where have you come? Tell me.” And the spirit answered and said, “This is the first time I have stood before you, O King Solomon. I am a spirit made into a god among men, but now brought to nothing by the ring and wisdom given to you by God. Now I am the so-called winged dragon, and I do not chamber with many women, but only with a few that are of fair shape, which possess the name of Xuli, of this star. And I pair with them in the guise of a spirit winged in form, committing sodomy. And she on whom I have leapt goes heavy with child, and that which is born of her becomes desire. But since such offspring cannot be carried by men, the woman in question breaks wind. Such is my role. Suppose then that I alone am satisfied, and all the other demons molested and disturbed by you will speak the whole truth. But those composed of fire will cause the material of the logs which is to be collected by them for the building in the temple to be burned up by fire.” And as the demon said this, I saw the spirit going forth from his mouth, and it consumed the wood of the frankincense-tree, and it burned up all the logs which we had placed in the temple of God. And I, Solomon, saw what the spirit had done, and I marveled. And, having glorified God, I asked the dragon-shaped demon, and said, “Tell me, by what messenger are you frustrated?” And he answered: “By the great messenger who has his seat in the second heaven, which is called in Hebrew Bazazeth.” And I, Solomon, having heard this, and having invoked his messenger, condemned him to saw up marbles for the building of the temple of God.
And I praised God and commanded another demon to come before me, and another spirit came before my face, as it were a woman in the form she had. But on her shoulders she had two other heads with hands. And I asked her, and said, “Tell me, who are you?” And she said to me, “I am Enêpsigos, who also have a myriad of names.” And I said to her, “By what messenger are you frustrated?” But she said to me, “What do you seek, what do you ask? I undergo changes, I am called like the goddess. And I change again, and pass into possession of another shape. And do not be desirous, therefore, to know all that concerns me. But since you are before me for this much, listen. I have my abode in the moon, and for that reason I possess three forms. At times I am magically invoked by the wise as Kronos. At other times, in connection with those who bring me down, I come down and appear in another shape. The measure of the element is inexplicable and undefinable, and not to be frustrated. I then, changing into these three forms, come down and become such as you see me; but I am frustrated by the messenger Rathanael, who sits in the third heaven. This then is why I speak to you. That temple cannot contain me.” Therefore I, Solomon, prayed to my God, and I invoked the messenger of whom Enépsigos spoke to me, and used my seal. And I sealed her with a triple chain, and [placed] the fastening of the chain beneath her. I used the seal of God, and the spirit prophesied to me, saying, “This is what you, King Solomon, do to us. But after a time, your kingdom will be broken, and again in season this temple will be split apart; and all Jerusalem will be undone by the King of the Persians, and Medes, and Chaldaeans. And the vessels of this temple, which you make, will be put to servile uses of the gods; and along with them all the jars, in which you shut us up, will be broken by the hands of men. And then we will go forth in great power here and there, and be disseminated all over the world. And we will lead the inhabited world astray for a long season, until the Son of God is stretched on the Cross. For never before does a king arise like Him—one frustrating us all, whose mother will not have contact with man. Who else can receive such authority over spirits, except He, whom the first Devil will seek to tempt, but will not prevail over? The number of His Name is six thousand four hundred forty-two, which is Emmanuel. For what reason, O King Solomon, your time is evil, and your years short and evil, and your kingdom will be given to your servant.” And I, Solomon, having heard this, glorified God. And though I marveled at the apology of the demons, I did not credit it until it came true. And I did not believe their words, but when they were realized, then I understood, and at my death I wrote this Testament to the sons of Israel, and gave it to them, so that they might know the powers of the demons and their shapes, and the names of their messengers, by which these messengers are frustrated. And I glorified the Lord God of Israel and commanded the spirits to be bound with indissoluble bonds.
