Prezența metalelor pe „scena“ biblică, contribuție majoră la frumusețea și intensitatea mesajului biblic

Abstract

Although it is widely accepted that the Bible is a religious text, reading the Bible between the lines, carefully and with discernment, using the “lenses of metallurgy”, leads to getting precious information regarding ancient metallurgy and metals known at the time. The statement refers to the fact that the biblical accounts reflect realities and the local color of the historical framework in which it is performed, ie the two historical eras that have revolutionized human society at the reference date: Bronze Age and early Iron Age. Consequently, the society described in the Bible, regarded as a witness to the technological development of metals, is a society that manufactured using advanced technology at the time: casting copper / bronze, casting with fusible models, etc. The Bible writers had to record the metallurgical issues, given the fact that they represented – among other things – the proof of power. The subject is a micro review on the intrinsic link between the Bible and ancient metallurgy. Among the issues covered, we recall: metals known in the Bible, the first Bible metallurgist, metals technology during biblical period, strategic importance of
metals andknowledge of metal technology, etc. It tries to demonstrate that the “setting” and “perfume” offered to the specific biblical text by metals and metallurgy, have a major contribution to the beauty and intensity of the spiritual message of the Bible.