While working on the temple, Ephippas is asked by Solomon by what angel he is thwarted. The most explicit and notable Christian theme found in the text was during King Solomon's encounter with the demon Ephippas. Solomon concludes his text with a warning to the readers he tells them to not abandon their beliefs for sex like he did. Immediately, the spirit of God departs from him, and he is made foolish and his name becomes a joke to both humans and demons. Solomon agrees to sacrifice to them, but at first only sacrifices five locusts by simply crushing them in his hand. There follows a short conclusion in which Solomon describes how he fell in love with a Shunammite woman, and agreed to worship Remphan and Moloch in exchange for sex. This Red Sea demon reveals himself as Abizithibod, and claims to be the demon who supported the Egyptian magicians against Moses, and who hardened the pharaoh's heart, but had been caught with the Egyptian host when the sea returned and held down by this pillar until Ephippas came and together they could lift it. Then Ephippas and another demon from the Red Sea bring a miraculous column made of something purple (translation obscure) from out of the Red Sea. The imprisoned demon calls himself Ephippas, and it is by his power that a cornerstone, thought to be too large to lift, is raised into the entrance of the temple. The boy succeeds in his task and returns with the wineskin. The boy is to hold a wineskin against the wind with the ring in front of it, and then tie up the bag when it is full. Solomon's final demon encounter involves sending a servant boy with his ring to take captive a wind demon who is harassing the land of Arabia. For example, the thirty-third demon is Rhyx Achoneoth who causes sore throat and tonsilitis and can be driven off by writing the word Leikourgos on ivy leaves and heaping them into a pile. The decan demons claim responsibility mostly for various ailments and pains, and they provide the magical formulae by which they may be banished. In chapter 18, the demons of the 36 decans appear, with names that sometimes seem to be conscious distortions of the traditional names for the decans. Beelzebul reveals that he was formerly the highest ranking angel in Heaven. With Beelzebul under his command, Solomon now has all of the demons at his bidding to build the temple. Then Solomon orders the demon Ornias to take the ring and similarly imprint the prince of demons, Beelzebul. Solomon lends the ring to the lad who, by throwing the ring at the demon Ornias, stamps him with the seal and brings him under control.
When a demon named Ornias harasses a young man (who is favored by Solomon) by stealing half of his pay and sucking out his vitality through the thumb on his right hand, Solomon prays in the temple and receives from the archangel Michael a ring with the seal of God (in the shape of a Pentagram) on it which will enable him to command the demons. The text was originally written in Greek and contains numerous theological and magical themes ranging from Christianity and Judaism to Greek mythology and astrology that possibly hint at a Christian writer with a Greek background. Because of the text's various forms, produced over centuries by distinct scribes, the author or authors of the text remain unknown. However, scholars both before (e.g., Istrin) and after (e.g., Schwarz) proposed other solutions based upon the varied manuscript evidence. Mid-twentieth century scholarship tended to agree that much of its content "reflects the first-century Judaism in Israel" and includes material much earlier than its composition.
Also disputed is whether it had a Christian or Jewish origin. Despite the text's claim to have been a first-hand account of King Solomon's construction of the Temple of Jerusalem, suggested dates for its composition range between the end of the 1st century CE and the high medieval period. Scholarly opinion on when the Testament of Solomon was written varies widely.