Frog & Co. Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0, by The Novice

Recently, the Senior Pastor of my church gave me a gift. It is a Frog & Co. Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0. It is a great blessing to have a Senior Pastor who faithfully teaches the word of God. It is a bonus that he also recognizes that we live in a dangerous world, and tries to help his flock to be prepared.

This lighter was my first experience with a product from Survivalfrog.com. I visited their website, and noticed that they have many interesting items for sale. My first impression was that some of the items seemed to be priced a little on the high side. Other items seemed to be somewhat impractical, better suited for stocking the shelves of armchair theorists than for use in real-life situations. Still other items looked genuinely useful and reasonably priced. These initial impressions may be unfair. I invite Survivalblog readers with more extensive experience with Survivalfrog to weigh in with their observations.

On the Survivalfrog website, the lighter was listed as an “Outdoor Waterproof Dual Arc Plasma Lighter”. There it was priced at $29.97. The exact same lighter was listed by Survivalfrog elsewhere for about half the price. I noticed that this was true of many of their other products as well. I am not sure what rationale lies behind this pricing strategy.Continue reading“Frog & Co. Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0, by The Novice”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 31, 2021

May 31, 1930 was the birthday of actor/director/producer Clint Eastwood.

One hundred years ago today, on May 31, 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot destroyed a 35-square block section of the city nicknamed “Black Wall Street.” At least 75 people were killed — mostly black. Some were shot and some died in structure fires. The initial shootout that precipitated the chaos took the lives of 10 whites and two blacks. The riots that followed were more lopsided in the other direction. There were even firebombings and shootings from the cockpits of private planes. The incident left a stain on the history of Tulsa, largely because some Tulsa police officers were complicit and/or took part in the retaliatory murders.

On 31 May 1970, an earthquake off the coast of Peru caused a substantial section of the north slope of Mt. Huascaran to collapse. The avalanche moved downhill at a speed estimated at 175 to 210 mph, with a mass of roughly 80 million cubic meters of ice, mud, and rock. The avalanche traveled nearly 11 miles, burying the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca in up to 300 feet of rock and debris. It is estimated that this earthquake and avalanche killed more than 67,000 Peruvians. It is the deadliest avalanche in recorded history.

May 31st, 1895 was the birthday of George R. Stewart. Prior to his death on August 22, 1980, he was a novelist, university professor, and toponymist. In the preparedness community, he is best remembered as the author of the classic post-pandemic novel Earth Abides.

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I’m pleased to report that a hardback edition of my novel Patriots is again available following a lapse of more than a year.  This new edition from Ulysses Press features a sturdy four-color printed cover, rather than a traditional printed dustjacket. If you want to order a few copies for gifts, then please order yours through Books-a-Million. (We are doing our best to Starve The Amazon beast.) Thanks!  – JWR

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Today we present a review written by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

CRKT Bona Fide, by Pat Cascio

As a rule, I report the suggested retail price of the products I test, usually near the end of the review. However, this time, I’m reporting it first. This is the new CRKT Bona Fide folder, and it has a retail price of $125 – and as savvy shoppers know, if they shop the ‘net they can usually find CRKT products for a lot less than their suggested retail price. The Bona Fide, is another design from world-famous knife designer/maker, Ken Onion, who makes his home in Hawaii. It has been a lot of years, since I spoke with Ken – we’ve never met face-to-face, but we’ve talked on the phone, when I was interviewing him for an article some years ago, for Knives Illustrated magazine, when I was their West Coast Field Editor. And, Ken is, just a lot of fun to talk to – very down to earth, and he cusses like a sailor on shore leave, too.

The Bona Fide is so brand-new, when I received it back in early December 2020, that it didn’t even come with a box and no information about the knife. So, I had to contact the good folks at CRKT and ask for some information about the knife. I want to go back a bit, and talk about the suggested retail price on this knife. I was thinking that this folder, might just be their new flagship knife for 2021 – I like it “that” much. This is a first-class folder in all respects. I quite honestly was thinking this particular folder would easily have a retail price of around $200. It is spectacular and totally flawless in every aspect. Plus, it’s a real beauty, too. I’m obliged to mention that this folder is made in China where most of CRKT products are produced. This is a cost-saving to the consumer. If this folder were made in the USA, then I believe it would have easily retailed for $250 or more. I’ve been assured that CRKT products are not made in prison slave labor factories. Continue reading“CRKT Bona Fide, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Bear’s Everything Casserole

The following recipe “Everything” Casserole comes to us from frequent recipe contributor “Bear.” Here is her introduction:

I like this recipe because it can be assembled ahead of time, can be eaten for any meal of the day, and because it is so customizable. Use any kind of bread and cheese and veggies and herbs that you like! For example, the recipe originally called for cheddar cheese, but I like it even better with a mixture of mozzarella and smoked provolone. Add more or less of each ingredient to suit your own taste. Include the meat, or don’t; it’s good both ways.”

