1 Kings 9:26
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom. And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
King Solomon constructed a navy of ships at Ezion-geber. That port stood beside Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. In developing the harbor there Israel gained a commercial outlet to distant lands. The vessels were manned by trained sailors from Tyre working together with Solomon's own servants. From that base the ships sailed to Ophir to bring back gold and other rich and valuable goods.
The cargo from Ophir also included almug trees and precious stones. The ships sailing from these ports brought rich goods from the East as well, and those imports helped pay for Solomon's lavish court. The maritime trade enabled by the navy also brought silver from Tarshish along with gold from Ophir. This harbor contact with other nations could have been used to reveal the true God, but the commercial enterprise was turned to personal gain and travelers passing through remained ignorant of God. Solomon's pursuit of political power and self-aggrandizement through such alliances and trade came at the cost of integrity and his sacred trust.