The Conflict between Adonijah and Solomon in Light of Succession Practices Near and Far

Abstract

The protocols for succession to the throne in ancient Israel and Judah have attracted little scholarly attention. In this article I first survey monarchic societies throughout history to show that there are no universally valid succession principles, despite scholars often treating primogeniture as such. I then look at evidence from ancient Near Eastern societies and suggest that in a “standard” scenario the incumbent king was expected to select a successor from a pool of viable candidates. I conclude by rereading Solomon’s accession to David’s throne in 1 Kings 1-2 in light of this.