Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the bronze for things of bronze, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistening stones, and of various colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
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Bede
AD 735
What color the stones were with which the temple was made is openly stated in the book of Paralipomenon when David said to Solomon on showing him the materials of the temple that he had procured, “I have prepared all manner of precious stones and marble of Paros in great abundance.” White marble is called Parian marble because it was produced on the island of that name. Hence the poet writes of it: “[past the] Isle of Olives, and then past snow-white Paros and the Cyclades sprinkled about the sea we sped o’er the waters tossed by many a wind.” - "On the Temple 1.4.5"
Onyx, or "emeralds. "(Calmet)
Septuagint, "soom "form the Hebrew shoham.
Alabaster. Hebrew puc. (Haydock)
The dark paint used for the eyes, has the same name, 4 Kings ix. 30., and Jeremias iv. 30. Yet the stibium or stimmi, or alabaster, mentioned by Pliny, ( xxxiii. 6.) was of a sliver colour, but not transparent. The stone here specified was probably alabaster, as it was used for the pavement. There is a very fine species at Damascus, and in Arabia, which was much sought after to decorate buildings. (Calmet)
Chaldean has "emeralds. "Septuagint, "stones of perfection, rich and various, and every precious stone, and much Parion. "(Haydock)
But Isaias liv. 11, they translate the same term, "carbuncle. "(Calmet)
The stone might resemble the agate, which is beautifully shaded with clouds and other fanciful figures. (Tirinus)
Paros: this is taken from the Septuagint. Hebrew has simply, "and stones of ssiss. "(Haydock)
Whether it denote the isle of Chio, or that of Chitis, in the Re...
