"... By the turn of the Common Era, David had come to be associated with exorcism, as did, more notoriously, his son Solomon. Indeed, the reputation of Solomon as an exorcist appears to have been particularly well established. The incipit to the Testament of Solomon reads: “Testament of Solomon, Son of David, who reigned in Jerusalem, and subdued all the spirits of the air, of the earth, and under the earth.” The work goes on to provide a number of colourful accounts of Solomon subduing demons, constraining them, among other things, to work on the construction of the temple. Josephus also elaborates on Solomon’s exorcistic ability as well as its therapeutic consequences Given such a pronounced correlation between exorcism and Solomon, the Son of David, it is natural to suppose that this tradition underlies Matthew’s identification of Jesus as the Son of David. Twelftree, for instance, drawing on the evidence of the Testament of Solomon, claims that Matthew’s innovative use of the title came about because it was “the one available messianic title that had strong healing connotations.” Others have argued along similar lines. ..."