King Solomon and the Philosophical Esotericism in the Thought of Maimonides

The first part of the book deals with the encounter between two traditions of esoteric writings of Maimonides: the philosophical esoteric tradition found in Greek thought and medieval Arab thought and Jewish esoteric tradition found in the Mishna and the Talmud. Maimonides combines these two traditions while interpreting the Jewish esotericism as philosophical esotericism.

Solomon is described in the Jewish tradition as a king, builder of the Temple, wise, a judge and a prophet. Solomon has a special spot in the teachings of Maimonides. Maimonides sees him primarily as a prophet and a Sage. As a 'prophet' Solomon is considered a 'Divine inspiration speaker' which is a subclass in prophecy. As a 'Sage' Solomon is considered the prototype of the 'wise esotericist', who believes in hiding philosophical content from the masses, but is also aware of the limitations of human cognition. He guides his audience not to try achieving what is beyond human capacity and to reserve judgment on matters that cannot be proved in an exemplary manner.