And having praised God, I commanded another spirit to come before me, and another demon came before my face, having the shape of a horse in front, but [that] of a fish in back. And he had a mighty voice, and said to me, “O King Solomon, I am a fierce spirit of the sea, and I am greedy for gold and silver. I am such a spirit as rounds itself and comes over the expanses of the water of the sea, and I trip up the men who sail thereon. For I round myself into a wave, and transform myself, and then throw myself on ships and come right in on them. And that is my business, and my way of getting hold of money and men. For I take the men, and whirl them around with myself, and hurl the men out of the sea. For I am not covetous of men’s bodies, but cast them up out of the sea so far. But since Beelzebul, ruler of the spirits of air and of those under the earth, and lord of earthly ones, has a joint kingship with us in respect of the deeds of each one of us, I therefore went up from the sea, to get a certain outlook in his company. But I also have another character and role. I transform myself into waves and come up from the sea. And I show myself to men, so that those on earth call me Kunospaston, because I assume the human form. And my name is a true one. For by my passage up into men, I send forth a certain nausea. I came then to take counsel with the prince Beelzebul, and he bound me and delivered me into your hands. And I am here before you because of this seal, and you now torment me. Behold now, in two or three days the spirit that [now] converses with you will fail, because I will have no water.” And I said to him, “Tell me by what messenger you are frustrated.” And he answered: “By Lameth.” And I glorified God. I commanded the spirit to be thrown into a vial along with ten jugs of seawater of two measures each. And I sealed them around, above the marbles, and asphalt, and pitch in the mouth of the vessel. And having sealed it with my ring, I ordered it to be deposited in the temple of God.
And I ordered another spirit to come before me, and another enslaved spirit came before my face, having the obscure form of a man, with gleaming eyes, and bearing a blade in his hand. And I asked: “Who are you?” But he answered: “I am a lascivious spirit, engendered of a giant man who dies in the massacre in the time of the giants.” I said to him, “Tell me what you are employed in on earth, and where you have your dwelling.” And he said, “My dwelling is in fruitful places, but my procedure is this: I seat myself beside the men who pass along among the tombs, and in untimely season I assume the form of the dead; and if I catch anyone, I immediately destroy him with my sword. But if I cannot destroy him, I cause him to be possessed with a demon, and to devour his own flesh, and the hair to fall off his chin.” But I said to him, “Be then in fear of the God of Heaven and of earth, and tell me by which messenger you are frustrated.” And he answered: “He destroys me who is to become Savior, a Man whose figure, if anyone will write it on his forehead, he will defeat me, and I will quickly retreat in fear. And, indeed, if anyone writes this sign on him, I will be in fear.” And I, Solomon, on hearing this, and having glorified the Lord God, shut this demon up like the rest.
And I commanded another demon to come before me, and thirty-six spirits came before my face, their heads shapeless like dogs, but in themselves they were human in form, with faces of donkeys, faces of oxen, and faces of birds. And I, Solomon, on hearing and seeing them, wondered, and I asked them and said, “Who are you?” But they, of one accord with one voice, said, “We are the thirty-six elements, the world-rulers of this darkness. But, O King Solomon, you will not wrong us nor imprison us, nor lay command on us; but since the Lord God has given you authority over every spirit, in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, therefore we also present ourselves before you like the other spirits, from ram and bull, from both twin and crab, lion and virgin, scales and scorpion, archer, goat-horned, water-pourer, and fish.” Then I, Solomon, invoked the Name of the Lord of Hosts, and questioned each in turn as to what was its character. And I commanded each one to come forward and tell of its actions. Then the first one came forward, and said, “I am the first decan of the ecliptic, and I am called the ram, and with me are these two.” So I put the question to them: “Who are you called?” The first said, “I, O lord, am called Ruax, and I cause the heads of men to be idle, and I pillage their brows. But let me only hear the words, Michael, imprison