THE DETROIT JE W ISH NEWS—Friday, February 27, 1959- 2

P urely Commentary

'Solomon and Sheba' by Jay Williams:
One of Outstanding Works of Fiction

Legends and historical facts are merged in the plot of an
outstanding new novel, "Solomon and Sheba," by Jay Williams,
just published by Random House.
Although the able novelist deals with a subject that dates
back to 977 BCE, the year when Solomon began his reign as
King of Israel and Judah and the several years that followed
it, he nevertheless makes his story palatable to the 20th century
CE reader. Williams has caught the spirit of the time, conditions
and problems dating back 2,936 years. He has produced a novel
that reads like a modern narrative.
"Solomon and Sheba" describes the court intrigues, the
struggle for power, the fratricide that marred the record both
of Davidic and Solornonic rule, the love affair of Solomon and
Sheba and the wisdom of Solomon.
At the very outset. the reader is told about the contests
for the throne of David, the death of several of the great king's
sons, the murder of Amnon by Absalom for having violated his
sister Tamar, and Absalom's own death.
David's rejection of the elder son Adonijah and his naming
of Solomon as his successor marked the beginning of a struggle
that dominates the Williams story. Linked with it is the arrival
in Jerusalem of Balkis, the Queen of Sheba, as Solomon's guest.
Not only Adonijah but also Sheba had plotted against
Solomon, Sheba came to Palestine with a plan to destroy the
King of Judah and Israel. She nearly succeeded, but her love
for him and her repentance, and the aid given to Solomon by
the Shebans under the leadership of Balkis' brother Sittar,
turned the tide in Solomon's battle against Adonijah and his Edo-
mite allies who were originally mobilized against Solomon by
the Queen of Sheba.
Of significance in this novel also is the role of Joab, who
was David's commanding general for 30 years but who lined up
with Adonijah and who finally lost his life in the battle he
waged against Solomon.
The reviewer must ask the question: how much did Jay
Williams delve into Jewish legends and historical facts to
motivate and strengthen his plot? Has he read the great
treasure of Jewish Biblical stories, "The Legends of the
Jews" by Prof. Louis Ginzberg? Has he made use of the facts
in Josephus and other authoritative works?
He has, of course, made use of the novelist's license to
deviate from history. For instance, according to legend, Solomon
succeeded his father to the throne at the age of 12. There is
nothing to indicate that in Williams' story. It is a Biblical fact
David admonished his son Solomon to avenge the wrongdoing of
Joab and to have him executed, and we are told that Solomon
did just that as one of his first acts as King of Judah and Israel.
But in the main, Williams' novel adheres to facts as we
know them in Biblical history and legends. There was a love
affair with the Queen of Sheba who is called Balkis in this
novel. There were many court intrigues. Balkis did plot against
Solomon and then repented. There are a number of examples
of Solomonic wisdom, and while they are not sufficient for a
total account of the genius of the wise king, they are representa-
tive of the folklore about Solomon.
Solomon's temporary submission to idol worship also is
legendarily true, but while in the Williams story he had joined
with Balkis in worshipping his gods, traditional accounts say
that Solomon permitted the daughter of Pharaoh, whom he
took to wife, to worship her idols and he joined her in the
abominations. In the Williams' novel,. as in the Bible, Solomon
is penitent and he returns to full worship of Yahweh.
The Prophet Nathan plays a role in the Solomonic story.
The king accepts the Prophet's admonitions. It is one of the
elements of strength in Solomon that , he does not resent rebukes
and accepts proper guidance.
Abishag, the young handmaiden of David who is described
in legends as one of the most beautiful of women, who loved
Solomon, also is important in this novel. Williams develops a love
affair between her and Sittar, and the latter adopts the Jewish
faith and accepts Judaic citizenship.
There are numerous quotations from Proverbs of Solomon
and the Psalms of David in this good novel. They add authentic-
ity to the historical background of the story.
Jay Williams has written an impressive work. His "Solomon
and Sheba" is an entertaining story and, at the same time, it
introduces the reader to an historically-true Biblical love story.
It merits a leading place among this year's outstanding works
of fiction.
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Echoes of the Civil War
The 150th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the
observance of which was occasion for re-evaluation of the genius
of the Great Emancipator and the problems that arose in his
time, has revealed that the issues which had split our land in
the Civil War era have not disappeared.

