Kin? S?l?m?n’s ???l?? min?s which h?l??? th? ?i?lic?l ??l?? ?cc?m?l?t? ? ??l? st?sh w??th m??? th?n £2.3 t?illi?n ($3 t?illi?n) ??? ? ‘c?m?l?t? m?th’, ?n? hist??i?n cl?ims.
Th? Ol? T?st?m?nt Kin? is s?i? t? h?v? ??th???? 500 t?nn?s ?? ???? ??l? ???m min?s which s?m? h?????ls ??li?v? still ?xist – ?n? ??m?in st????? with ???ci??s m?t?ls.
B?t n?w ? B?itish ?x???t cl?ims th? l???n???? s???c? ?? S?l?m?n’s inc???i?l? w??lth n?v?? ?xist??.
An? h? ?ls? s????sts S?l?m?n w?s n?t ?v?n kin? ?? Is???l, ??t in ??ct ?n E???ti?n ?h????h wh?s? st??? h?s ???n ‘misint?????t??’.
Is this th? ??c? ?? Kin? S?l?m?n? M? Ellis s????sts kin?s S?l?m?n w?s Sh?sh?n? I, wh? ??l?? ?n ?x??n?in? ?m?i?? th?t E???t ?n? Is???l ?t th? ?n? ?? th? 10th C?nt??? BCE
B?itish hist??i?n ?n? ??th?? R?l?h Ellis ??li?v?s Kin? S?l?m?n w?s in ??ct ? ?h????h c?ll?? Sh?sh?n? I wh? ??l?? E???t ?n? Is???l ?t th? ?n? ?? th? 10th C?nt??? BCE.
M? Ellis s?i? ?in?in? S?l?m?n’s l?st min?s is ‘????t ?s lik?l? ?s t?kin? ? ?i? in th? F??nt?in ?? Y??th’ – th? m?thic?l s??in? th?t s????s??l? ??st???s th? ???th ?? ?n??n? wh? ??inks ???m its w?t??s.
H? l?? 20 ????s ?? ??s???ch int? th? st??? ?? S?l?m?n, which is t?l? in th? Ol? T?st?m?nt ???ks ?? Kin?s ?n? Ch??nicl?s, in ? ?i? t? t??c? th? ???l?? min?s.
B?t M? Ellis s?i? th? t?l?s ?? st?????in? ?ich?s ???i?? ??n??th th? ????n? ??? lik?l? ? ‘???ss misint?????t?ti?n’ ?? hist??ic?l t?xts.
H? s?i? th??? is still ? ‘???in ?? hist??ic?l t??th’ t? th? st??? ?? S?l?m?n’s s??ct?c?l?? w??lth, ??t in ? ??? l?ss l???n???? c???cit?.
His st???, which ????n in 1997, ‘st??n?l? in?ic?t?s’ S?l?m?n w?s n?t ? ?ich kin? ?? Is???l ?t ?ll, ??t ??th?? ? ?????? ?n? ??w????l E???ti?n Ph????h.
M? Ellis ??li?v?s n?i?h????in? ??l??s ?l?n????? ????l t?m?s l?c?t?? in E???t’s V?ll?? ?? th? Kin?s ?n? ???s?nt?? th? ?ich?s t? S?l?m?n ?s ‘t?i??t?’ t? ???v?nt inv?si?n.
S???kin? ????t his ???k, ‘S?l?m?n, Ph????h ?? E???t’, th? 54-????-?l? hist??i?n s?i?: ‘Acc???in? t? th? Bi?l?, Kin? S?l?m?n w?s st?????in?l? w??lth?.
F??nch ??ch???l??ist Pi???? M?nt?t ?isc?v???? ? t???s??? t??v? ?? ?l?n????? ???v? ????s in th? t?m?s ?? T?nis (?ict????), which ?i?lic?l hist??i?n R?l?h Ellis ??li?v?s w??? th? hist??ic?l ??sis ??? th? ???l?? Kin? S?l?m?n’s Min?s
Th? ??ins ?? T?nis, th? c??it?l cit? ?? E???ti?n ?h????h Sh?sh?n? I. M? Ellis ??li?v?s th??? ??? c?m??llin? ????ll?ls ??tw??n D?vi? ?n? S?l?m?n, ?n? Ps?s?nn?s ?n? Sh?sh?n?
‘Y?t s?cc?ssiv? ??n???ti?ns ?? th??l??i?ns ?n? ??ch???l??ists h?v? sc????? th? H?l? L?n? l??kin? ??? his c??it?l cit?, ??l?c?, t?m?l? ?n? w??lth with??t ?n? s?cc?ss.
‘Th??? c?m?s ? ??int wh?n w? ?ith?? h?v? t? ?cc??t th?t th? ?i?lic?l ?cc??nt is ?nti??l? ?icti?n?l, ?? th?t w? m?? ?? l??kin? in th? w??n? l?c?ti?n ?n? ??? th? w??n? thin?s.
