King Solomon's legendary wealth required massive, continuous sources of income to sustain his extensive royal expenses without draining the treasury. To achieve this, Solomon initiated a global maritime trade partnership with Hiram, the king of Tyre, guaranteeing a steady influx of capital and rare luxury goods [אברבנאל].
The alliance was based on a strategic division of trade routes. While Solomon controlled the southern route from the Red Sea to Ophir, which primarily yielded gold, Hiram managed the western route across the Mediterranean Sea toward Tarshish [אברבנאל]. The vessels used for these western expeditions are understood in two primary ways. The first approach suggests they were a fleet sailing directly to a geographical region named Tarshish. Some identify this location as an area in Africa [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל], while others believe it refers to Spain, a region famous in the ancient world for its massive silver mines [מלבי״ם]. Conversely, other scholars propose that the name does not indicate the destination at all. Instead, it describes a specific class of exceptionally large and sturdy vessels capable of surviving long ocean voyages [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or ships constructed according to a unique engineering design that originally came from Tarshish [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].
The joint fleet embarked on extensive voyages, returning to Israel only once every three years. This extended timeframe was not merely a result of the vast geographical distances covered. Rather, it was due to the nature of their trade. The merchants would spend the first year sailing, dedicate a full second year to living at the destination and bartering with the local populations, and then use the third year to make the journey home [אברבנאל].
Unlike the shipments from Ophir, which consisted almost entirely of gold, these ships carried a much more diverse and lavish cargo. They transported both gold and silver. Silver was typically sourced from colder climates like Tarshish, in contrast to the gold found abundantly in hotter regions [מלבי״ם]. Alongside these precious metals, the fleet imported exotic luxury items. Their holds were filled with large elephant tusks meant for intricate carving and design, monkeys noted for their human-like faces, and spectacular birds, identified by most commentators as peacocks, celebrated for their beautiful, color-changing feathers.