Ancient Ivory—The Story of Wealth, Decadence and Beauty

Home > Magazines > BAR > September/October 1985

The interplay between archaeology and the Bible is perhaps nowhere better illustrated than in the subject of ivory. The Bible helps us to understand the archaeological artifacts, and the archaeological artifacts help us to understand the Bible. In the Bible, we are told of King 042Solomon’s ivory throne (1 Kings 10:18; 2 Chronicles 9:17) and of King Ahab who built an entire house of ivory (1 Kings 22:39). At times, ivory was used as we might use money, for barter, tribute or exchange (Ezekiel 27:15). We learn of the precious ivories brought back from three year voyages by Solomon’s […]

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Footnotes

Ancient Ivories in the Middle East (QEDEM Monographs of the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Vol. 14 Jerusalem, 1982). (Available from BAS Discount Books.)

A photograph of this motif appeals in “Did Yahweh Have a Consort?” BAR 05:02, by Zeev Meshel.