Ruax, and I immediately retreat.” And the second said, “I am called Barsafael, and I cause those who are subject to my hour to feel the pain of migraine. If only I hear the words, Gabriel, imprison Barsafael, I immediately retreat.” The third said, “I am called Arôtosael. I do harm to eyes, and grievously injure them. Only let me hear the words, Uriel, imprison Arôtosael, I immediately retreat.” The fifth said, “I am called Iudal, and I bring about a block in the ears and deafness of hearing. If I hear, Uruel Iudal, I immediately retreat.” The sixth said, “I am called Sphendonaêl. I cause tumors of the parotid gland, and inflammations of the tonsils, and tetanic recurvation. If I hear, Sabrael, imprison Sphendonaêl, I immediately retreat.” And the seventh said, “I am called Sphandôr, and I weaken the strength of the shoulders, and cause them to tremble; and I paralyze the nerves of the hands, and I break and bruise the bones of the neck. And I suck out the marrow. But if I hear the words, Araêl, imprison Sphandôr, I immediately retreat.” And the eighth said, “I am called Belbel. I distort the hearts and minds of men. If I hear the words, Araêl, imprison Belbel, I immediately retreat.” And the ninth said, “I am called Kurtaêl. I send colics in the bowels. I induce pains. If I hear the words, Iaôth, imprison Kurtaêl, I immediately retreat.” The tenth said, “I am called Metathiax. I cause the reins to ache. If I hear the words, Adônaêl, imprison Metathiax, I immediately retreat.” The eleventh said, “I am called Katanikotaêl. I create strife and wrongs in men’s homes and send on them hard temper. If anyone would be at peace in his home, let him write on seven leaves of laurel the name of the messenger that frustrates me, along with these names: Iae, Ieô, sons of hosts, in the Name of the great God let him shut up Katanikotaêl. Then let him wash the laurel-leaves in water, and sprinkle his house with the water, from within to the outside. And I immediately retreat.” The twelfth said, “I am called Saphathoraél, and I inspire partisanship in men, and delight in causing them to stumble. If anyone will write on paper these names of messengers, Iacô, Iealô, Iôelet, Sabaôth, Ithoth, Bae, and having folded it up, wear it around his neck or against his ear, I immediately retreat and dissipate the drunken fit.” The thirteenth said, “I am called Bobêl, and I cause nervous sickness by my assaults. If I hear the name of the great Adonaêl, imprison Bothothêl, I immediately retreat.” The fourteenth said, “I am called Kumeatêl, and I inflict shivering fits and torpor. If only I hear the words: Zôrôêl, imprison Kumentaêl, I immediately retreat.” The fifteenth said, “I am called Roêlêd. I cause cold, and frost, and pain in the stomach. Let me only hear the words: Lax, do not remain, do not be warmed, for Solomon is fairer than eleven fathers, I [immediately] retreat.” The sixteenth said, “I am called Atrax. I inflict on men fevers, irremediable and harmful. If you would imprison me, chop up coriander and smear it on the lips, reciting the following charm: The fever which is from dirt—I exorcise you by the throne of the Most High God, retreat from dirt and retreat from the creature fashioned by God. And I immediately retreat.” The seventeenth said, “I am called Ieropaêl. On the stomach of men I sit, and cause convulsions in the bath and in the road; and wherever I am found, or find a man, I throw him down. But if anyone will say to the afflicted, into their ear, these names three times over, into the right ear: Ludarizê, Sabunê, Denôê, I immediately retreat.” The eighteenth said, “I am called Buldumêch. I separate wife from husband and bring about a grudge between them. If anyone writes down the names of your sires, Solomon, on paper and places it in the ante-chamber of his house, I retreat there. And the legend written will be as follows: The God of Abram, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob commands you—retreat from this house in peace. And I immediately retreat.” The nineteenth said, “I am called Naôth, and I take my seat on the knees of men. If anyone writes on paper: Phnunoboêol, depart Nathath, and you do not touch the neck, I immediately retreat.” The twentieth said, “I am called Marderô. I send on men incurable fever. If anyone writes on the page of a scroll: Sphênêr, Raphael, retreat, do not drag me around, do not flay me, and ties it around his neck, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-first said, “I am called Alath, and I cause coughing and hard-breathing in children. If anyone writes on paper: Rorêx, pursue Alath, and fastens it around his