Gold (Part 1 of 1)

Places in the Bible where Gold was obtained

Uphaz And Parvaim

The word Uphaz occurs in Jeremiah 10:9, where the prophet in denouncing idolatry refers to the use of thin plates of silver and “gold from Uphaz” for the covering of images of wood ; and in Daniel 10:5, where we read of the holy one whom Daniel saw in his vision that “his loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz.” It is most probable that the name is the same as Ophir, as there is very little difference between the two words in Hebrew when written without the vowel points.

Parvaim occurs only once in the Bible as a place from which gold was obtained. In the account of the build­ing of the temple by Solomon, it is said of the gold that was used in the decoration of the temple, that it was “gold of Parvaim” (2 Chronicles 3:6). It has been suggested that the name is an abbreviated form of Sepharvaim, but there is not much doubt that the latter can be identified with Sippara which was north of Babylon in Mesopotamia, and all the records we have point to the countries on the shores of the Red Sea, or east thereof, as being the places from which Solomon obtained gold. It has been supposed that the name is preserved in Farwa the name of a place in S.W. Arabia. On the other hand attempts have been made to show that Parvaim is derived from two Sanskrit words, paru, “hill” or purva, “eastern,” of which the latter is the more reasonable conjecture, and may well indicate that the word was used as a general word for “the East” (of Palestine) from which gold was brought to Jerusalem.

Sheba

When the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon she brought “very much gold,” and “she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold” besides great store of spices and precious stones (1 Kings 10, 10). In the seventy-second Psalm, to The King it is said, “shall be given of the gold of Sheba,” and the prophet Isaiah speaking of the future blessing of Israel says “all they from Sheba shall come : they shall bring gold and incense” (Isaiah 60:6). Ezekiel in his prophecy against Tyre includes among those who traded with that great commercial power of the past, “The merchants of Sheba and Raa, they were thy merchants : they occupied thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold” (Ezekiel 27:22). Though there is nothing in the passages to show that gold was mined in Sheba, it certainly figures prominently among the wealth of the people.

Where are we to look on the map for the country or countries which were known by the name of Sheba? If we go back to the Chronologies of Genesis we find three Shebas :

  1. A Son of Cush, the son of Ham (Gen. 10:7) associated with Seba and Dedan—both of which names occur in conjunction with Sheba elsewhere.
  2. A Son of Joktan, the Shemite, (Gen. 10:28) and brother of Ophir and Havilah.
  3. A Son of Jokshan the son of Ketu­rah, again associated with a brother named Dedan (Gen. 25:3).

We shall probably not be far astray if we look to the Arabian peninsula for the abode of all the peoples representing these names, as in the case of Havilah and Ophir. It is generally acknowledged that the Joktanite peoples inhabited the Southern part of the Arabian peninsula and it is quite probable that other peoples descended from Cush and Keturah, became mingled with them, and subsequently with the posterity of Ishmael.

The S.W. part of the Arabian peninsula is much superior to the rest of Arabia because of its greater rainfall and consequent fertility, and has always been famous for its incense and spices. The caravans of Sheba, or the Sabeans, were famous thoughout the East, and often combined raiding with their trade, as on the occasion which was so disastrous to Job (Job 1, 15 and see Job 6, 19). Strabo speaks of their great wealth derived from their com­merce, of their furniture adorned with silver and gold; beds, tables and utensils, and even the walls and ceilings of their houses which were decorated with gold, silver and ivory.

Tiglath Pileser III., King of Assyria (B.C. 745-7), enumerates among the tribute he received from the Sabeans, “gold, silver, camels, spices of all sorts,” which reminds us very much of the great company which the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon : “camels that bear spices, aad gold in abundance, and precious stones” (1 Chron. 9, 1).

Sargon in an inscription of the year B.C. 707 records having received from the king of the Sabeans “gold, products of the mountains, horses, camels.

There is very ancient tradition associating the Queen of Sheba with Ethiopia (Abyssinia). There is no doubt that the coastal region on the African shore of the Red Sea was colonized by the Sabeans, but there is nothing stronger than tradition to support the view that Solomon’s visitor came from the African side.

Midian

From the spoil which was taken by the Israelites under Moses from the Midianites, an offering of golden orna­ments was made amounting to 16.750 shekels, worth about £30,000 (Numb. 31: 52) and later, in the time of Gideon, much gold was in the spoil taken from the Midianites. Gudea, King of La-gash (B.C. 2,350) speaks of having received gold dust from the Sinai peninsula. Sir Richard Burton in The Land of Midian revisited (1874) records that the rocky hills had in places evidently been well worked for gold.

All the places hitherto discussed as probable sources of gold in the Old Testament point to Arabia, as being, if not always the original source of the metal, at least the channel through which it reached Palestine. Even in the New Testament perhaps we have an indication of the esteem of the nomadic tribes for gold, in that it constituted one of the three gifts presented by the wise men from the East to the infant Jesus. The Arabs have just as much passion for gold to-day as ever their ancestors had, and this was put to good purpose during the great war by the British Government, which provided hundreds of thousands of sove­reigns, with which Lawrence paid the Arab Sheiks whom he gathered round him to drive out the Turks from the East of Jordan.

