wej , ( זחב לשׁון , lāshōn zāhābh , literally, "tongue of gold"): A piece of gold in the form of a wedge found by Achan in the sack of Jericho. It was in one of the forms in which gold was used for money and was probably stamped or marked to indicate its weight, which was 50 shekels, i.e. one māneh , according to the Hebrew standard, or nearly two pounds troy. Its value would be 102 British pounds 10 shillings or .00 (in 1915). See MONEY; POUND . A wedge, or rather, oblong rectangular strip of gold, of similar weight has been found in the excavations of Gezer (Macalister, Bible Side-Lights , 121). Along with metal rings they were doubtless used as an early form of currency. In Isaiah 13:12 the King James Version, kethem , "pure gold" (so the Revised Version (British and American)), is translated as "golden wedge" on insufficient grounds.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
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