The walls of the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi, India, are adorned with the history of the country’s Jews. On a recent trip there, I read an inscription suggesting that Jewish traders might have reached India from Judea, crossing the ocean during the reign of King Solomon — a journey of thousands of miles.

Unable to jump into a time machine, I did the next best thing: I visited Chendamangalam, a village about 20 miles north of Kochi resplendent with coconut, mango and cinnamon trees. As I walked toward the Periyar River, I imagined ancient Hebrew adventurers and traders arriving on the shores and marveling at the lushness of the terrain. Although there is little evidence as to the exact date, they may have traveled to this area in southwest India in search of spices, precious stones, timber and ivory tusks as early as the 10th century B.C., around the time the Bible tells us Solomon was seeking treasures to build his temple.

Little is known about King Solomon — and some scholars even doubt his existence — but his story offers an image of a ruler presiding over a diversity of cultures, with an abundance of food. Solomon is said to have ruled for 40 years, amassing enormous wealth. With a ravenous appetite for all aspects of life, he had 700 wives and 300-some mistresses.