304. * who were around me, Solomon was portrayed as he is today among those living after death, namely, that he does not know anything spiritual, much less heavenly, but is so stupid that he does not know in the least what this house symbolizes, except that it had been so built to display splendor. Therefore, he is now among the stupid who before had been counted among the wise. His wisdom was also pictured as earthly, that is, a wisdom in earthly matters, and in civil ones relating to the life of society, but not in heavenly matters. This is the reason why it is compared to the wisdom of the magicians in Egypt, and of others who were learned only on the plane of nature, for such knowledge is also often called wisdom, as above, Ch. 4:29, 30, 31. [Solomon; Wisdom]