“... 1 Kgs 5 and 9 describe Solomon’s dealings with Hiram king of Tyre. Solomon, like the Egyptian Wenamun, was in search of Phoenician timber for religious projects back home. As in the Tale of Wenamun, despite a relationship which extended back generations, timber was only available for a price, in Solomon’s case a substantial amount of wheat and virgin olive oil ( šemen kātît), two of the standard products of the highlands. While 1 Kgs 5 seems to follow relatively standard ancient Near Eastern protocol for establishing a trading relationship between two kings, the details of this relationship between Hiram and Solomon are less clear in 1 Kgs 9. ...”

“... The governor admits that his ancestors have indeed provided wood to Egypt, but he adds that a fair price has always been paid, and even sets before Wenamun his account books. In other words, he agrees in principle to provide wood to Wenamun, but only for a price, and a high one at that. [...] Wenamun wishes his wood for nothing, while Zakar-Baal demands its full price, just as Solomon wanted cedars gratis and offered to pay only the wages of Hiram's workers. [...] It may be that all three stories refer to payments being made in stages. The Wenamun story specifies seven beams sent in advance of full payment, while in the Enmerkar tale, the king of Uruk sent his rival bags of grain, an unusual scepter and undyed cloth. According to the Bible, Solomon paid Hiram year after year for the wood (1 Kgs 5.25). ...”