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Metal

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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Concordances
Nave Topical Bible
• Metal
• Alloy, of Metals
Thompson Chain Reference
• Workers in Metals
• Refiners of Metals
Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
• Macassars, Precious Metal
Torrey Topical Textbook
• Metals
Dictionaries
Fausset Bible Dictionary
• Metals
Holman Bible Dictionary
• Minerals and Metals
Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Mining and Metals
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
• Metal-Work in the Service of the Church
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Metals
Wilson's Bible Types
• Lead (Metal)
Webster Dictionary
• Pseudo-Metallic
• Muntz Metal
• Mitis Metal
•   (only first 3 shown)
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Metal
• Metal-Work
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Metal
• Metal Working
• Metals
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
• Metals
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Metal
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Gun-Metal
• Queen's Metal
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Metals
Lexicons
• חַשְׁמַל
• מַסֵּכָה מַסֵּכָה, , מַסֵּכָה
• נָסִיךְ , נָסִיךְ

met´al ( חשׁמל , ḥashmal ; ἤλεκτρον , ḗlektron ; the King James Version amber; Ezekiel 8:2 , the Revised Version margin "amber"): The substance here intended is a matter of great uncertainty. In Egypt bronze was, called ḥesmen , which may be connected with the Hebrew ḥashmal ; the Greek ēlektron too has generally been accepted as an alloy of gold or silver or other metals, but this is far from certain. Professor Ridgeway (EB , I, cols. 134-36) has conclusively shown, however, that amber was well known in early times and that there is nothing archaeologically improbable in the reading of the King James Version.

Amber is a substance analogous to the vegetable resins, and is in all probability derived from extinct coniferous trees. The best or yellow variety was obtained by the ancients from the coasts of the Baltic where it is still found more plentifully than elsewhere. A red amber has been found in South Europe and in Phoenicia. From earliest times amber has been prized as an ornament; Homer apparently refers to it twice. Amber bracelets and necklaces are highly prized by the Orientals - especially Jewesses - today, and they are credited with medicinal properties. See ELECTRUM; STONES , PRECIOUS .