Ingredients
  • 4 C bread cubes or homemade croutons (if using fresh bread, let it dry out a little bit or toast it)
  • 2 C shredded cheese (fresh, frozen, or reconstituted freeze-dried)
  • 1/3 C chopped onions
  • 1/4 C chopped pepper
  • 1/2 C finely chopped tomato
  • Sliced mushrooms, optional
  • 10 eggs, beaten (fresh, frozen or reconstituted powdered)
  • 4 C milk (fresh or powdered)
  • 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped (fresh or dried)
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • Cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage — optional (fresh, frozen or freeze-dried)

Note: The veggies can also be either fresh, frozen, dehydrated or freeze-dried. I have found that the most time-consuming part of preparing this recipe is chopping the veggies, so I have prepared a bunch at once, and then dehydrated them one casserole’s worth per tray (so I don’t have to measure later), and individually vacuum-sealed them. Then I just pull out one packet and rehydrate it in a little water while I’m gathering the other ingredients.

Directions
  1. Spread bread cubes on bottom of well-greased 9×13″ baking dish.
  2. Layer cheese, veggies, and mushrooms (if using) on top of bread.
  3. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, and mix well. Pour over the other ingredients in the baking dish.
  4. Top with bacon or sausage, if using.
  5. Cover and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours) or up to 24 hours.
  6. Bake uncovered at 325 F for 50-to-70 minutes, or until set and a knife comes out clean. (Baking time will depend a lot on how dry the bread was, and how long it rested in the fridge.)
SERVING

Allow to stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at Joe Biden’s “Sugar High” Economy. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

World’s Biggest Platinum Miner Makes Another Bold Call on Prices.

o  o  o

Golds gains over $100 this month.

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Biden Unveils $6 Trillion Budget That Will Raise Federal Spending To Highest Post-WW2 Level.

o  o  o

Joe Biden’s sugar-high economy should raise alarm. This piece begins:

“President Biden is betting big government can boost long-term growth and vanquish inequality and racism.

His infrastructure and social spending proposals would increase the federal deficit well above last year’s crisis-driven $3.1 trillion. A pandemic bounce will yield 6.5 percent GDP growth this year but longer term, Mr. Biden’s policies will bequeath higher interest rates, inflation, fleeing private investment and many fewer good paying jobs.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell says the likes of Kimberly-Clark hiking prices on Huggies is a temporary phenomenon, but he is already tightening monetary policy. The 10-year Treasury rate, which provides the benchmark for everything from credit cards to mortgages, has jumped precipitously.

The dismal science and the financial press say higher interest rates reflect expectations for some combination of higher growth and inflation but whatever happened to supply and demand?

In 2020, the Fed purchased Treasuries and other securities approximately equaling the massive federal deficit, but this year its stated policy is to purchase half as many.

Without the Fed mopping up all the bonds the Treasury is spilling, demand is tanking. Longer-term interest rates must rise, and new home construction, auto purchases and shaky businesses propped up by junk bonds will eventually falter.

Raising corporate and capital gains taxes to some of the highest in the world are a biblical imperative for progressives with their disdain for thrift, enterprise, hard work and success.

Along with more government spending, higher interest rates and taxes will crowd out private investment and discourage risk taking on new products — the mother’s milk of productivity growth, higher living standards and international competitiveness.”

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Fed Drains $485 Billion in Liquidity from Market via Reverse Repos, Undoing 4 Months of QE, Even as QE Continues, Total Assets Near $8 Trillion

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The great merit of gold is precisely that it is scarce; that its quantity is limited by nature; that it is costly to discover, to mine, and to process; and that it cannot be created by political fiat or caprice.” – Henry Hazlitt

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 30, 2021

By proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, the first major Memorial Day observance was held on May 30th, 1868 to honor those who died “in defense of their country.” Known to some as “Decoration Day,” mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.

The 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances that had taken place in various locations in the three years since the end of the Civil War. In fact, several cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Mississippi; Macon, Georgia; Richmond, Virginia; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; and Carbondale, Illinois. In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon B. Johnson, declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo–which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866–because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

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Today we present a book review that is not part of the judging for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Round 95 of the contest begins on June 1st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. We are currently short of articles in the queue, so this will increases your chances of winning a prize in Round 95. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Survival Retreats & Relocation: A Book Review by John Brew

My #1 Son recived permission to republish the following review of a book that we co-authored: Survival Retreats & Relocation.
John Brew (brewbooks) is a SurvivalBlog reader, and left this review on Amazon:

“Survival Retreats & Relocation” [by Jonathan E. Rawles and James Wesley, Rawles] uses a systems engineering approach to provide the reader a process and framework for acquiring and thriving a survival retreat. Let me start this review by stating the authors view survival through a politically and religiously conservative American lens. If that causes you offense, no need to read further, this book isn’t for you. That said, there’s a wealth of material in this book that anyone, anywhere can learn from.

In Part 1, the authors start by defining the principles of survival, which are expanded in a detailed Appendix. Next, comes a well-reasoned set of issues for the reader to consider such as: liberty, security, food, water, community. Each issue is supported with facts and sources that let the reader dig deeper. The reader is provided a sample set of criteria to use as a baseline to develop their own location criteria. This set of criteria is going to vary for each reader; each person is going to make their own trades based on the starting points desired by the authors. The final section of Part 1 asks the reader to consider how self-sufficient and how isolated they want their retreat to be.

