Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-11-28
WAR0g U ",
Wealth of the Ancients.

the New York Observer to work which
we have more than once commended, enti-
tlcd Good in History" by the Rev. II.
Read
Though we may not have the lneans of
arriving at accuracy as to the amount of the
precious metals in use at that period, yet
we have the means of knowing that they
wore UerY ddundant, more SO, doubtless,
than in any age since. According to the
usual calculation, not less than 1000 mil
lion pounds of sterling of gold and silver
were accumulated and handed over by Da-
vid to Solomon for the Construction of the
Temple. After cnumcrating the immense
sums given by the king MS the spoils of war,
and perhaps from the public treasury, Divid
says he gave from his own private treasury,
5000 talents Of gold and 1000 of silver;
and his captains and chief men gave 5000
talents of gold, aud 10000 drains, and TO-
600 talents of silver, and $4,000 of brass,
and 1907 900 of iron. The sum total left
for this purpose by David seems to have
been 100000 talents of gold, 100000
talents Of silver, and brass and iron without
weight Chron. xiv %.
Whatever may have been the exact value
OF the Hebrew talent, and consequently the
amount contributed for this one enterprise,
we have ample testimony that the aggregate
was enormous which sufficiently serves
our purpose to indicate the abundant sup
ply of gold and silver at that periods
We find this evidence in the account we
have OF the structure and furniture of tho
wonderful ediiice itself In nothing was
the Temple on Mount zion more remarka-
bic than for the amount of gold and silver
employed on it, The stupendous structure
was "overlaid with gold" The floor of the
house, the ark of the covenant, and the
chcrubims were ovcrlaid with gold and
gold, too, covered the many and rich car
wings on the walls and doors; while the
altar, and the mercy seat, and the numor-
GUS vessels and utensils of the Temple were
of pure gold as also were the tables for
the shew-bread, and the candlc-sticks and
snuiiers, and lamps and the tongs, bowls,
cups, and basins, the spoons and ccnsers !;
the hinges of the doors within and without;
the flesh hooks, and all manner of utensils,
vessels and Instruments in the Temple
they were all of pure gold.
And the profusion of gold and silver met
in the Temple was but counterpart of the
riches of the royal household The house
OF the forest, or the palace of Lebanon,
shone with the same profusion of wealth.
All King Solomon's drinking vessels, and
all the vessels of the house of the forest of
Lebanon, were of gold. None were of sill
YER. Silver was nothing accounted Of in
the days of Solomon. Moreover, Solomon
made 200 targets of gold, and 300 shields,
and great ivory throne which he ovcrlaid
with the best gold. The amount of gold
that came to King Solomon yearly was 666
talents, besides silver, brass, and iron, ard
precious stones in abundance.
And we meet the same evidence, that
ours is not the first age of gold, in the ac-
count we have of "spoils taken in war. -
Or go we back to the building of the Tabcr-
naclc in the wilderncsS-or to the time of
Herod's Temple. +" "IIerod's Temple was
covered on every side with plates of pure
gold" The Temple of Baal in Babylon
was filed with golden vessels, the value of
which is stated to have been 500 600 900.
The ancients were rich in gold and silver
and precious stones, yet they were not in
the modern sense of the term, a commercial
people. Their immense wealth in the pre-.
cious metals consisted, not as at present, in
large circulating medium, but in orna-
mcnts and drinking vessels, temple furni-
ture and utensils, in shields and targets of
gold, and the like. 1t did comparatively
little to promote the commerce at that peri
cd, and as little to advance the general in
forests OF society. The ancient Persians
aboundcd in the precious metals and miner
ais beyond anything we can at the present
day we'll conceive. We read of the "Im-
mortals" of Darius, choice troop of 10000
men, who appeared at the battle of Issus
clad in robes of gold and embroidery,
adorned with precious stones, and wore
about their necks massy collars of pure gold.
The chariot of Darius was supported by
statues of gold, and the beams, axle, and
wheels were studded with precious stones.
Hannibal measured by the bushel the gold
rings taken from the Romans slain at the
battle of Cann@
One IS astonished at the immense amount
of gold and silver and precious stones which
were found by the early conquerors of India,
Egypt, and South America-not SO much
as circulating medium or representative
of trade, as in the boarded treasures of tenn
pies, sacred utensils, and ornamental trap
pings. The riches of the ancients, like
their learning and science, was of little
practical utility. 1t had little to do with
commerce or public improvement. 1t was
scarcely known then as a lever of human
progress, on as an angel of mercy to alleyi-
ate human suffering by well directed phi
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