The Timna Valley is located 15 miles (25 km) north of Eilat (Elath). It is not mentioned in the Bible but was used for copper mining during the biblical period. The valley of Timna is 35 square miles (90 sq km) with high mountains (1600-2300 ft; 500-700 m) on all sides except in the east. Mount Timna in the center rises 1486 feet (453 m) above the surrounding valley. The valley is drained by four wadis.
The Timna Basin, extending west from the Arava Valley in Sinai Peninsula, has been the site of copper mining since around 4000 BC, through the days of the ancient Egyptians, King Solomon, the Romans and the Byzantines until the present times.
Timna Copper Mines is a producer and supplier of high-clean compounds of non-ferrous metals. Founded as a government-owned company in 1951, Timna Copper Mines is an integral part of the modern Israeli history.
