קָנִיתִי עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת, דִּכְתִיב (נחמיה ז, ס): כָּל הַנְּתִינִים וּבְנֵי עַבְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת תִּשְׁעִים וּשְׁנָיִם. וּבְנֵי בַיִת הָיָה לִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ה, ז): וְכִלְכְּלוּ הַנִּצָּבִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וגו' לֹא יְעַדְּרוּ דָּבָר. מָה הוּא לֹא יְעַדְּרוּ דָבָר, אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא מֵעוֹלָם לֹא חָסַר שֻׁלְחָנוֹ שֶׁל שְׁלֹמֹה לֹא וֶרֶד בִּימוֹת הַחַמָּה, וְלֹא קִישׁוּאִין בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים, אֶלָּא הָיָה טוֹעֲמָן כָּל הַשָּׁנָה. גַּם מִקְנֶה בָקָר וָצֹאן הַרְבֵּה הָיָה לִי, וְאוֹמֵר (מלכים א ה, ג): וּבַרְבֻּרִים אֲבוּסִים, מָה הוּא וּבַרְבֻּרִים אֲבוּסִים, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי מִינַיָּא בִּרְבְּרַיָּיה. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה עוֹף גָּדוֹל הָיָה וּמְעֻלֶּה וּמְשֻׁבָּח וְהָיָה עוֹלֶה וְיוֹשֵׁב עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם, וּמֵהֵיכָן הוּא בָּא מִבַּרְבַּרְיָיה הָיָה בָּא בְּכָל יוֹם.
“I purchased myself slaves and maidservants and I had stewards. I also had great possession of herds and flocks, beyond all who preceded me in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 2:7). “I purchased myself slaves and maidservants,” as it is written: “All the Netinim and the children of Solomon’s slaves were three hundred and ninety-two” (Nehemiah 7:60). “And I had stewards,” as it is stated: “Those officials provided for King [Solomon]…they lacked nothing” (I Kings 5:7). What is, “they lacked nothing”? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: Solomon’s table never lacked [anything], neither a rose in the summer nor cucumbers in the rainy season; rather, they would taste them throughout the year. “I also had great possession of herds and flocks” – and it says: “And fattened fowl” (I Kings 5:3). What are “fattened fowl [barburim]”? They are species of fowl grown in cages [birberayya]. Rabbi Berekhya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda: It was a large bird, which was outstanding, and exceptional, and it would ascend and perch on his table each and every day. From where would it come? Each day, it would come from Barbary.