For centuries, scholars, adventurers, saints and thieves have searched for the wealthiest treasure mentioned in the Bible: King Solomon's mines. Though scripture calls Solomon "richer than any other king," ancient Israel seems to have no silver or gold mines that could explain the gold-covered Temple and palaces of Jerusalem. But startling new discoveries in the remote Israeli desert finally reveal the truth behind the legend: a long forgotten mine, an ancient metal-working encampment, and traces of a metal far more precious than gold.