Ninety years ago, the renowned biblical archaeologist Nelson Gleuck surveyed the copper mines in the southern Arabah region of the Negev. He considered them to be from the period of King Solomon, based upon the Bible’s description of Solomon’s expansive ship building and his economic empire. Some years later, archaeologists debunked Glueck’s ideas, arguing that there was no material evidence that the mines were used during the period of Israel’s United Monarchy (c. 1020-920 B.C.). New evidence, however, has forced scholars to reevaluate this evidence. This leads me to consider evidence for the reigns of David and Solomon, as scholars in the last few years have uncovered architectural and inscriptional evidence for their reigns.
Mark Chavalas is Emeritus Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he taught for thirty-five years. He is the author or editor of a number of works on Mesopotamia and Israel, including Mesopotamia and the Bible, and the IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. He and his wife Kimberlee live in La Crosse, WI and have six adult children and three grandchildren.