Next, provide their assessment of possible relocation areas within the USA. They start with a chapter on regions, then a chapter with a state-by-state analysis. Finally, they provide a chapter with detailed analysis of retreat locales based on their expert assessment. The maps alone are worth the cost of the book in my opinion. It was interesting to see that some of my favorite places to explore in the Western US are charted on these maps along with some new places to explore.

Part 3 is a guide to the logistics of relocation. There’s a lot of nitty-gritty detail. The initial chapter explains how to search for a retreat Next, their are two well-researched chapters on developing initial criteria for acquiring their land and home. To be truly useful, each reader needs to develop and rank their own set of criteria. In doing so, the reader needs to consider the maxim: “Perfect is the enemy of good enough.” There are always going to be tradeoffs.

The last part of the book has two chapters that provides food for thought on setting up and then stocking a retreat location. The last chapter is a single page checklist which is an overall framework of the relocation process; from making the decision to relocate to moving in. There are also six appendices. Two that I found useful to me were “Precepts of Survival” and “Retreat Owner Profiles”. Finally, there is a useful bibliography.

I found this book to be very useful to me. It is the best book I have read on this topic and has made me reevaluate where I want to live in the future. I know I will spend more time with this book and have started my own location criteria. For me, this is not a quick, light reading book. Instead, it’s much more like a textbook with homework problems for the student. I would highly recommend this book for anyone considering moving to a more secure, self-sufficient location.

One caveat, this review is of the Kindle edition. I found it much easier to read the full-page book on the high resolution screen of my iPad. I was able to read on my Fire HD8 color but it was more challenging, especially viewing the maps. I also ordered a couple of print copies to give to friends that will benefit from this book.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.” – 2 Corinthians 8: 7-22 (KJV)

 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 29, 2021

On this day in 1780, the treatment of Patriot prisoners by British Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his Loyalist troops led to the coining of a phrase that defined British brutality for the rest of the War for Independence: “Tarleton’s Quarter.”

Tarleton and his Torries proceeded to shoot any and all Patriots that had surrendered after the fall of Charleston. The Patriots lost 113 men. The slaughter of the surrendered troops became a propaganda victory for the Continentals and Carolina civilians who had been terrified of Tarleton and their loyalist neighbors now rallied to the Patriot cause.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 94 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Equipping Your Vehicle For Emergencies, by C.J.

A recent mechanical problem had me stranded beside the road for several hours and made me think about possible bad scenarios and what I would want to have in my car in order to survive these situations. My vehicle was stranded on the off-ramp of a major interstate, but the remoteness became apparent when I realized I only saw four cars get on or off this exit in three hours. One of those cars was a sheriff and he didn’t stop to see if I needed help. I was able to use my cell phone, but in many places, especially in the western US, cell phone coverage is spotty or non-existent. The world that we live in has created in us the mindset that everything we want is always available on demand. As we have seen during the recent pandemic, that is not always true. During my vehicle breakdown, I was only 20 miles from a medium-sized town with decent services, but at 7 p.m. on a weeknight, I was not able to get a tow truck to tow me the 80 miles to my house. We must be prepared for all of these scenarios. In this case, I needed to be prepared to spend the night in your vehicle. Could you safely do that?

I hope this article will help you think through what you want to keep in your vehicle for emergency situations. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone has different situations and what works for one will not necessarily work for others.

Basic tips:

Keep track of landmarks – Exits, towns, mile markers, etc. This information is required to get help in a timely manner. We should always be practice keeping aware of our surroundings.

Keep an eye on your gas gauge – It can be hours between gas stations in some regions of the country. Recent gas shortages also show us it is possible for the gas stations to be shut down for days at a time. Don’t let your tank get below half-full.Continue reading“Equipping Your Vehicle For Emergencies, by C.J.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

This past week I was very busy with fence building. I still have an additional 300-foot long cross fence to complete. But that will have to wait until the river level drops, and that pasture dries out. (It floods seasonally.) I also added a hot wire to the top of another 3,500 feet of fencing. That now makes our perimeter fully electrified. Hopefully, that will dissuade our Bovine Delinquents from any more fence-hopping.

While in the midst of the electrification project, I discovered that one of our corner posts had rotted out. This surprised me, because it was 14-inch diameter cedar log. It had been emplaced by the previous owner of the ranch.  (Hence, sometime before 2006.)  Because of some complicating factors, replacing that turned into a six-hour project. It just goes to show that nothing lasts forever — not even a big cedar fence post.

I also burned two slash piles this past week. The rest of the piles–with boughs that are more green–will be burned this coming fall.

I’ve put Elk Creek Company on hiatus while I travel during the month of June. Part of that trip will be dedicated to searching for more inventory. I should mention that it is becoming very difficult to find any affordable pre-1899 cartridge guns. They are “getting bid up to the sky.” My plan is to re-open on July 1st, with pricing denominated in pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage, with a multiplier for payments in Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) — by check or postal money orders.  Thanks for your patience.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.” – 1 Kings 2:1-12 (KJV)