234 CORALS 



lished with these distant countries which consisted in an 

 exchange of red coral for emeralds, rubies, pearls, and other 

 articles more highly valued by the Mediterranean races. ^ 



The use of coral by the Jews in pre-Christian times may 

 be inferred from two references to it in the Bible. 



The texts in the English Version are : 



" No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls : for the price 

 of wisdom is above rubies." — Job xxviii. i8. 



" Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares 

 of thy making : they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, 

 and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate." — Ezekiel 

 xxvii. 1 6. 



There has been some controversy among scholars about 

 the correct translation of the Hebrew word " Ramoth," 

 which in the English Version is translated " coral." Most 

 of the authorities seem to agree that the word " Ramoth " 

 does mean coral of some kind ; there are differences of 

 opinion as to whether it means " red coral " or " black 

 coral." 



Gesenius expressed the opinion that it means " black 

 coral," because the word " Peninim," which in the English 

 Version is translated " rubies," is apparently red coral, and 

 considered that this view is confirmed by Lamentations iv. 7, 

 in which the Nazarites are described as " more ruddy in 

 body than rubies " (Peninim, i.e. than red coral). This view 

 also seems to receive support from another consideration 

 of the texts. 



In the verse from Ezekiel, coral {i.e. Hebrew Ramoth) is 

 associated with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, fine 

 linen, and agate, articles of trade that must have come from 

 the Far East, and according to some authorities the word 

 " Aram " is wrongly translated " Syria," but should be 

 " Edom," a port for transport from S. Arabia and India. 

 Now, red coral could not have been imported from India 

 or from any country south of Palestine, as it occurs only in 

 the Mediterranean Sea, but black coral might have been 



' "In the same degree that people in our part of the world set a value 

 upon the pearls of India, do the people of India prize red coral " (Pliny, 

 xxxii. chap. 1 1). 



