the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Encyclopedias
Copper
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Tubal-cain is recorded as the first artificer in brass and iron (). In the time of Solomon, Hiram of Tyre was celebrated as a worker in brass (; comp. ). To judge from Hesiod and Lucretius, the art of working in copper was even prior to that in iron, probably from its being found in larger masses, and from its requiring less labor in the process of manufacture. Palestine abounded in copper (), and David left behind him an immense quantity of it to be employed in building the Temple (). Of copper were made all sorts of vessels in the Tabernacle and Temple (;;; ), weapons, and more especially helmets, armor, shields, spears (;; ), also chains (), and mirrors (). The larger vessels were molded in foundries, as also the pillars for architectural ornaments (1 Kings 7). It would however appear () that the art of copper-founding was, even in the time of Solomon, but little known among the Jews, and was peculiar to foreigners, particularly the Phoenicians. Michaelis observes, that Moses seems to have given to copper vessels the preference over earthen, and on that ground endeavors to remove the common prejudice against their use for culinary purposes. From copper, also, money was coined ().
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Copper'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/c/copper.html.
