Solomon's Satans: Edward Greenstein's Fugitive Hero Applied to Hadad the Edomite
By Antony Michael Hylton
Why does Scripture call Hadad the Edomite a satan-an adversary raised up by God-yet preserve his story with such care, genealogy, and narrative depth?
In Solomon's Satans, Antony Michael Hylton offers a rigorous and original re-reading of one of the Bible's most overlooked political figures: Hadad the Edomite, the royal fugitive who emerges in 1 Kings 11 as a divinely raised opponent of Solomon. Drawing on Edward Greenstein's Fugitive Hero narrative model, this study argues that Hadad is not a marginal antagonist, but a deliberately crafted literary and historical figure whose life spans Genesis, Kings, and the Aramean dynasties.
Through close textual analysis of Genesis 36, 1 Kings 11, and 1 Kings 15, the book demonstrates that:
Hadad the Edomite is intentionally linked with Hadar, king of Edom, and the Ben-Hadad dynasty of Aram
His exile in Egypt follows a recognisable Ancient Near Eastern fugitive-hero pattern
Egypt's political strategy played a decisive role in the fragmentation of Solomon's kingdom
The title satan in Kings functions as a theological-political category, not a demonological one
The study integrates Hebrew, Greek (LXX), and comparative ANE sources, engaging major scholars such as Montgomery, Gehman, Cogan, Zakovitch, Bartlett, Na'aman, and Moon, while offering a fresh synthesis that bridges literary theory, biblical historiography, and theology.
Far from portraying Hadad as a villain, this work shows how the biblical author presents him as:
A survivor of Joab's Edomite purge
A royal refugee protected and adopted by Pharaoh
A political instrument in Yahweh's judgment against Solomon
A prototype of later Aramean kings who would shape Israel's destiny
Key features of the book include:
A full application of Greenstein's Fugitive Hero pattern to a biblical figure
A reconstruction of Hadad's life across multiple biblical texts
Analysis of genealogy, cult, exile, and kingship in Edom and Aram
A reassessment of Egypt's role in the collapse of the United Monarchy
This book is essential reading for:
Scholars and students of the Hebrew Bible
Readers interested in biblical narrative theory and literary models
Those studying the political theology of Kings
Anyone exploring the historical roots of Israel's divided kingdom
Solomon's Satans challenges conventional readings and invites the reader to see Israel's adversaries not merely as enemies, but as actors within the divine economy of history.
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