King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem and was known throughout the land for his wisdom.

David Lee Roth fronted the rock band Van Halen and was known throughout the land for his prima-donna excess.

What could these two men possibly have had in common? Well, both were Jewish; both got a lot of girls; and both wrote the lyrics to a No. 1 pop song ("Jump" in Mr. Roth's case and, in Solomon's, several verses from Ecclesiastes that appeared in the Byrds' 1965 hit "Turn! Turn! Turn"). But most improbably, they both dabbled in game theory, as seen in classic stories about their clever strategic thinking.

Early in Solomon's reign, two women came to him with a dilemma. They lived together—they were prostitutes by trade—and within the space of a few days had each given birth to a baby boy. One child had died, and now both women claimed the surviving baby as her own.

"Fetch me a sword," Solomon said. "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other."