And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. (1 Kings 9:19)
In the pride of his ambition and prosperity Solomon engaged in very extensive building enterprises. A description of some of his ambitious projects is given in Eccl. 2:4-10, which included houses, gardens, orchards, pools of water— “whatsoever mine eyes desired.” Anxious to surpass the glorious achievements of all nations about him, Solomon’s ambition carried him into enterprises that were against the purposes of Heaven and the best interests of the state. The heavy burdens placed upon the people soon became intolerable and led to discontent, bitterness, and ultimate revolt.