International Trade: A Source of Solomon's Wealth
Solomon built many merchant ships manned by both Israelite and Phoenician
sailors. The wealth accumulated by this maritime traffic is astounding,
even by modern standards.
How far did those fleets travel to amass such wealth? We don't know, but
the Scriptures tell us the sailors sometimes required three years to make
a round-trip voyage because the distance was so great. They brought back
valuable commodities such as gold, silver and ivory along with exotic curiosities
such as apes and monkeys (1 Kings 10:22).
More than two millennia later Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the world
on a voyage that also took three years. The fleets of Solomon and the Phoenicians
could sail far and wide over the oceans. The Scriptures note that King
Hiram's mariners "knew the sea" (1 Kings 9:27).
Having an international fleet of ships, an alliance with the Phoenicians
and control of the major Middle Eastern inland trade routes, Solomon engaged
in his own import and export ventures. For example, "Solomon's import of
horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from
Kue at a price. A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred
shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; so through the king's
traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and
the kings of Aram" (1 Kings 10:28-29, NRSV).
The Bible notes that Solomon's yearly base revenues amounted to 50,000
pounds of gold, not counting the gold he received from gifts and tribute
(2 Chronicles 9:13-14). Having access to this vast wealth, Solomon built
a magnificent temple for God and a palace complex for himself in Jerusalem.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
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