Archaeologists recently reported in National Geographic on excavations in the Negev desert which supports the biblical picture of Solomon as a powerful and wealthy king of Israel.  They appear to have discovered some of “King Solomon’s mines.”  Evidence from 3000 year old dung supports the belief that Solomon’s kingdom stretched from the Mediterranean to the Negev.     http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/king-solomon-mines-bible-timna-dung/       University of Tel Aviv archaeologist Erez Ben-Yosef began excavating the site in 2013

Scholars have persistently attacked the reliability of the Old Testament, showing clear bias.  For example, they have claimed, despite biblical claims to the contrary, that Israel under David and Solomon was a minor principality. University of Tel Aviv archaeologist Erez Ben-Yosef has been excavating at a location known as Slave’s Hill since 2013.  He found evidence of extensive mining on an industrial scale in the tenth century BC, consistent with the biblical picture of Israel  at that time.  We, of course, are not surprised a to see another example of the  repeated pattern that biblical skeptics are proved wrong when they question the reliability of the Bible.

John Oakes