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,EScoh! o moofn i nvdi S 1\-1A P Lbra

'Topps' . . . Glubb's Bias

By

hilip

SIOMOVItZ

Meir Grossman in U.S.
to Aid UJA Campaign

pasted upside down and the sender's rubber stamp calls atten-
tion to this.
And so, some people are still fighting the Civil War, and
Abe Lincoln is still the martyr.
*

Israelis Chew 'Topps' With Zest

Topps chewing gum may not be any better than any other
brand, but it acquires a superior flavor because its makers are
true Americans with a sense of fair play: they refuse to join
the Arab boycott of Israel and insist upon their right to sell their
product to the Israelis.
Jordan has placed Topps on its blacklist, and thereby has
exposed its position and has given Topps a high rating by in-
dicating that Topps does not discriminate against a small nation
simply because a number of other nations have ganged up on her.
So, when you see Topps on top of the list, you'll know the
reason why: it'll be a mark of recognition of a firm's sense of
fair play.

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Glubb Pasha Remains the Arab Apologist

Lt. Gen. Sir John Bagot Glubb is utilizing his tour of this
country to let loose of the old bias he has acquired against
Israel. His book "A Soldier with the Arabs," the fallacies of
which were exposed in our columns when it was published in
1957, was full of venom and misrepresentations. In spite of his
having been ousted from Jordan by King Hussein, he remains
the biased philo-Arab and the antagonist to Israel.
He tries hard to prove that he is not an anti-Semite, but
since he senses that he may be labeled one it is evident that his
heart tells him what his mind has not yet admitted: that he
does harbor a prejudice against the people whose independence
he sought -to destroy.
It's a bit late for this old soldier to argue against Israel's
right to exist, yet he does just that. We are not so sure that he
does honor to his own British people who have given him his
military opportunities. Insofar as Israel is concerned, he is just
a has-been, but insofar as American Jewry is involved in the in-
direct slurs he utters when he speaks with venom of "Zionism,"
he is an unwelcome nuisance.

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Dr. Glueck's Splendid Negev History

Dr. Nelson Glueck's newest book, "Rivers in the Desert,"
published jointly by the Jewish Publication Society of America
and by Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, is not only a most enlightening
work: in spite of the fact that it deals with archaeology and
the subject may sound technical, it makes fascinating reading
even for the average layman.
Dr. Glueck, whose archaeological experiences in Palestine
date back to the early 1930s, calls his latest work "a history of
the Negev." His description of Israel's southern area shows that
this dessert was the road between continents for thousands of
years; how it served as a habitable area for 100,000 people and
how warfare then led to its decline as a populated territory.
The Negev, we learn from Dr. Glueck, has a bright future,
and he bases his views on discoveries he has made during the
past years, having spent three months each summer, since
1951, in his archaeological activities.
Identification of time spans has been established by means
of the fragments of pottery discovered by Dr. Glueck and his
associates. The various stages of excavations are linked to Bibli-
cal history by means of scores of Biblical quotations, and "Rivers
in the Desert," is properly described as "an illustrated account
of discoveries in a frontierland of civilization.
The various routes of the Bible, for trade and for travel, are
delineated in this interesting book.
Of major interest is the answer Dr. Glueck gives to the
question, "Is the Bible Correct?" While he states that "the
purpose of the Biblical historian is not to 'prove' the correct-
ness of the Bible," he nevertheless asserts that "no archeologi-
cal discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference."
Taken into account also is that "the contagious fervor of the
new religious movement" which centered about the person of
Jesus, "came increasingly in conflict with the sophisticated pa-
ganism of the Mediterranean cultural area, and proved in the end
to be more than a match for it."
Thus, light is thrown both on the histories of Christianity and
Judaism in "Rivers in the Dessert."
Dr. Glueck tells of the assistance given him in his research
work by the young Israelis and he pays them this tribute:
"Our work in the Negev would not have been possible
without the assistance and protection of the Israeli Armed
Forces. Highly to be praised are the numerous, young Israeli
colonists, whose deep interest in Biblical archaeology made
them gladly forego their brief annual _vacations to join • my
expeditions in the hottest months of the year."
Dr. Glueck's new work is a genuinely superb contribution
to historical research and to the science of archaeology.
*
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An Israeli Anecdote
In his new book, "Hear, 0 Israel," (published by Philipp
Feldheim, 96 E. Broadway, N.Y. 2), to be reviewed in our
columns in a later issue, Dr. Samuel Rosenblatt tells this
story:
"A teacher in one of the settlements, made up of recent
immigrants, gave her pupils the assignment of writing a few
sentences in Hebrew. One of them thereupon presented her
with a composition worded as follows: Ani ba - aretz, toy
ba-aretz. Oti shalchu el hanegev. Translated word for word
this means: 'I am in the land. It is good in the land. Me they
sent to the Negev.' For a grown-up person, who had been in
the country only a short time, to put together words of a
language, in which he was still green, in such a manner
was no mean achievement. But when the teacher asked the
author what thoughts he intended to convey by means of
his composition, she received the following answer: `Ich bin
in d'rerd, gut in d'rerd. Punkt (this was what the dot, placed
after the second sentence, was supposed to stand for) mich hot
men gesichickt in dem Negev.' (I am in bad shape, in a

