1 Kings 4: "every one under his vine"

"And Juda, and Israel, dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon." (1 Kings 4:25)

This verse captures so well this era of Biblical history.  Solomon's reign begins with a period of unprecedented prosperity.  The Hebrew kingdom had never been so large, so unified, and so prosperous.  It was a golden age indeed; the high-water mark of the Israelites' earthly kingdom.  And it continues to be viewed as a pinnacle that represents ultimately the spiritual kingdom established by Jesus Christ.  As Solomon's was an earthly kingdom, it was not meant to be eternal, and so we will see its heyday begin to wane soon enough.  But in the meantime it is quite amazing to see how far the Israelites have come, from a nomadic people in the days of Abraham, through enslavement in Egypt, and now the realization of God's promise to Abraham, that his descendants would be numerous and they would inhabit the Promised Land, the fullest extent of which we see here in the First Book of Kings.  It is said at this time that the Israelites numbered in the several million (seven million at least, many say much more than that).  And the borders of the kingdom extended from the river (the Euphrates) down to the border of Egypt!  The borders of Israel to this very day in AD 2024 are a source of controversy and conflict.  It is a remarkable thing to see here in Sacred Scripture almost 1,000 years before Christ those very borders being defined (though I acknowledge here a difference between the ancient Kingdom of Israel and the modern nation that was formed in 1948).  

And within those expansive borders we see a picture of peace and prosperity in every corner of the kingdom.  "Every one under his vine" tells us that in the rural regions, men and women lived harmonious lives tilling the earth, enjoying the harvest, and worshipping God Almighty in thankfulness for their bounty.  It's nice to see peace rather than warfare, the latter of which so much of the Israelites' history had been.  And so there is much to credit Solomon for.  His prosperous kingdom allowed for advances in the arts and sciences, the likes of which the world had never known.  Solomon himself, as the wise ruler of this exceptional kingdom, was a devotee of poetry and music.  It is said that the Greeks themselves may have received their brilliant philosophical ideas from the court of Solomon.  Solomon almost seems like a precursor to Aristotle, as he was a lover of the natural sciences, hundreds of years before the great Greek philosopher.  Solomon composed parables, poems, and songs, his "Canticle of Canticles" being one of the best known.  Apparently much of what Solomon wrote has been lost to time, but thankfully we have some preserved still in Scripture.  Solomon's devotion to high culture, his royal court comprised of scribes and priests and stewards, prefigures the royal courts we see in the High Middle Ages.  Solomon (David as well) seems to be a model, the original example of the ideal king that future kings aspired to.  And for the time being, his kingdom has been blessed and elevated by God that we all may see a glimmer of a future heavenly kingdom that awaits those who keep His commandments.