Cultural Anthropology

Solomon's Wisdom and Riches — Fact or Fiction?

Evidence is mounting that King Solomon's fame and trading network reached far beyond Israel — with independent traditions from India, Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil and Peru all preserving memories of a great king named Solomon (or "Samon") and his legendary temple.

In the Amazon, the Ugha Mongulala tribe — with no knowledge of the Bible — preserve written records of ships from "Samon's empire" trading gold at a city called Ofir. A matching "Ophir" glyph was independently found by explorer Gene Savoy in Peru, and on an ancient potsherd unearthed in Israel referencing "Gold of Ophir."

Together, these widely scattered, independently-preserved traditions form a remarkable body of cultural and archaeological evidence supporting the biblical account of Solomon's far-reaching wealth and influence.