עברית
Faith
Was Nebuchadnezzar the Grandson of King Solomon?
Question
Hello,
Where is it written in the sources that Nebuchadnezzar was the grandson of King Solomon?
If possible, could I receive a quotation or a reference to a book?
It doesn’t seem to fit the timeline, since the Temple was destroyed long after; how old would Nebuchadnezzar have been?
Thank you,
Yehudit
Answer
Hello, In Rashi's commentary on the First Book of Kings (Chapter 10, Verse 13), there is a gloss from the Arizal which states that King Solomon visited the Queen of Sheba, and from her was born Nebuchadnezzar. Similarly, Seder HaDorot (published 1785) cites a Midrash that the Queen of Sheba conceived from Solomon and gave birth to a daughter, from whom Nebuchadnezzar descended. However, it appears that the intention is that Nebuchadnezzar was a descendant of King Solomon rather than a direct grandson. This is also the meaning of the comments of the Chida, of blessed memory, in his commentary Brit Olam on Sefer Chassidim (Siman 399) and in his book Chomat Anach (Jeremiah 39). Blessings, Hillel Meirs