neck, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-third said, “I am called Nefthada. I cause the reins to ache, and I bring about dysuria. If anyone writes on a plate of tin the words: Lathôth, Uruêl, Nephthada, and fastens it around the loins, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-fourth said, “I am called Akton. I cause ribs and lumbar muscles to ache. If one engraves on copper material, taken from a ship which has missed its anchorage, this: Marmaraôth, Sabaôth, pursue Akton, and fastens it round the loin, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-fifth said, “I am called Anatreth, and I tear burnings and fevers into the entrails. But if I hear: Arara, Charara, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-sixth said, “I am called Enenuth. I steal away men’s minds, and change their hearts, and make a man toothless. If one writes: Allazoôl, pursue Enenuth, and ties the paper around him, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-seventh said, “I am called Phêth. I make men consumptive and cause hemorrhaging. If one exorcises me in wine, sweet-smelling and unmixed by the eleventh age, and says: I exorcise you by the eleventh age to stop, I demand, Phêth (Axiôphêth), then gives it to the patient to drink, I then immediately retreat.” The twenty-eighth said, “I am called Harpax, and I send sleeplessness on men. If one writes Kokphnêdismos, and binds it around the temples, I immediately retreat.” The twenty-ninth said, “I am called Anostêr. I engender uterine mania and pains in the bladder. If one powders into pure oil three seeds of laurel and smears it on, saying, I exorcise you, Anostêr, stop by Marmaraô, I immediately retreat.” The thirtieth said, “I am called Alleborith. If in eating fish one has swallowed a bone, then he must take a bone from the fish and cough, and I immediately retreat.” The thirty-first said, “I am called Hephesimireth, and cause lingering disease. If you throw salt, rubbed in the hand, into oil and smear it on the patient, saying, Seraphim, cherubim, help me! I immediately retreat.” The thirty-second said, “I am called Ichthion. I paralyze muscles and contuse them. If I hear Adonaêth, help! I immediately retreat.” The thirty-third said, “I am called Agchoniôn. I lie among swaddling-clothes and in the precipice. And if anyone writes on fig-leaves Lycurgos, taking away one letter at a time, and writes it reversing the letters, I immediately retreat—Lycurgos, ycurgos, curgos, urgos, gos, os.” The thirty-fourth said, “I am called Autothith. I cause grudges and fighting. Therefore, I am frustrated by Alpha and Omega, if written down.” The thirty-fifth said, “I am called Phthenoth. I cast an evil eye on every man. Therefore, the eye, much suffering, if it is drawn, frustrates me.” The thirty-sixth said, “I am called Bianakith. I have a grudge against the body. I lay waste houses, I cause flesh to decay, and all else that is similar. If a man writes on the front-door of his house: Mêltô, Ardu, Anaath, I flee from that place.”
And I, Solomon, when I heard this, glorified the God of the heavens and earth. And I commanded them to fetch water in the temple of God. And I furthermore prayed to the Lord God to cause the demons outside, that hamper humanity, to be bound and made to approach the temple of God. I condemned some of these demons to do the heavy work of the construction of the temple of God. Others I shut up in prisons. Others I ordered to wrestle with fire in [the making of] gold and silver, sitting down by lead and spoon, and to make places ready for the other demons in which they should be confined. And I, Solomon, had much quiet in all the earth, and spent my life in profound peace, honored by all men and by all under Heaven. And I built the entire temple of the Lord God. And my kingdom was prosperous, and my army was with me. And for the rest, the city of Jerusalem had repose, rejoicing and delighted. And all the kings of the earth came to me from the ends of the earth to behold the temple which I built to the Lord God. And having heard of the wisdom given to me, they paid homage to me in the temple, bringing gold, and silver, and many and various precious stones, and bronze, and iron, and lead, and cedar logs. And woods did not decay [that] they brought me for the equipment of the temple of God. And among them the queen of the south, being a witch, also came in great concern and bowed low to the earth before me. And having heard my wisdom, she glorified the God of Israel, and she made formal trial of all my wisdom, of all love in which I instructed her, according to the wisdom imparted to me. And all the sons of Israel glorified God.
