Summerian gold pin

"A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there." (Genesis 2:10-12)

The Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem is marking its 20^th anniversary with an exhibit of a collection of ancient gold jewelry and artifacts.  It opened in July and will remain open until April 2013.

 It reveals the secrets of this most magical of metals that have captivated humanity throughout history. Its unparalleled value is apparent from archeological finds, historical records, myths and legends. Gold has earned its unrivaled reputation from its undiminished value over time and its pliability, enabling it to be shaped and molded into intricate and elaborate designs. 

Gold plays an important role in the history of the Jewish people. In the Bible, gold is mentioned more than any other metal, as many as 385 times. When it comes to the Hebrew language, a quick survey shows the richness of phrases and expressions that contain the word ‘gold’ and which are used to express abundance, goodness, quality and beauty.

On display are a wide variety of gold jewelry and vessels from throughout the ancient world: Etruscan fibulae, breathtaking jewelry from Greece and Rome and other artifacts from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia and the Black Sea Region.

A number of Old Testament Hebrew terms refer to gold, such as zahav, charuts, kethem, paz, seghor, and ophir. In the New Testament, the Greek words khrysos and khrysion are used as references to ornaments, coins and gold in general.

The scarcity of gold and its value, due to mankind's fascination with its color, have led to gold being one of the more important metals in daily life in antiquity, as well as in today's world. 

                            “Yerushalaim all of gold
                               Yerushalaim, bronze and light
                               Within my heart I shall treasure
                               Your song and sight.”
“The seven metals that were known and used by ancient civilizations were gold, copper, silver, lead, tin, iron and mercury. Gold is the oldest known metal, known to have been used since 6000 BC. In antiquity gold was used primarily as jewelry. Most early gold items contained a certain amount of silver content. This kind of gold/silver mixed metal was called electrum.

The first coins of western civilization, according to a fifth century B.C. Greek historian, were made by the Lydians. The Lydian Empire is now Turkey. Some of these first coins were made of gold and some of electrum. Electrum coins were outlawed by King Croesus of Lydia (560-546 B.C.) and pure gold or silver coins were then issued. Pure metal coins were necessary for trade with Greece as the Greeks would not accept electrum coins. The early source of gold for coinage in both Greece and Lydia were deposits in both those kingdom.

Gold began to be used in trade as a medium of exchange. It did not spoil, could be traded for goods and supplies at the end of the trade route and did not require a lot of extra space on the pack animals to transport it.  http://EzineArticles.com/=Cheryl_Jones

In the construction of the Tabernacle, built by Moses,  

In the construction of the Tabernacle, built by Moses, Exodus 25, 30, 37, 39, describes using gold being beaten into plates for overlay, sheets, and even thread used in garments worn by the high priest. In the most holy, the Ark of the Covenant, was gold.

The symbol for gold is AU from the Latin aurum meaning shining dawn. Gold is widely dispersed through the earth's crust and is found in two types of deposits: lode deposits, which are found in solid rock and are mined using conventional mining techniques, and placer deposits which are gravelly deposits found in stream beds and are the products of eroding lode deposits. Since gold is found uncombined in nature, early goldsmiths would collect small nuggets of gold from stream beds and then weld them together by hammering. It is commonly found as disseminated grains in quartz veins with pyrite and other sulphides, or as rounded grains, flakes or nuggets in placer deposits and in streams and rivers. Gold is often panned from such deposits by taking advantage of its high density to wash away the lighter sediments from a pan or sluice. 

Gold has long been prized for its beauty, resistance to chemical attack and workability. It has been used by mankind for thousands of years. It is used as a standard for international currency and is also widely used in jewelry, electronics, dentistry, and in photographic processes. 

Gold is used to symbolize earthly riches (Job 3:15; 22:24; Isa 2:7) 

Gold became the basis of money in many ancient civilizations, and even today most countries maintain large reserves of gold for financial credibility. King Darius I the Great introduced gold coinage based on the Babylonian standard (until then, the Lydian standard of King Croesus had been used.

Although alchemy failed in its goal, the experimental techniques alchemists developed were important to the early chemists. Alchemists believed gold was made of a mixture of purified mercury and sulfur, mixed in the perfect proportions. Constant failure to produce gold simply meant substances were not yet pure enough, or the perfect proportions had not yet been found.

        “And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown 

         on your head.” Ezekiel 16:12 

Gold Articles are found extensively in antiquity mainly as jewelry such as Bracelets and rings. Early gold artifacts are rarely pure and most contain significant silver content. This led to the ancients naming another metal - electrum, which was an alloy of gold and silver, pale yellow and similar in color to amber. Therefore, early gold varied from pure through electrum to white gold.   However, its malleability, which allows it to be formed into very thin sheets, ensures that it has no utilitarian value and early uses were only decorative. Ancient gold jewelry provides us with a great deal of information regarding the economies, cultural links, religious beliefs and social organization of early man and societies. 

Stone Age man learned to fashion gold into jewelry and ornaments, learning that it could be formed into sheets and wires easily. As gold is a noble metal, virtually noncorrosive and tarnish-free, it served the purposes of the Stone Age man admirably.  Since gold is found uncombined in nature, early goldsmiths would collect small nuggets of gold from stream beds etc., and then weld them together by hammering.

Nearly all technical processes of the art of jewelery -crafting in antiquity were known: welding, alloys, filigree, stone cutting, and even enameling. Sources of inspiration for the craftsman were the animal and vegetable world; and expressive forms were based on an essential realism enriched by a moderate use of color. Many centuries before the invention of wire-drawing, the early Greeks and Romans were making beautiful articles of jewelery from gold wire.

"There are seven kinds of gold: gold; good gold (Gen. 2:12); gold of Ophir (I Kings 10:11); fine gold (ibid. 10:18); beaten gold (ibid. 10:17); pure gold (ibid. 6:20); gold of Parvaim (II Chron. 3:6)." In the Talmudic discussion concerning the different types of gold, Ophir gold is said to be derived from Ophir, 

a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon is supposed to have received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from Ophir, every three years. (Wikipedia)

"Thar's gold in them thar hills of the Yukon.” yelled the feverish cry when gold was discovered in 1897 in the Yukon territory of Canada. It drew dreamers of richness from all over the world who flocked to the Yukon region of northwestern Canada; 100,000 people, mostly novices to prospecting, headed for the gold fields (Only 30,000 completed the hazardous trip.) 

The cry was also heard in the same century in Australia, California, The Black Hills of the Dakotas, etc.

The artifacts on exhibition are part of the private collection of Elie Borowski, founder of the museum.

One of the Seven Metals Known in Antiquity

Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem 

 contact@blmj.org

Museum Row, across from the Israel Museumַ
Avraham Granot St25  
Tel: 02 561 1066