Egypt

Reference has already been made to the mines in Egypt in the desert, between the Nile and the Red Sea, which appears to have been the only district in Egypt where gold was extracted from its ores ; but there is no doubt that much gold was brought to Egypt from distant parts, both as tribute from sub­dued nations, and in the course of trade. There are many indications, in the records which have come down to us, of abundance of gold among the royal treasures of the Pharaohs, even allowing for considerable exaggera­tion; for example, in an inscription recording the wealth of Rameses III. is included, “Gold in grains, in bags filled to the weight of 1,000 lbs., from the mines of Amamu in the land of Kush, from Edfu, from Ombos, and from Koptos, bars of silver, pyramids of blue and green stones.”1

Spain

From the south and east of Palestine we now turn our attention to the west. With the development of the maritime trade of the coastal powers of Philistia and Phoenicia (it is interesting to note in passing how little of the coast of Palestine was ever really in the hands of Israel) the natural resources of the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea were brought to the emporiums of the East. Tarshish is referred to in the pro­phecy of Ezekiel against Tyre as a great source of mineral wealth, although gold is not mentioned in this passage. “Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the mulitude of all kinds of riches, with silver, iron, tin and lead.” (Eze­kiel 27, 12). Of all the countries bordering the Mediterranean, Spain was most famous for its metal market, and it is reasonable to conclude that Tartessus represents at least one place to which the ancient name of Tarshish can be attached. “The whole of Spain,” says Strabo, “abounds with mines and in no country are gold, silver, copper and iron in such abundance or of such good quality ; even the rivers and torrents bring down gold in their beds, and some is found in the sand.”

Spain was to the Phoenicians what America, at a later period, was to the Spaniards “No one can read the accounts of the immense wealth derived from the mines of that country, in the writings of Diodorus and other authors, without being struck by the relative situation of the Phoenicians and ancient Spaniards, and the follow­ers of Cortez and Pizarro and the inhabitants of Mexico and Peru.2 Much gold was obtained from Spain in the time of the Roman Empire, and it was not until the overthrow of Rome by the Goths that gold began to become scarce, which it remained until the discovery of America and the subsequent discoveries of richer deposits than had ever been known before.

Importance In Old Civilizations

Gold plays a very important role in national and international affairs in the world at the present time ; but although some is used on ceremonial occasions in the regalia of Royalty and others who hold positions of authority, from the royal crown to the simple gold chain of the mayor of the small provincial town ; for the most part, the gold which is of vital interest to the great powers of the world is stowed away in the strong rooms of their banks, and is only moved with the utmost precautions for its safety in transit. Gold played a more conspicuous part in the ancient world, when so much that came into the hands of the rulers, was used for the adornment of their persons and their palaces, and was devoted to their gods and used for the decoration of their temples, and for making their idols, and the sacred vessels for the ceremonial purposes of their worship.

Words Used For Gold In The Bible

The variety of words used for gold in the Old Testament is evidence of the importance which it held in the life of the people and in national institutions. There are no less than six.

Zahab is the commonest word and means “sparkling” or “shining,” given to the metal on account of its colour and lustre. Various epithets are applied to this word as, fine (e.g., 2 Chron. 3:5), refined (1 Chron. 28:18), pure (Exod. 25:11). Perhaps the “beaten gold” of Solomon’s shields is “mixed” gold, i.e., an alloy, which would be harder than pure gold.

Paz is translated “fine gold” and once in the A.V. “pure gold” (Ps. 21:3, also “fine gold” in R.V.). Its usage evidently indicates the best and most refined gold as in Ps. 19:9-10,

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever :

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether,

More to be desired are they than gold (zahab)

Yea, than much fine gold (paz).”

Charuts is mostly used in poetical language, and signifies “the best gold.” Probably the Greek word chrusos is derived from the same root meaning “hidden” or “concealed” (cf. English “cryptic”).

“Receive my (Wisdom’s) instruction and not silver ;

And knowledge rather than choice gold (charutz).

My fruit is better than gold (charutz),

Yea, than fine gold (paz) ;

And my revenue than choice sil­ver.” Proverbs 8:10, 19.

Segor, literally, “gold closed up,” i.e., refined, occurs only once.

Betzer is “gold dust.” From the earliest times gold was bartered in the form of dust, as it was obtained from the natural deposits, carried in bags. Occurs in Job 22:24 and Job 36:19.

Kethem occurs also mostly in poetry and is possibly derived from a verb meaning “to cover,” but more likely is derived from the name of a place (in Arabia?) where gold was produced. The best of the kinds of gold distin­guished by the Egyptians was described as “the good gold of Katm.” It has been suggested that Genesis 10, 30 should read, “to Sephar (Ophir) to the mountain of Kethem,3 with the word rendered “east” being similar to Kethem. The place name may have come to stand for the precious metal mined there. This view is favoured by the occurrence of the word several times in conjunction with “Ophir.” in Isaiah 13, 12 :

“I will make a man more precious (R.V. “rare”) than fine gold (paz)

Even a man than the golden wedge (R.V. “pure gold” Kethem) of Ophir.”

The word “wedge” should not be there, and it would seem that the finest gold of all is intended by this word. With paz in Song 5:11, it is translated most fine gold. ‘

The wealth of the Hebrew language in respect of words for gold is well illustrated by a short passage from Job, where in three verses no less than four different words occur :

“Where shall wisdom be found it cannot be gotten for gold (segor) Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

It cannot be valued with the gold (Kethem) of Ophir,

With the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

The gold (zahab) and the crystal cannot equal it :

And the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold (paz). Job 28:15-17.

In the New Testament there is only one word in the Greek translated “gold,” the word chrusos which is familiar in compound words in English, such as chrysalis, from the golden colour of the pupa (silk), chrysanthemum, and the names of the precious or semi-precious stones, chrysoberyl, chrysoprase, chrysolite. The paucity of the Greek language in words for gold is connected with the comparative scarcity of the metal among the Greeks and reflects the disregard which was paid to the accumulation of wealth in classical Greek times

References

  1. ‘Encyclopaedia Biblica. Quoted by C. K. Cheyne from Brugsch.
  2. Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians
  3. T. K. Cheyne in Encyclopaedia Biblica.