And behold, in those days one of the workmen of ripe old age threw himself down before me, and said, “King Solomon, pity me, because I am old.” So I commanded him to stand up, and said, “Tell me, old man, all you will.” And he answered: “I implore you king, I have an only-born son, and he insults and beats me openly, and plucks out the hair of my head, and threatens me with a painful death. Therefore, I implore you: avenge me.” And I, Solomon, on hearing this, felt compunction as I looked at his old age; and I commanded the child to be brought to me. And when he was brought, I questioned him whether it was true. And the youth said, “I was not so filled with madness as to strike my father with my hand. Be kind to me, O king. For I have not dared to commit such impiety, poor wretch that I am.” But I, Solomon, on hearing this from the youth, exhorted the old man to reflect on the matter, and accept his son’s apology. However, he would not, but said he would rather let him die. And as the old man would not yield, I was about to pronounce sentence on the youth, when I saw the demon Ornias laughing. I was very angry at the demon’s laughing in my presence; and I ordered my men to remove the other parties and bring Ornias forward before my tribunal. And when he was brought before me, I said to him, “Accursed one, why did you look at me and laugh?” And the demon answered: “Please, king, it was not because of you I laughed, but because of this ill-fated old man and the wretched youth—his son. For after three days his son will die untimely; and behold, the old man desires to unfairly make away with him.” But I, Solomon, having heard this, said to the demon, “Is that which you speak true?” And he answered: “It is true, O king.” And I, on hearing that, commanded them to remove the demon, and that they should bring the old man with his son before me again. I commanded them to make friends with one another again, and I supplied them with food. And then I told the old man after three days to bring his son to me again here; “and,” I said, “I will attend to him.” And they saluted me and went their way. And when they were gone, I ordered Ornias to be brought forward, and said to him, “Tell me how you know this”; and he answered: “We demons ascend into the expanse of Heaven, and fly around among the stars. And we hear the sentences which go forth on the souls of men, and immediately we come, and whether by force of influence, or by fire, or by sword, or by some accident, we veil our act of destruction; and if a man does not die by some untimely disaster or by violence, then we demons transform ourselves in such a way as to appear to men and be worshiped in our human nature.” I therefore, having heard this, glorified the Lord God, and I questioned the demon again, saying, “Tell me how you can ascend into Heaven, being demons, and intermingle amidst the stars and holy messengers.” And he answered: “Just as things are fulfilled in Heaven, so also on earth the types of all of them. For there are principalities, authorities, world-rulers, and we demons fly around in the air; and we hear the voices of the heavenly beings, and survey all the powers. And as having no ground on which to descend and rest, we lose strength and fall off like leaves from trees. And men seeing us imagine that the stars are falling from [the] sky. But it is not really so, O king; but we fall because of our weakness, and because we have nothing anywhere to lay hold of; and so we suddenly fall down like lightnings in the depth of night. And we set cities in flames and the fields [on] fire. For the stars have firm foundations in the heavens like the sun and the moon.” And I, Solomon, having heard this, ordered the demon to be guarded for five days. And after the five days I recalled the old man and was about to question him, but he came to me in grief and with dark countenance. And I said to him, “Tell me, old man, where is your son? And what does this [gloomy] appearance mean?” And he answered: “Behold, I have become childless and sit by my son’s grave in despair. For it is already two days that he is dead.” But I, Solomon, on hearing that, and knowing that the demon Ornias had told me the truth, glorified the God of Israel.
And the queen of the south saw all this, and marveled, glorifying the God of Israel; and she beheld the temple of the Lord being built. And she gave a siklos of gold and one hundred myriads of silver and choice bronze, and she went into the temple. And [she beheld] the altar of incense and the brazen supports of this altar, and the gems of the lamps flashing forth of different colors, and of the lampstand of stone, and of emerald, and hyacinth, and sapphire; and she beheld the vessels of gold, and silver, and bronze, and wood, and the folds of skins dyed red with madder. And she saw the bases of the pillars of the temple of the Lord. All were of one gold . . . . . . apart from the demons whom I condemned to labor. And there was peace in the circle of my kingdom and over all the earth.
