Hiram
Hiram, a skilled craftsman from Tyre, was commissioned by Solomon to create the bronze furnishings for the temple.
Hiram (also Huram) was the king of Tyre who maintained the alliance with David that his father had begun and played an essential role in Solomon's building projects. He supplied David with cedar timber, carpenters, and stonemasons for David's palace (2 Samuel 5:11) and later supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber for the temple, receiving wheat and olive oil in return (1 Kings 5:1–12). Solomon ceded to Hiram twenty cities in the region of Galilee—which Hiram found unsatisfactory and called 'the land of Cabul' (worthless) (1 Kings 9:10–14). He also jointly operated a fleet of ships from Ezion-geber to Ophir, bringing back gold (1 Kings 9:26–28). Hiram represents the broader ancient Near Eastern context of royal trade alliances that sustained Solomon's building enterprises.