Chapter 1: Evidence Ophir Existed

In 1946, archaeologists representing the Israel Exploration Society and the municipality of Tel-Aviv in Tell Qasile (modern Tel-Aviv, Israel) excavated two Hebrew ostraca – an inscribed pottery shard. [1] [2] Tell Qasile is positioned on the northern bank of the Yarqon River likely where Hiram, King of Tyre once conveyed timber down from Lebanon (ancient Tyre/Phoenicia). This fragment, dated around the eighth century B.C., transcribes as:

“Gold of Ophir to(for) Beth Horon 30 Shekels…” – Kitchen[3][4]

This attested fragment confirms the existence of the land of gold from which King Solomon’s navy imported resources. [4] It also demonstrates Ophir is a legitimate, physical land of Gold and no Tell Qasile pottery shard. [3][4] legend. This is in no way similar to the South American legend of El Dorado which if one researched, initiated with a “Golden Man” who dives into gold dust coating himself not a city nor an empire which it later morphed into and no trace has ever been found. That’s a fairy tale. Ophir is not as it has now been found and the resources are still there but no golden man, golden temples nor great architecture are ever recorded in any narrative of Ophir. Finally, this ostraca substantiates King Solomon existed as he sent a navy to Ophir and that gold ends up in Israel as an offering and not just to any project but a city which King Solomon built – Beth Horon.

Any scholar claiming there is no proof of King Solomon’s existence is ignoring this very obvious find which confirms his presence at least three ways. It was King Solomon who erected not only the Temple of Yahuah God but one of the cities he is recorded to have constructed in 2 Chronicles 8:5 is Beth-Horon. Here, we have a settled reference that truly cannot be discredited. Ophir was an authentic seat of gold and resources. We recognize they returned with that gold because there is an archaeological record which is well-established by history demonstrating that specific gold migrating into ancient Israel in Solomon’s era in circulation even in Solomon’s construction project and labeled so. Based on this alone, historians should adjust their mapping of the ancient Phoenician shipping routes to include not only the Mediterranean Sea but the Red Sea port King Solomon built in Eziongeber which most ignore even after evidence was unearthed. Additionally, a shekel on average weighed about 10 grams or 0.4 ounces. Thus, this inscribed 30 shekels is about 12 ounces in weight. As of the writing of this book, gold is valued at approximately $1,334.79 per ounce. Therefore, this is about a $16,000 likely personal contribution which is very significant for an individual donation to an extraneous development venture when the Temple was already functioning. Solomon’s existence is also further supported in archaeology yet there are those who continue to this day to claim none has ever been produced to determine the Biblical King Solomon nor King David existed. We already showed you evidence in archaeology but they neglect it because it does not reinforce their world-view fundamentally. It’s time we shatter such dubious archetypes or we will never get to the truth. King Solomon and King David’s existence as well as a kingdom of Israel are supplementally affirmed in excavations in Jerusalem by Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar and reputed in international news especially in a report from National Geographic.

“A 3,000-year-old defensive wall possibly built by King Solomon has been unearthed in Jerusalem, according to the Israeli archaeologist [Eilat Mazar] who led the excavation. The discovery appears to validate a Bible passage, she says. Ancient artifacts found in and around the complex pointed Mazar to the tenth-century B.C. date. Ceramics found near the

wall helped narrow the date down, being of a level of sophistication common to the second half of the tenth century B.C.— King Solomon’s time, according to Mazar.” “We don’t have many kings during the tenth century that could have built such a structure, basically just David and Solomon,” she said.” –National Geographic [5]

Not only does this serve as evidence that King Solomon and King David’s kingdom existed, it emerges more deeply entrenched in light of the ostraca identifying King Solomon’s land of Ophir, King Solomon’s city of Beth-Horon and King Solomon’s literal gold of Ophir in actual use in significance. We can accentuate this with the writings which record the history of David and Solomon. David is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible by name in the Books of Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, and Zechariah in the Old Testament and then, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 2 Timothy, Hebrews and Revelation in the New Testament even by Messiah who sprang from David’s lineage. In fact, apply the dates of these accounts and you will find King David is recorded from childhood to death to the time of the writing of Revelation in the First Century A.D. as he was real. No one can honestly ignore all this historical evidence and call that position scholarly. Is it not uniquely ignorant to include a pagan writing of a king declaring victory as archaeology while discounting one of the very oldest, best documented books in all of history? King Solomon is recorded in 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Psalm, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes and Jeremiah in the Old Testament and in Matthew, Luke and Acts in the New Testament even by Messiah Himself. We, then, have their writings in concurrent employment attributed to King David as the Book of Psalm and multiple writings of King Solomon in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs without mentioning other extra-biblical writings. Also, sources from Israel’s enemies such as the Mesha Stele in the Louvre Museum dated 840 B.C. and the Tell Dan Stele from the 9th century B.C. housed in The Israel Museum mention David and his lineage contemporaneously. As foes, there is no purpose in their recording King David other than as fact.

Additionally, debated finds include “Solomonic Gates” found dating to the 10th century B.C. in Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer just as scripture defines. It is the dating that is debated based largely on the mixture used. However, could not Solomon have been the origin of such technique? Of course he could and he is recorded as building all three of those cities in 1 Kings 9:15. Even pottery affirms this dating but why not ignore that and contest it? Only willing ignorance would cause one to dismiss the obvious. However, even without that, David and Solomon were real. In the same vein, there are those who will examine this staggering abundance of documentation we are about to delineate and attempt to dismiss it for a number of reasons perhaps. This is why we demand they prosecute the sweeping conclusions not just one tertiary side note as that will not unravel this multifaceted and comprehensive position. We are haggard of this generation who does not prove anything anymore but wishes to grab a sound-bite as if that is a remote representation of grounds of affidavit. Most, today, do not believe in anything because few are verifying anymore and that is a sad state leaving us vulnerable to propaganda. Selah.

Tell Dan Stele. [388]

“Solomonic Gate” in Megiddo. [415] 3000-year-old defense wall found in the City of David. [5]

Mesha Stele. [33]