The Wandering Throne of Solomon

In The Wandering Throne of Solomon: Objects and Tales of Kingship in the Medieval Mediterranean Allegra Iafrate analyzes the circulation of artifacts and literary traditions related to king Solomon, particularly among Christians, Jews and Muslims, from the 10th to the 13th century.

The author shows how written sources and objects of striking visual impact interact and describes the efforts to match the literary echoes of past wonders with new mirabilia. Using the throne of Solomon as a case-study, she evokes a context where Jewish rabbis, Byzantine rulers, Muslim ambassadors, Christian sovereigns and bishops all seem to share a common imagery in art, technology and kingship.

Allegra Iafrate, Ph.D (2013), Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, is postdoctoral fellow at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence. The project of this book has been awarded the ‘Prix Marc de Montalembert’ 2014.

"Overall, this is an extremely intelligent and rich piece of work that demonstrates a deep knowledge of Solomonic lore while continually challenging readers to consider a range of associated questions, ranging from the technological competition between Christian and Islamic cultures to attitudes towards wealth and technology. It also engages meaningfully with abstract notions of the exotic the faraway and the mysterious in a way that is highly illuminating. And perhaps most importantly, Iafrate demonstrates a nuanced and logical approach to the unpacking and interpretation of ideas and symbols that have changed hands many times in their history and which remain – at least to some degree – unknowable." - Nicholas Morton, Nottingham Trent University, in: Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 29/1 (2018)

"Durch ihren vergleichenden Ansatz und die enge Verknüpfung von Texten und Objekten gelingt Iafrate eine überzeugende Analyse, die nicht nur Verflechtung, sondern auch Abgrenzung aufzeigt. Über die angestrebte Perspektive hinaus kann die Studie auch als eine Kultur- und Ideengeschichte der mittelalterlichen Salomo-Rezeption gelesen werden. Sie regt dazu an, die Bedeutung des Throns, der anderen salomonischen Objekte und auch der Person Salomos in bestimmten Aspekten zu vertiefen, z.  B. hinsichtlich Auffassungen von Königtum, symbolischer Kommunikation und politischer Rhetorik." - Christian Alexander Neumann, in: QFIAB 98 (2018)

"This book is excellent... I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Christian apocrypha and in "Abrahamic" legends more generally. While the author does not speak about a particular text, she reveals much about the world in which the apocrypha were made. Her work highlights the importance of looking beyond religious and even textual boundaries." - Gavin McDowell, in: Apocrypha 28 (2017)