The envelope reproduced here, which was mailed in Knox- horrible shape in fact. Of all the persons, they had to pick
ville, Tenn., to the editor of the Charleston, S.C., News and on me to send me to the Negev.')."
Courier, evidences the "protest" against what the segregationists
This is proof that Israel has not lost the sense of humor.
call Federal invasion of states' rights. The Lincoln stamp was A people that is able to laugh at itself will surely flourish.

MEIR GROSSMAN (right),
Jewish Agency Executive
member and head of its ex-
ternal relations dept., is greet-
ed by Rabbi HERBERT A.
FRIEDMAN, UJA executive
vice-chairman at New York
International Airport. Gross-
man joins an 18-man Emer-
gency Mission of top Israel
leaders visiting key Ameri-
can Jewish communities to
help 1959 UJA leaders seek
enlarged aid on behalf of 100,-
000 new immigrants now
streaming into Israel from
Romania.

Lebster, Pines,
Warren Named
Flint UJA Heads

Dr. H. Maxwell Golden. pres-
ident of the Flint Jewish Com-
munity Council, announced that
Louis Lebster, Jacob Pines and
Ellis H. Warren have accepted
the honorary co-chairmanship
of the 1959 Flint United Jew-
ish Appeal drive.
Lebster, Pines and Warren
have headed past Jewish cam-
paigns in this honorary cap-
acity. Warren was president of
Flint Community Chest, a mem-
ber of the advisory board of
St. Joseph Hospital, Flint Ro-
tary Club and the executive
committee of the Tall Pine
Boy Scout Council. He has been
president of Temple Beth El
on three occasions and is a life
member of the Temple board.
Lebster is one of the pion-
eers of the Jewish community
of Flint, having taken his fam-
ily there in 1905. For 50 years,
he has inspired Jewish com-
munal activity of every kind, is
affiliated with both congrega-
tions, is a member of Bnai Brith,
Flint Zionist Organization, Ma-
sonic Order and Elks.
Pines, treasurer of the Flint
Jewish Community C o u n c
the British Army in World War
served in the Jewish Legion of
WW I 1917 to 1919. He has
been a member of the Board
of Cong. Beth Israel since 1929
and served several terms as its
president. He is affiliated with
Bnai Brith and ZOA, and has
given leadership to United Jew-
ish Appeal and Israel Bond
drives. He revisited Israel with
his wife in 1957.
Principal beneficiary of the
Flint drive will again be the
United Jewish Appeal, together
with over 40 other overseas, na-
tional and local Jewish agencies
and programs.
* * *

Flint Council Slates
Dr. Weiss-Rosmarin

Dr. Trude Weiss-Rosmarin
will address the third program
of the 1959 Flint Council cul-
tural series, Sunday, 8 p.m.,
at Beth Israel Synagogue, it is
announced by Dr. H. Maxwell
Golden, president of the Flint
Jewish Community Council.
Born and educated in pre-
Nazi Germany, Dr. Rosmarin
traveled widely and was a fre-
quent visitor in Israel. Her
topic for the evening will be
"Basic Jewish Values --- An
Inventory for Troubled Times."

