AMBER ( chashmal , Ezekiel 1:4; Ezekiel 1:27; Ezekiel 8:2 ). The translation ‘amber’ is much questioned, a metallic substance being generally considered more probable. Prof. Ridgeway ( Encyc. Bibl., s.v .) has, however, shown that amber may well have been known to Ezekiel. The amber commonly seen is the opaque yellow variety from the Baltic, a resinous substance changed by long submersion in the sea. It is a favourite ornament, in necklaces and bracelets, in the Orient, especially among Jewesses, and is credited with medicinal virtues.
E. W. G. Masterman.
Complete and trustworthy, Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible is a thorough reference (5,915 entries) for all readers of the Bible. For nearly a century, lay people and scholars alike have valued the authoritative contents and the convenient format of this one-volume work.Wikipedia
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