IVORY ( shçn , lit. ‘tooth’; and shenhabbîm , ‘elephants’ teeth’ [but reading doubtful], 1 Kings 10:22 , 2 Chronicles 9:21 ). Ivory has been valued from the earliest times. In Solomon’s day the Israelites imported it from Ophir ( 1 Kings 10:22 ): it was used in the decorations of palaces ( 1 Kings 22:39 ). The ‘tower of ivory’ ( Song of Solomon 7:4 ) may also have been a building decorated with ivory. Solomon had a throne of ivory ( 1 Kings 10:18-20 ). ‘Beds of ivory,’ such as are mentioned in Amos 6:4 , were, according to a cuneiform inscription, included in the tribute paid by Hezekiah to Sennacherib.
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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