Timna Valley

The Timna Valley is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arabah, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the town of Eilat. The area is rich in copper ore and has been mined since the 5th millennium BCE. There is controversy whether the mines were active during the Kingdom of Israel and the biblical King Solomon.

A large section of the valley, containing ancient remnants of copper mining and ancient worship, is encompassed in a recreation park.

In July 2011, the Israeli government approved the construction of an international airport, the Timna Airport, in the Timna valley.

History

Copper mining

Copper has been mined in the area since the 5th or 6th millennium BCE. Archaeological excavation indicates that the copper mines in Timna Valley were probably part of the Kingdom of Edom and worked by the Edomites, described as biblical foes of the Israelites, during the 10th century BCE, the period of the legendary King Solomon. Mining continued by the Israelites and Nabateans through to the Roman period and the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, and then by the Ummayads from the Arabian Peninsula after the Arab conquest (in the 7th century CE) until the copper ore became scarce.

Timna

Timna (Arabic,تمنة) is an ancient city in Yemen, the capital of the Qataban kingdom; it is distinct from a city in Southern Israel that shares the same name.

During ancient times, Timna was an important hub in the famous Incense Route, which supplied Arabian and Indian incense via camel caravan to ports on the Mediterranean Sea, most notably Gaza, and Petra.

An American excavation of Timna took place in the 1950s chronicled in the book "Qataban and Sheba" by the American archaeologist Wendell Phillips.

For a modern treatment of the city, see: Beihan

References

Coordinates: 15°00′06″N 45°48′57″E / 15.00167°N 45.81583°E / 15.00167; 45.81583