Ashmedai in Haggadic Legend and Talmud

The Haggadah relates king Solomon, when erecting the Temple, did not know how to get the blocks of marble into shape, since according to the law the stones of the altar cannot be hewn using metal  (it is a material used to make weapons that kill). A wise men advised him to obtain the “shamir” , a worm whose mere touch could cleave rocks.

The problem was that there was only one such worm in the world.Only Ashmedai, the king of the demons, was in possession of the secret, and they told Solomon the name of the mountain on which Ashmedai dwelt and described his manner of life.

King Solomon sent his chief ,Benaiah ben Jehoiadah ,to capture Ashmedai, provided with a magic chain and ring, upon both of which the name of God was engraved.  Benaiah drew off the water from the well through a hole that he bored, and, stopping up the source with the wool, filled the well with wine. When Ashmedai descended from heaven, to his astonishment he found wine instead of water in the well, although everything seemed untouched. At first he would not drink of it, and cited the Bible verses against wine ,in order to inspire himself with moral courage. At length Ashmedai succumbed to his consuming thirst, and drank until his senses were overpowered and he fell into a deep sleep. Benaiah then threw the chain about the demon’s neck. Ashmedai on awaking tried to free himself, but Benaiah called to him: “The Name of thy Lord is upon thee.”

According to the Haggadic Legend, Ashmedai stayed with Solomon until the Temple was completed.

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