King Solomon was one of the most famous practitioners of dispute resolution. He was born in 990 BC, as successor to his father David, was the King of Israel from 970-931 BC. He was also attributed as the author of the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. When God asked him if he wished to be given wisdom, wealth or longevity, he chose wisdom. King Solomon was given many opportunities to utilize his wisdom.
The Case of the Twice-Claimed Baby
In 1 Kings 3:16-28, two women come to King Solomon with a dilemma. Both lived in the same house and had both given birth around the same time. One evening, one of the women rolled over her baby in the night and unintentionally killed it. She switched her baby with the other woman’s living one. In the morning, the two women came to King Solomon with their dispute. After arguing back and forth, King Solomon proposed a gruesome solution: to cut the living baby in half and give each woman one half. The false claimant responded “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.” The true mother then responded that the other should have the baby, because she did not want to see the baby divided. At that moment, King Solomon realized that it was the true mother who would rather give her child away then have it harmed. He returned the baby to his real mother unharmed.
Application
In litigation, as in arbitration and mediation, some things are not black and white. This is when you draw on unconventional strategies to find a solution. King Solomon relied on the women’s reaction to find the truth. In dispute resolution, the neutral must rely on all sources to help find a solution – even unexpected sources.
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Sam Ventola has a wide variety of experience in litigation, legal education, and mediation. When not resolving disputes, he enjoys volunteering in the Denver community and spending time with his family, especially his grandson, Jack.
Ventola Mediation serves the Denver Metro area including Arvada, Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Commerce City, Castle Rock, Golden, Lakewood, Littleton and Arapahoe, Adams, Douglas and Jefferson Counties in Colorado.
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