"Defeating Solomon": intertextuality and symbolism in the legend of Hagia Sophia

VICTORIA CASAMIQUELA GERHOLD

Scripta Mediaevalia

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

Año: 2018 vol. 11 p. 11 - 38

1851-8753

One of the main literary topics of the Byzantine legend of Hagia Sophia is the comparison between the church built by Emperor Justinian and the temple of Solomon. Previous studies have shown that this topic is elaborated through an intertextual connection between the legendary description of the construction of Hagia Sophia and the biblical description of the construction of the temple of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24: 1, 25; 3 Kings 5: 15-9: 25; 1 Paralipomena 21: 1-8: 16). In the present article, we will argue that the legend also presents intertextual connections with other biblical texts (such as Ezekiel) and even para-biblical texts (such as the Testament of Solomon).