<HTML>I really wish these guys would stop being so wreckless with their statements, they are going to end up with egg on their faces again like the last generation of archaeologists did with sennacharib!!!
As to the evidence FOR the existence of solomon:
1) A VERY strong Jewish tradition (no smoke without fire principle).
2) The temple remains of old Jerusalem match exactly what the scriptural account described (dimensions, materials etc), if the building is exact, then it stands to reason that there must be truth in the account somewhere along the line.
3) Traditions from other nations which include solomon in the legends, most notably the falasha's of ethiopia, who have been accepted as Jewish descendants and have tools of sacrafice which date back to the ancient times.
4) Whether our personal opinions on the Bible are positive or not, it has to be accepted that its historical record is extremely good and containes few errors (some events are still debated, but in general it is one of the most reliable texts we have for a reference point).
The basic situation is, there is evidence FOR Solomon, and none against him, why these people waste their time with trying to disprove his existence is beyond me, as has been said before...absence of evidence, isnt evidence of absence, there is a strong tradition and reference for his existence. I can see these guys suffering the Sennacharib syndrome all over again.</HTML>
