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«King Solomon to Vaphres, king of Egypt, his father's friend, greetings. Know that I have received the kingdom from David my father through the greatest God, and that He has commanded me to build a temple to God, who created the heaven and the earth, and at the same time to write to you to send me some of your people, who will assist me until I complete everything according to the need, as has been commanded.»

33. A COPY OF THE LETTER OF VAPHRES «King Vaphres to Solomon the great king, greetings. Upon reading your letter I was exceedingly glad, and both I and all my host celebrated a splendid day because you have received the kingdom from a good man who was approved by so great a God. Concerning what you write to me, about the people among us, I have sent you eighty thousand, the numbers of which and whence they are I have made clear to you: from the Sebrithite nome, ten thousand; from the Mendesian and Sebennyte nomes, twenty thousand; from the Busirite, Leontopolite and Athribite nomes, ten thousand each. See to it also that they have what they need and other things, so that there may be good order, and that they may be restored to their own country when they are done with the work.»

34. A LETTER OF SOLOMON «King Solomon to Souron, the king of Tyre and Sidon and Phoenicia, his father's friend, greetings. Know that I have received the kingdom from David my father through the greatest God, who has commanded me to build a temple to God, who created the heaven and the earth, and at the same time to write to you also to send me some of your people, who will assist us until we complete the work of God, as has been commanded me. I have also written to Galilee and Samaria and Moabitis and Ammanitis and Galaaditis that they be supplied with their needs from the country, each month ten thousand cors of wheat; a cor is six artabas; and ten thousand cors of wine; a cor of wine is ten measures. The oil and other things will be supplied to them from Judea, and sacrificial animals for eating meat from Arabia.»

35. A LETTER OF SOURON «Souron to Solomon the great king, greetings. Blessed be God, who created the heaven and the earth, who chose a good man from a good man; upon reading your letter I was exceedingly glad and I blessed God that you have received the kingdom. 9.34.2 Concerning what you write to me, about the people among us, I have sent you eighty thousand Tyrians and Phoenicians, and I have sent you a master builder, a Tyrian man, from a Jewish mother, from the tribe of David. Concerning all things under heaven about which you may ask him regarding architecture, he will instruct 9.34.3 you and will do. And concerning the needs of the servants being sent to you, you will do well to write to the local prefects, so that their needs may be supplied. 9.34.4 And Solomon, having his father's friends, went up to Mount Lebanon with the Sidonians and Tyrians, and transported the timber that had been cut by

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«Βασιλεὺς Σολομῶν Οὐαφρῇ βασιλεῖ Αἰγύπτου φίλῳ πατρικῷ χαίρειν Γίνωσκέ με παρειληφότα τὴν βασιλείαν παρὰ ∆αβὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ μεγίστου, καὶ ἐπιτεταχότος μοι οἰκοδομῆσαι ἱερὸν τῷ θεῷ, ὃς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἔκτισεν, ἅμα δέ σοι γράψαι ἀποστεῖλαί μοι τῶν παρὰ σοῦ λαῶν, οἳ παραστήσονταί μοι μέχρι τοῦ ἐπιτελέσαι πάντα κατὰ τὴν χρείαν, καθότι ἐπιτέτακται.»

λγʹ. ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΟΥΑΦΡΗ ΑΝΤΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ «Βασιλεὺς Οὐαφρῆς Σολομῶνι βασιλεῖ μεγάλῳ χαίρειν Ἅμα τῷ ἀναγνῶναι τὴν παρὰ σοῦ ἐπιστολὴν σφόδρα ἐχάρην καὶ λαμπρὰν ἡμέραν ἤγαγον ἐγώ τε καὶ ἡ δύναμίς μου πᾶσα ἐπὶ τῷ παρειληφέναι σε τὴν βασιλείαν παρὰ χρηστοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ δεδοκιμασμένου ὑπὸ τηλικούτου θεοῦ. περὶ δὲ ὧν γράφεις μοι, περὶ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς λαοὺς τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν, ἀπέσταλκά σοι μυριάδας ὀκτώ, ὧν καὶ τὰ πλήθη ἐξ ὧν εἰσι διασεσάφηκά σοι· ἐκ μὲν τοῦ Σεβριθίτου νομοῦ μυρίους, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Μενδησίου καὶ Σεβεννύτου δισμυρίους· Βουσιρίτου, Λεοντοπολίτου καὶ Ἀθριβίτου ἀνὰ μυρίους. φρόντισον δὲ καὶ τὰ δέοντα αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ὅπως εὐτακτῇ, καὶ ἵνα ἀποκατασταθῶσιν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν, ὡς ἂν ἀπὸ τῆς χρείας γενόμενοι.»

