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PABLO A. TORIJANO, Solomon the Esoteric King: From King to Magus, Development of a Tradition (JSJSup 73; Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2002). Pp xvi + 334. Cloth euro110, $138.
Solomon is a very colorful figure in both the Bible and postbiblical tradition and is a most appropriate figure for the developing field of early postbiblical interpretation. This type of study has been popularized by James Kugel and his students (see, e.g., the more recent monograph by Hindy Najman, seconding Sinai: The Development of Mosaic Discourse in second Temple judaism [JSJSup 77; Leiden: Brill, 2003]) and offers fruitful areas of research for doctoral dissertations. Torijano's book, a revision of a dissertation supervised by Lawrence Schiffman of New York University, is one example of this genre.
As the title suggests, the main focus is on Solomon the magician, whom T. investigates in a variety of sources through the seventh century C.E. The core of the book includes chapters entitled "Solomon the Exorcist," "Solomon the Son of David" (this title has both magical and messianic connections), "Solomon the Horseman," "Solomon the Astrologer," and "Solomon the Magician." In developing these themes, T....