"He also uttered three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five." — Solomon's *literary output* is quantified: *va-yedaber shloshim elef mashal va-yihyu shiro chamesh elef ve-elef* (he spoke thirty thousand proverbs and his songs were one thousand and five). The *proverbs* (*mashal*, aphorisms, sayings) and *songs* (*shir*, poetic compositions) are attributed to Solomon. The *Proverbs* and *Ecclesiastes* in the Hebrew Bible are later attributed to Solomon, though they are clearly post-Solomonic compilations. The *numerical precision* may reflect *actual collections* or may be *hyperbolic formulation* of his literary productivity.

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