King Solomon, the Bibleâs wisest king, possessed extraordinary wealth. The grand temple he built in Jerusalem was covered in gold from the porch to the inner sanctum, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. Long before H. Rider Haggardâs classic adventure novel King Solomonâs Mines unleashed gold fever more than a century ago, many had sought to find the source of the great kingâs wealth. In this new adventureââa hybrid of Indiana Jones and Herodotusâ (Sunday Times, London)âTahir Shah tries his hand at the quest.
Intrigued by a map he finds in a shop not far from the site of the temple, Shah assembles a multitude of clues to the location of Solomonâs mines. Some come from ancient texts, including the Septuagint, the earliest form of the Bible, and some from geological, geographical, and folkloric sources. All point across the Red Sea to Ethiopia, the land of the Queen of Sheba, Solomonâs lover, who bore Solomonâs son Menelik and founded Ethiopiaâs imperial line. Shahâs trail takes him on a wild rideâby taxi, bus, camel, donkey, and Jeepâthat is sure to delight all travelers.