‘M? ??s???ch s????sts th?t th??? is ? ??ct??l ??sis ??? th? st??? ?? S?l?m?n ?n? his ?ich?s, ??t th?t it w?s h??vil? ?m?n??? ?n? ??sc???? ?? ?i?lic?l sc?i??s.
A s?li? silv?? s??c??h???s, which is ???t ?? th? t???s??? t??v? ???n? ?t T?nis ?n? n?w ?n ?is?l?? ?t th? C?i?? M?s??m
M? Ellis ??li?v?s n?i?h????in? ??l??s ?l?n????? ????l t?m?s l?c?t?? in E???t’s V?ll?? ?? th? Kin?s (?ict????) ?n? ???s?nt?? th? ?ich?s t? S?l?m?n ?s ‘t?i??t?’ t? ???v?nt inv?si?n
‘A w??lth? ?n? ??w????l Is???lit? ??n?st? ?i? ?xist, j?st ?s th? Bi?l? cl?ims, ??t th?? w??? n?t sim?l? Is???lit? kin?s ?n? th?i? c??it?l cit? w?s n?t ?t J???s?l?m.’
Ellis ?????: ‘This is n?t th? kin? ?? ??v?l?ti?n which m?n? Is???li ??ch???l??ists will w?nt t? h???, ??? ??litic?l ?n? c?lt???l ???s?ns, ??t ?nlik? cl?ssic?l int?????t?ti?ns ?? th? ?i?lic?l st??? it ???s m?k? s?ns? ?? th? c?n??sin? ?i?lic?l ?cc??nts.’
H? ??li?v?s t?l?s ?? ?h????hs w??? c?nsi????? ‘?n??l?t??l? ?n? ?n?cc??t??l?’ ?? l?t?? ?i?lic?l ??th??s, wh? ?lt???? th?i? hist??? t? c???t? ? ‘????l? Is???lit?’ h???.
H? s????sts i? his th???? is t???, th?n S?l?m?n’s t???s???s c?n ?? ??sil? ???n? ?t th? E???ti?n M?s??m in C?i??, wh??? sc???s ?? ??t???cts ???m th? ??? c?n ?? s??n.
Pict???? is ? ??ic?l?ss ??l??n m?sk ?isc?v???? ?t T?nis. M? Ellis s?i? th??? is still ? ‘???in ?? hist??ic?l t??th’ t? th? st??? ?? S?l?m?n’s s??ct?c?l?? w??lth, ??t in ? ??? l?ss l???n???? c???cit?
G?l??n t??l?w??? (?ict????) w?s ?m?n? th? m?n? t???s???s l??t?? ???m th? V?ll?? ?? th? Kin?s t? ??? t?i??t? t? Sh?sh?n? I
Acc???in? t? th? Ol? T?st?m?nt S?l?m?n ??l?? th? Unit?? M?n??ch? ?? Is???l ?n? J???? ??tw??n 970 ?n? 931BC ?n? ?cc?m?l?t?? 500 t?nn?s ?? ???? ??l?.
M?ch ?? it w?s s?i? t? h?v? c?m? ???m ? ???i?n c?ll?? ‘O?hi?’, ??t th? Bi?l? ??ils t? ?iv? ???th?? ??t?ils ?n? its ?x?ct l?c?ti?n ??m?ins ? m?st???.
Th? 1885 n?v?l ?? Ri??? H??????, ‘Kin? S?l?m?n’s Min?s’, ins?i??? c??ntl?ss ?x???iti?ns int? A??ic?, A???i? ?n? Asi? ??t n? ?niv??s?ll? ?cc??t?? ?vi??nc? ?? O?hi? h?s ?v?? ???n ?isc?v????.
A?th?? R?l?h Ellis is ?ict???? ?? th? E??h??t?s ?iv??. H? s????sts i? his th???? is t???, th?n S?l?m?n’s t???s???s c?n ?? ??sil? ???n? ?t th? E???ti?n M?s??m in C?i??, wh??? sc???s ?? ??t???cts ???m th? ??? c?n ?? s??n
M? Ellis s????sts kin?s S?l?m?n ?n? his ??th?? D?vi? w??? in ??ct ?h????hs Ps?s?nn?s II ?n? his s?cc?ss??, Sh?sh?n? I.
H? s?i?: ‘Th??? ??? c?m??llin? ????ll?ls ??tw??n D?vi? ?n? S?l?m?n, ?n? Ps?s?nn?s ?n? Sh?sh?n?.
‘Ev?n th? ?nc?st??s ?n? ??mil? m?m???s ?? th?s? ‘tw?’ ????l ??n?sti?s ?????? t? ?? ?x?ctl? th? s?m?.
‘Onc? w? ?cc??t th?t th?s? ‘Is???lit?’ kin?s w??? ?ct??ll? ?h????hs ?? L?w?? E???t, th?n ?ll th? inc?nsist?nci?s in th? ?i?lic?l ?cc??nts ??? ??sil? ?x?l?in??l?.’