Amber
(Hebrew חִשׁמִל, chashmal', Eze 1:4,27; Eze 8:2) is a yellow or straw- colored gummy substance, originally a vegetable production, but reckoned to the mineral kingdom. It is found in lumps in the sea and on the shores of Prussia, Sicily, Turkey, etc. Externally it is rough; it is very transparent, and on being rubbed yields a fragrant odor. It was formerly supposed to be medicinal, but is now employed in the manufacture of trinkets, ornaments, etc. (Penny Cyclopaedia, s. v).
In the above passages of Ezekiel, the Hebrew word is translated by the Sept. ἤλεκτρον, and Vulgate electrum, which signify not only "amber," but also a very brilliant metal, composed of silver and gold, much prized in antiquity (Pliny, 33, 4, p. 23). Others, as Bochart (Hieroz. 2, p. 877), compare here the mixture of gold and brass, aurichalcum, of which the ancients had several kinds; by which means a high degree of lustre was obtained; e.g. oes pyropum, ces Corinthium, etc. (Smith's Dict. of Class.
Antiq. s.v. Bronze). Something similar to this was probably also denoted by the difficult term χαλκολίβανον, "fine brass," in Re 1:15 (comp. Ezr 8:27). SEE BRASS. The Hebrew word chashmal probably signifies smooth (i.e. polished) brass. SEE METAL.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More