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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Art under Phenician

influence, for its forms are always coarse imitations of Phenician models. The older finds, especially those of Jerusalem, exhibit forms

Of metal-work there are no remains extant. The description of Solomon's Temple is the main source of information upon this point, the notable fact in which is that it was a Tyrian artificer, named Hiram (I Kings vii. 13) or Huram Abi, as the chronicler calls him (II Chron. ii. 13), who made the necessary utensils for the sanctuary.

The Jews themselves

evidently had not yet mastered the art of casting in bronze or brass, certainly not to the extent necessary The account of the building in for this work. I Kings vii. affords only the merest outlines of the larger art- works manufactured for its use, such as pillars, the brazen sea, portable lavers, or basins, etc. The shapes of the smaller utensils, vessels, and

vases of gold and silver were undoubtedly molded It was espeafter Phenician models. cially in the manufacture of such artiMetalcles that the Phenicians excelled and Casting. their products ruled the market, parEven if the Jewish metalticularly in Egypt. workers under Hiram learned enough to make the

Hebrew

Pottery.

(From Warren, " Recovery

of Jerusalem,")

that are in use to-day throughout Palestine and

See Pottery. Glyptics dates hack to remote antiquity.

Syria.

If tra-

dition assumes that signet-rings were worn by the Patriarchs (Gen. xxxviii. 18), and that the generation of the wilderness-journey was skilled in engra-

ving on precious stones,

it points at least to the antiquity of the art. The Hebrews were taught this kind of engraving by the Cauaanites, who, in their Origiturn, had received it from the Phenicians. nally, this art of engraving came from the East; for in the Euphrates district it had been the custom since remotest time to attest all the more important business transactions by written contracts, to which the seals of the parties SealEngraving interested were affixed. The northern Syrians and Phenicians no doubt adopted the custom through their frequent intercourse with this district; and, with the custom, they doubtless learned also the art of making the seals. The devices upon these seals point likewise to their Eastern derivation (see Perrot and Chipiez, " Histoire de l'Art dans l'Antiquite," vol. hi., "La Phenicie," It is, however, always difficult to decide p. 240). whether any particular seal among those preserved belonged to the Hebrews or to some neighboring nation, unless it contain some distinctive name. Even when the name is indubitably Jewish, it is always possible that it may have been made by The Hebrew and Phenicians. Phenician seals resemble each other Seal of Elishegib bat very closely in shape, script, and Elisbama cut in ornamentation. As to ornamenjasper. tation, there are found devices (In the Brit!* Mu-ua,.) Qf p henic j an origin; mch ag the palm-leaf, garland of poppy-heads or pomegranates, winged spheres, etc., and those of Egyptian, such as Hathor's insignia, the eye of Osiris, etc. (see the

smaller articles themselves (compare II Kings xvi. 10), they still were constructed upon Phenician lines. The same is true of the ornaments employed, which Thus, in adexhibit the Phenician composite style. dition to native flowers, are found the palm-leaf of Assyria, the lotus-flower of Egypt, and especially pomegranates and colocynths. Figures of animals, so frequently found on Phenician vases, were among In the decorations of the borders of the brazen sea.

same Egyptian and Jewish forms are found alongside each other: the lotus, the eye of Osiris, Hathor, and Horus upon seal, all of Egyptian origin the original meaning religious symbolism, likewise, the

—

1

,

illustrations in Benzinger,

gie," pp. 258 et seq.



and

"Hebraische Archaolo-

see article Seals).

Fragment

of a Glass Vase, with Representation of the Temple. (From Vigouroux, " Dictionnaire de la Bible.")

of these symbols was of course lost to the Syrian while the most frequent device of Babylonian origin among the Hebrews was the cherub artists

(I

—

Kings

vi.

23-28, 32, 35;

vii.

36; see

Cherub).

Older than the art of metal-casting

among

the