Solomon's glory, a kingdom torn in two, and a prophet of fire named Elijah.
"How long halt ye between two ______? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him."
Offered anything he wanted by God, Solomon asked for an understanding heart. The wisdom came — and 1 Kings spends the rest of the book showing how even wisdom can be wasted.
The showdown on Mount Carmel — one prophet versus four hundred and fifty — ends with fire from heaven consuming a sacrifice soaked three times over in water. Elijah liked a fair fight.
After the fire and the rain, Elijah found God not in the wind, earthquake, or flame, but in 'a still small voice' — one of the KJV's most beloved phrases.
Solomon's temple took seven years to build; his own palace took thirteen. The book notices things like that.