And it came to pass, when I was in my kingdom, the king of the Arabians, Adares, sent me a letter, and the writing of the letter was written as follows: “To King Solomon, greetings! Behold, we have heard, and it has been heard to all the ends of the earth, concerning the wisdom given in you, and that you are a man merciful from the Lord. And understanding has been granted to you over all the spirits of the air, and on earth, and under the earth. Now indeed, there is present in the land of Arabia a spirit of the following kind: at early dawn there begins to blow a certain wind until the third hour. And its blast is harsh and terrible, and it slays man and beast. And no spirit can live on earth against this demon. Please then, forasmuch as the spirit is a wind, contrive something according to the wisdom given in you by the Lord your God, and deign to send a man [who is] able to capture it. And behold, King Solomon, I, and my people, and all my land will serve you to death. And all Arabia will be at peace with you, if you will perform this act of righteousness for us. For what reason, please do not despise our humble prayer, and do not permit the territory subordinated to your authority to be utterly brought to nothing. Because we are suppliants—both I, and my people, and all my land. Farewell to my lord. All health [be to you]!” And I, Solomon, read this letter; and I folded it up and gave it to my people, and said to them, “After seven days you will remind me of this letter.” And Jerusalem was built, and the temple was being completed. And there was a stone, the end stone of the corner lying there—great, chosen out, one which I desired to lay in the head of the corner of the completion of the temple. And all the workmen, and all the demons helping them, came to the same place to bring up the stone and lay it on the pinnacle of the holy temple, and were not strong enough to stir it and lay it on the corner allotted to it. For that stone was exceedingly great and useful for the corner of the temple. And after seven days, being reminded of the letter of Adares, king of Arabia, I called my servant and said to him, “Order your camel and take a leather flask for yourself, and also take this seal. And go away into Arabia to the place in which the evil spirit blows; and take the flask there, and the signet-ring in front of the mouth of the flask, and [hold them] toward the blast of the spirit. And when the flask is blown out, you will understand that the demon is [in it]. Then quickly tie up the mouth of the flask, and seal it securely with the seal-ring, and lay it carefully on the camel, and bring it to me here. And if on the way it offers you gold, or silver, or treasure in return for letting it go, see that you are not persuaded. But arrange [it] without using an oath to release it. And then if it points out to the places where gold or silver are, mark the places and seal them with this seal. And bring the demon to me. And now depart, and farewell.” Then the youth did as was commanded him. And he ordered his camel, and laid a flask on it, and set off into Arabia. And the men of that region would not believe that he would be able to catch the evil spirit. And when it was dawn, the servant stood before the spirit’s blast, and laid the flask on the ground, and the finger-ring on the mouth of the flask. And the demon blew through the middle of the finger-ring into the mouth of the flask, and going in, blew out the flask. But the man promptly stood up to it and drew the mouth of the flask tight with his hand in the Name of the Lord God of Hosts. And the demon remained within the flask. And after that, the youth remained in that land three days to make trial. And the spirit no longer blew against that city. And all the Arabs knew that he had safely shut the spirit in. Then the youth fastened the flask on the camel, and the Arabs sent him forth on his way with much honor and precious gifts, praising and magnifying the God of Israel. But the youth brought in the bag and laid it in the middle of the temple. And on the next day, I, King Solomon, went into the temple of God and sat in deep distress regarding the stone of the end of the corner. And when I entered the temple, the flask stood up and walked around some seven steps and then fell on its mouth and paid homage to me. And I marveled that even along with the bottle the demon still had power and could walk around; and I commanded it to stand up. And the flask stood up and stood on its feet all blown out. And I questioned him, saying, “Tell me, who are you?” And the spirit within said, “I am the demon called Ephippas, that is in Arabia.” And I said to him, “Is this your name?” And he answered: “Yes; wheresoever I will, I descend, and set fire, and do [it] to death.” And I said to him, “By what messenger are you frustrated?” And he answered: “By the only-ruling God that even has authority over me to be heard— He that is to be born of a virgin and crucified by the Jews on a cross, whom the messengers and chief-messengers worship. He frustrates me and weakens me of my great strength, which has been given to me by my father the Devil.” And I said to him, “What can you do?” And he answered: “I am able to remove mountains, to overthrow the oaths of kings. I wither trees and make their leaves to fall off.” And I said to him, “Can you raise this stone, and lay it for the beginning of this corner which exists in the fair plan of the temple?” And he said, “Not only raise this, O king, but also, with the help of the demon who presides over the Red Sea, I will bring up the pillar of air, and will stand it where you will in Jerusalem.” Saying this, I laid stress on him, and the flask became as if depleted of air. And I placed it under the stone, and [the spirit] girded himself up, and lifted it up [to the] top of the flask. And the flask went up the steps, carrying the stone, and laid it down at the end of the entrance of the temple. And I, Solomon, beholding the stone raised aloft and placed on a foundation, said, “Truly the Writing is fulfilled, which says: The stone which the builders rejected on trial, that same has become the head of the corner. For this is not mine to grant, but God’s, that the demon should be strong enough to lift up such a great stone and deposit it in the place I wished.” And Ephippas led the demon of the Red Sea with the column. And they both took the column and raised it aloft from the earth. And I outwitted these two spirits, so that they could not shake the entire earth in a moment of time. And then I sealed around on this side and that with my ring, and said, “Watch.” And the spirits have remained upholding it until this day, for proof of the wisdom given to me. And there the pillar was hanging of enormous size, in midair, supported by the winds. And thus the spirits appeared underneath, like air, supporting it. And if one looks fixedly, the pillar is a little oblique, being supported by the spirits; and it is so today.
