8 ACCUMULATION 



CHAP. I. 



house; also the whole altar that was by the 

 oracle he overlaid with gold V 



The quantity of gold which Solomon collected 

 in a single year is stated to be (1 Kings, c. x. 

 v. 14.) six hundred three score and six talents, 

 or, perhaps, about tbree hundred thousand 

 pounds in value in our present money. That 

 with which he covered the sanctum sanctorum, 

 at the same rate, would amount to about two 

 hundred and thirty thousand pounds. We learn 

 from the book of Kings 5 , that the king brought 

 by his ships from Ophir four hundred and twenty 

 talents of gold, or about one hundred and 

 ninety thousand eight hundred pounds. The 

 book of Chronicles 3 represents the amount 

 greater, as four hundred and fifty talents, or two 

 hundred and three thousand pounds, a differ- 

 ence of no great moment, and one which, per- 

 haps, a collation of manuscripts might recon- 

 cile. 



Without attempting to calculate the quantity 

 of metallic treasure heaped up by Solomon, we 

 may best describe it in the language of his day. 

 We read that " his throne was of ivory overlaid 

 with the best gold that all the drinking vessels 

 were of gold that all the vessels of the house 

 of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; 



1 Kings, c. iii. v. 2022. a 1 Kings, c. x. v. 28. 



3 2 Chronicles, c. viii. v. 18. 



I 



