Dig May Confirm Solomon's Mines

Science and the Bible have a rare moment of “confluence,” says an archaeologist who helped unearth possible proof of King Solomon's reign, Newsweek reports. In present-day Jordan, scientists have found a 10th-century BC copper production center that coincides with the rule of the Biblical king of Israel. A spike in metallurgic activity also coincides with a rise in influence of a rival tribe.

Diggers also found ancient Egyptian artifacts in a layer that showed disruption in copper production at the end of that century, when the Bible says a pharaoh mounted an assault on the area following Solomon's death. Scientists hope further digging will unearth clues as to whether Solomon, his father David, or the rival Edomites controlled the copper industry. (More King Solomon stories.)