And I, Solomon, questioned the other spirit which came up with the pillar from the depth of the Red Sea. And I said to him, “Who are you, and what calls you? And what is your business? For I hear many things about you.” And the demon answered: “I, O King Solomon, am called Abezithibod. I am a descendant of the chief-messenger. When once I sat in the first heaven, of which the name is Ameleouth, I was then a fierce and winged spirit, and with a single wing I was plotting against every spirit under Heaven. I was present when Moses went in before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I hardened his heart. I am he whom Jannes and Jambres invoked, striving with Moses in Egypt. I am he who fought against Moses with wonders with signs.” I therefore said to him, “How were you found in the Red Sea?” And he answered: “In the exodus of the sons of Israel I hardened the heart of Pharaoh. And I excited his heart and that of his ministers. And I caused them to pursue after the sons of Israel. And Pharaoh followed with [me] and all the Egyptians. Then I was present there, and we followed together. And we all came up on the Red Sea. And it came to pass when the sons of Israel had crossed over, the water returned and hid all the host of the Egyptians and all their might. And I remained in the sea, being kept under this pillar. But when Ephippas came, being sent by you, shut up in the vessel of a flask, he fetched me up to you.” I, therefore, Solomon, having heard this, glorified God and adjured the demons not to disobey me, but to remain supporting the pillar. And they both swore, saying, “[As] the Lord your God lives, we will not let go of this pillar until the world’s end. But on whatever day this stone falls, then will be the end of the world.”
1 And I, Solomon, glorified God, and adorned the temple of the Lord with all pleasant appearance. 2 And I was glad in spirit in my kingdom, and there was peace in my days. And I took wives of my own from every land, who were numberless. 3 And I marched against the Jebusites, and there I saw a Jebusite man’s daughter, and fell violently in love with her, and desired to take her to be [my] wife along with my other wives. 4 And I said to their priests, “Give me the Shunammite to be [my] wife.” 5 But the priests of Moloch said to me, “If you love this maiden, go in and worship our gods, the great god Remphan and the god called Moloch.” 6 I, therefore, was in fear of the glory of God, and did not follow to worship. 7 And I said to them, “I will not worship a strange god. What is this proposal, that you compel me to do so much?” But they said, “. . . by our fathers.” 8 And when I answered that I would on no account worship strange gods, they told the maiden not to sleep with me until I complied and sacrificed to the gods. 9 I then was moved, but crafty Eros brought and laid by her five grasshoppers for me, saying, “Take these grasshoppers, and crush them together in the name of the god Moloch; and then I will sleep with you.” 10 And I actually did this. And at once the Spirit of God departed from me, and I became weak as well as foolish in my words. 11 And after that I was obliged by her to build a temple of idols to Ba’al, and to Rapha, and to Moloch, and to the other idols. 12 I then, wretch that I am, followed her advice, and the glory of God yet departed from me, and my spirit was darkened, and I became the sport of idols and demons. 13 For this reason I wrote out this Testament, that you who get possession of it may pity, and attend to the last things, and not to the first, 14 so that you may find grace forever and ever. Amen.