In 1941 the results of Nelson Glueck's expedition to the coast of the north tip of the Red Sea near Akaba (Aquaba), Jordan were published by the Smithsonian Institute (DC) Annual Report (1941) and issued by the US government printing office. Nelson Glueck reported that he discovered the seaport used by Jotham and the Judean kings.  Some of the following information was taken from Glueck's government report, his books, journal articles and Gary D. Practico's 1993 reappraisel of his work at Akaba/Eilat.

Kings 9:26   And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Elath, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 9:27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. 9:28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon. (ASV 1901)
     After a survey of parts of Southern Jordan, the Negev, and the Wadi Arabah; Nelson concluded that the ruins about 550 meters north of the Red Sea between Akaba, Jordan and Eilat, Israel (British Palestine) named Tell Kheleifeh was Elath written about in the Bible. There were numerous copper and iron mines on the west and east sides of the Arabah rift valley between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. The site of Tell Kheleifeh was equipped with a forge during the first period of occupation (dated by Glueck to the 10th cent. BC), it stood for several centuries.  It may have used ventilation from the prevailing north wind that reached gale force during times of wind storms. The metal working area wall had many holes in its sides. At first Glueck thought this was a reduction furnace for melting ore, later he thought it was an area where they remelted copper ingot forms as they only found small quantities of slag.  The holes might have been formed after half round (split) logs either rotted or were burned away.  The logs might have been used to strengthen the walls, or they might have been put there to form ventilation holes as these were also found in a wall near an area where numerous ovens were found.  The mud brick (adobe) workshop area  was heated until the sides became baked hard like fired brick. There was a layer of green oxidized copper compound on the sides of the smelter reported as originating from copper sulfide compounds that were oxidized in the flames. There were numerous copper objects found in the complex with clay crucibles on site that had been filled with charcoal, ore, and lime as a flux. There were containers filled with green copper ore in the ruins.  The plaster was fused to the hardened walls. Not much slag was found in the immediate area.  The slag found was of high tin content.  Glueck abandoned his theory that the site was a blast furnace, but indicated it might have been a foundry where metal ingots were melted and poured into forms.  An area to the north of the workshop remained unexcavated into the 21st century.  There was a recent Jordanian military installation in the area.
      Nelson Glueck used pottery methods to date the first level of the tell to the 10th century time of Solomon.  The casemate wall structure of the early ruins was typical of 10th century fortresses.  Glueck indicated a fortress at Yotvatah to the north of Eilat was from the time of Solomon in the 10th century.  More recent excavations have focused on a Roman structure there.  Archaeologist Jodi Magness who was part of the excavations of the fortress indicated they had found no Iron Age pottery at the fortress in the area of the Yotvata Oasis north of Eilat.  Glueck's pottery dating techniques may not have been well defined in those days. 
    The second period of occupation of Tell Kheleifeh probably began with the reign of Uzziah (Azariah) in the early 8th century and extended to the reign of his son Jotham.  There was a signet ring engraved, "Belonging to Jotham (YTM)" found in the ruins:  jotham.htm  .
      According to the Bible the Judeans won a battle over the control of the Dead Sea area c. late 9th century BC. This was during  the reign of Judean King Amaziah. After Amaziah the Judean King Uzziah (Azariah) reigned in the early 8th century BC. According to the Bible he rebuilt Elath.  He ruled at age 16 and continued for 52 years winning numerous campaigns. His son Jotham, probably an older man when he began to rule, reigned 16 years. According to the Bible the following reign of Ahaz was a corrupt administration and the Edomites captured Elath.  According to archaeological evidence the port was occupied during periods when Biblical authorities described it was under Judean control; as was the case for much of the 8th century. During the period dated to the time of Israeli rule (8th century) there was a brick tomb complex that contained some pottery, animal bones, and a camel buried with the remains of a man. Grave robbers had found the tomb before the archaeologists and only a few artifacts remained.
     During the fourth period of occupation from c. 600 - 400 BC a jar with a South Arabian (Minaean) writing was found. Nelson concluded that either the jar was from South Arabia or a South Arabian was living in Elath.  
      From Greek times in the 3rd century until late Roman and Byzantine times a town a few kilometers SE of Elath flourished. It was called Aila. This was in the vicinity of Akaba near its sweet water wells and groves of date palms.
     The 10th century BC shipyard of Solomon, Ezion Geber was supposed to have been near Elath.  The ancient shore line was further inland than today's shore, probably quite close to Tell Kheleifeh according to Glueck.  The tenth century occupation of Tell Kheleifeh may not be confirmed at this time according to later studies there was pottery collected that may be dated to the time of Jotham.