1 Kings 10:11–12 might seem to be out of place, coming as it does at the end of the account of the visit of the queen of Sheba. They seem to have nothing to do with the queen, but it is as if having talked about the gifts that the queen gave to Solomon, the writer is set upon the other wealth that was coming into his kingdom. The list of riches that came to Solomon as recorded in these verses were almug wood and precious stones. We cannot precisely identify this particular kind of wood. From the text, however, we are given the impression that it was very valuable and not widely distributed over the earth. It was so special that the writer also tells us that up to the time of his writing, no comparable wood had been seen in Israel. Solomon used it in the construction of both the temple and his own palace. Regarding this last bit of information, one wonders whether additions were made from this wood after both temple and palace had been ostensibly completed.
11 Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones.