274 CHEV. W. P. JERV1S, F.G.S., ON THE MINERALS AND 



of the priests, to whom he weighed the silver and gold, and the 

 vessels of the house of God which the King, his counsellors 

 and his lords, and all Israel there present had offered, " and two 

 vessels of fine copper, precious as gold." (Ezra viii, 27.) The 

 words in the Septuagint read cr/cevri ^oXkov <ttl\{3ovtos ayadov 

 Scarpa CTnSvfjirjTa iv xP V(T ^ (0 f vessels of good and excellent 

 flittering copper, desirable as gold : they are variously inter- 

 preted : the Vulgate gives Vasa oeris fulgenti optimi duo, fulcra 

 •ut annum,, as beautiful as gold ; the French translation of 

 Martin, d\in bcl airain fin, brillant comme Vov, et aussi pre'cieux 

 que Vov; Luther's German version, Ehernc kostliche Gefdsse, 

 lauter ivie Gold; precious brass (or copper) vessels, pure as 

 gold ; the Dutch translation is clearer, twee vaten van 

 blinkend goed koper, bcgcerlijk als goud, two vessels of brilliant 

 copper, desirable as gold. 



Brass appears by no means to fulfil these requirements, nor 

 •even bronze, it seems to indicate a beautiful alloy of copper and 

 gold, of peculiar brilliancy, such as has ever been made with 

 marvellous perfection in Japan, and perhaps obtained from 

 thence. 



Iron, barzel, as Personal Property. 



Tubal Cain, " an instructor of every artificer in brass and 

 iron" lived long before the Flood. (Gen. iv, 22.) 



When the Israelites spoiled the Midianites, among the 

 metals they were commanded to purify by passing through 

 the fire mention is made of iron. (Numb, xxxi, 22. See ante 

 under copper.) 



B.C. 1451. The Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab, 

 by Jordan, near Jericho, saying, " There shall be six cities for 

 refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer . . . both 

 for the children of Israel and for the stranger, and for the 

 sojourner among them, that everyone that killeth any person 

 unawares may flee thither. And if he smite him with an 

 instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the 

 murderer shall surely be put to death. But if he thrust him 

 •suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him anything 

 without lying in wait, or with any stone wherewith a man may 

 die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was 

 not his enemy, neither sought his harm, the congregation shall 

 deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood." 

 (Numb, xxxv, 16.) 



In recounting to the children of Israel all God's marvellous 

 deliverance of them he said, " Only Og, king of Bashan, 



