An ancient legend about King Solomon says that he had a magic ring on which was supposedly written: "And this too will pass." According to one version, when the king looked at the ring and read this phrase, this helped him make wise decisions. The ring of King Solomon is surrounded by many mysteries. There are at least three versions regarding what was actually written on the ring.
Ring history
The Jewish king Solomon allegedly suffered frequent mood swings. Once he gathered the advice of the sages and asked him to make a magic ring. Then the sages gave him a ring with the inscription "And this too will pass."
The parable of the ring with the inscription is only one version of the story in which one way or another the saying is attributed to King Solomon. In other versions of the parable, the king is confused and shocked by the simple words of the sages. In Jewish folklore, Solomon often pronounces or hears this saying.
There are versions of the ring of Solomon, on which was written the name of God, framed by four precious stones. In later versions, the ring is adorned with the Star of David - a six-pointed star, often inscribed in a circle.
There are versions in which the pentagram is depicted on the ring.
The origin of the statement
There is a popular misconception that the aphorism is of biblical origin. This is not so, although the Epistle to the Corinthians really says that everything on earth is temporary. This "temporary" refers to human suffering. But the exact words "And this also will pass" in the Bible are not.
This is Sufi wisdom, an expression that can be found in the works of Persian poets of the Middle Ages. Very often this expression is found in Hebrew and in Turkish. The statement arose in medieval Levant in about the 13th century.
Thanks to the Sufi poet Attar from Nishapur, a version appeared about the Persian king, who asked the sages to name one phrase that could be said in any situation and in any place. After consulting, they said: "And this too will pass." The king was so shocked that he wrote a saying on his ring.
The saying was very popular in the early 19th century in England, when it appeared in a collection of fairy tales written by the English poet Edward Fitzgerald.
Aphorism was used in his speech by Abraham Lincoln shortly before his presidency.
Very often the phrase is found in Turkish folklore: in short stories and songs. To this day in Turkish, this saying is very often used. It can also be seen on the silver rings of the Jews.
