Mediterranean Connectivity ca. 950-900 bce and Israelite-Tyrian Maritime Entrepreneurship

In this paper I look at Solomon and Hiram's joint maritime ventures as narrated in the Bible from a long-term archaeological perspective. I show that the second half of the tenth century bce indeed constitutes a watershed in the recovery of Levantine sea-borne trade after the late Bronze Age collapse, which may be understood as providing support for the Biblical texts. I argue, however, that there is no compelling reason to attribute this phenomenon to royal initiative.