CHAP. I. ACCUMULATION OF GOLD AND SILVER. 



CHAPTER I. 



Of the accumulations of the precious metals from the most 

 remote ages to the establishment of the imperial government 

 in Rome. 



THERE are no intimations in the sacred Hebrews, 

 writings which afford any means of forming an 

 estimate of the whole quantity of the precious 

 metals which had been collected in the patri- 

 archal days. We must, therefore, rest satisfied 

 with the scanty accounts they furnish, and pro- 

 ceed to later periods, when the relations of the 

 several accumulations are more frequent, though 

 not marked with any such precision as can inspire 

 implicit confidence. 



In the history of the reign of Solomon, as 

 recorded in the book of Kings and in the 

 Chronicles, we find statements of the quantities 

 of the precious metals used in the royal palace 

 and the holy temple erected by that monarch. 

 We read, that " he overlaid the house within 

 with pure gold, and made a partition by the 

 chains of gold before the oracle, and he overlaid 

 the oracle with gold ; and the whole house he 

 overlaid with gold till he had finished the whole 



