Solomon's Mines

The map above shows the location of Khirbat en-Nahas in southern Jordan where copper production took place in Edom at King Solomon's time under his rule. Thomas Levy of the Univ. of Calif. San Diego announced last week that carbon dating put copper production at the mine in the 10th century, in line with the time of Solomon's rule.



The photo above shows the excavation of the mine area, where the first main phase of activity began just after 950 BCE, and where after 40 to 50 years a large building was constructed and copper production continued until around 840 BCE. An Egyptian scarab and amulet found in the large building may constitute evidence of the intervention of pharaoh Sheshonq I at the mine.