λδʹ. ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΣΟΛΟΜΩΝΟΣ «Βασιλεὺς Σολομῶν Σούρωνι τῷ βασιλεῖ Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος καὶ Φοινίκης φίλῳ πατρικῷ χαίρειν Γίνωσκέ με παρειληφότα τὴν βασιλείαν παρὰ ∆αβὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ μεγίστου, ἐπιτεταχότος μοι οἰκοδομῆσαι ἱερὸν τῷ θεῷ, ὃς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἔκτισεν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ σοὶ γράψαι ἀποστεῖλαί μοι τῶν παρὰ σοῦ λαῶν, οἳ συμπαραστήσονται ἡμῖν μέχρι τοῦ ἐπιτελέσαι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ χρείαν, καθότι μοι ἐπιτέτακται. γέγραφα δὲ καὶ εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ Σαμαρεῖτιν καὶ Μωαβῖτιν καὶ Ἀμμανῖτιν καὶ Γαλαδῖτιν χορηγεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς τὰ δέοντα ἐκ τῆς χώρας, κατὰ μῆνα κόρους σίτου μυρίους· ὁ δὲ κόρος ἐστὶν ἀρταβῶν ἕξ· καὶ οἴνου κόρους μυρίους· ὁ δὲ κόρος τοῦ οἴνου ἐστὶ μέτρα δέκα. τὸ δὲ ἔλαιον καὶ τὰ ἄλλα χορηγηθήσεται αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἱερεῖα δὲ εἰς κρεωφαγίαν ἐκ τῆς Ἀραβίας.»

λεʹ. ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΣΟΥΡΩΝΟΣ «Σούρων Σολομῶνι βασιλεῖ μεγάλῳ χαίρειν Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεός, ὃς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἔκτισεν, ὃς εἵλετο ἄνθρωπον χρηστὸν ἐκ χρηστοῦ ἀνδρός· ἅμα τῷ ἀναγνῶναι τὴν παρὰ σοῦ ἐπιστολὴν σφόδρα ἐχάρην καὶ εὐλόγησα τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ παρειληφέναι σὲ τὴν βασιλείαν. 9.34.2 περὶ δὲ ὧν γράφεις μοι, περὶ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς λαοὺς τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν, ἀπέσταλκά σοι Τυρίων καὶ Φοινίκων ὀκτακισμυρίους καὶ ἀρχιτέκτονά σοι ἀπέσταλκα ἄνθρωπον Τύριον, ἐκ μητρὸς Ἰουδαίας, ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς τῆς ∆αβίδ. ὑπὲρ ὧν ἂν αὐτὸν ἐρωτήσῃς τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν πάντων κατ' ἀρχιτεκτονίαν, ὑφηγή9.34.3 σεταί σοι καὶ ποιήσει. περὶ δὲ τῶν δεόντων καὶ ἀποστελλομένων σοι παίδων καλῶς ποιήσεις ἐπιστείλας τοῖς κατὰ τόπον ἐπάρχοις, ὅπως χορηγῆται τὰ δέοντα. 9.34.4 ∆ιελθὼν δὲ Σολομῶν, ἔχων τοὺς πατρικοὺς φίλους, ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ τοῦ Λιβάνου μετὰ τῶν Σιδωνίων καὶ Τυρίων, μετήνεγκε τὰ ξύλα τὰ προκεκομμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