Research seminar: Builder kings: Reception of Solomon in the Early ʿAbbāsid Palaces

Solomon, the legendary ruler of ancient Israel and Judah, was perhaps the pre-eminent model of kingship in pre-modern west Asia, consistently understood as such by both rulers and the ruled. In oral, material, and written culture, in folklore and scripture, and in the many shaded areas in between, Solomon stood as an example that straddled multiple shared regional traditions of enunciating power. Variously a believer, a builder, a conqueror, a magician, a philosopher, and more, with local and trans-regional valances, Solomon could  be all things to all people: an ideal reference point for those looking to project power. As rulers with multiple audiences across intersecting linguistic, regional, and religious boundaries, it suited the early ʿAbbāsid caliphs (750–861 CE / 132–248 AH) to place themselves within this tradition. Thus far, however, there has been limited analysis of Solomonic reception in their building projects. This seminar will present my current research on the early Abbasid monumental building and decorative programmes as Solomonic reception.

Rhiannon Garth Jones (University of Leeds) studied at Aarhus University in Denmark. She specialises in the art, architecture, and material culture of early Islam. She is currently working on light and material religion in medieval West Asia, early Islamic textiles, and Solomonic reception across ancient and medieval Afro-Asia. Rhiannon’s book All Roads Lead to Rome: Why We Think of the Roman Empire Daily was published May 2025 by Aurum.