1 Maccabees 1:17 speaks of the invasion of Egypt by Antiochus Epiphanes with an army in which there were elephants. In 1 Maccabees 8:6, there is a reference to the defeat of Antiochus the Great, "having an hundred and twenty elephants," by Scipio Africanus in 190 B.C. We do not learn of the use of elephants in war until a few centuries before the Christian era. It is among the merchandise of Babylon ( Revelation 18:12). It is used for ornamentation of the ships of the Tyrians ( Ezekiel 27:6), who obtain it with ebony through the men of Dedan (27:15).
It occurs in the figurative language of Psalm 45:8 Songs 5:14 Songs 7:4. It is mentioned among the luxuries of Israel in the denunciations of Amos (3:15 6:4). An "ivory house" of Ahab is mentioned in 1 Kings 22:39. It is mentioned in connection with the magnificence of Solomon ( 1 Kings 10:18, 22), being brought by the ships of Tarshish ( 2 Chronicles 9:17, 21). Ivory was probably obtained, as now, mainly from the African elephant.
On the other hand, it may be a question whether -bim is not a singular form connected with the Arabic fil, "elephant." If the word for "elephant" is not contained in shenhabbim, it occurs nowhere in the Hebrew Bible. ha, the article, and 'ibbim, plural of 'ibbah or 'ibba' compare Egyptian ab, ebu, "elephant," and compare Latin ebur, "ivory" (see Liddell and Scott, under the word elephas). Shenhabbim is thought to be a contracted form of shen ha-'ibbim, i.e. In the passages cited it is translated in English Versions of the Bible "ivory" (of "crag," 1 Samuel 14:4, 5 "cliff," Job 39:28 twice "flesh-hook of three teeth," 1 Samuel 2:13). Shen occurs often, meaning "tooth" of man or beast. (3) elephantinos, "of ivory" ( Revelation 18:12)): (2) shenhabbim Septuagint odontes elephdntinoi, "elephants' teeth" ( 1 Kings 10:22 2 Chronicles 9:21)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia IVORY
This method of ornamenting buildings or apartments was very ancient among the Greeks, and is mentioned by Homer. Ivory, as is well known, is the substance of the tusks of elephants, and hence it is always called in Hebrew, tooth.Īs to the "ivory houses," 1 Kings 22:39 Am 3:15, they may have had ornaments of ivory, as they sometimes have of gold, silver, or other precious materials, in such abundance as to be named from the article of their decoration as the emperor Nero's palace was named aurea, or golden, because overlaid with gold. Solomon had a throne decorated with ivory, and inlaid with gold, these beautiful materials relieving the splendor and heightening the luster of each other, 1 Kings 10:18. "For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish, with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver and ivory," 1 Kings 10:22 2 Chronicles 9:21. Solomon, who traded to India, brought thence elephants and ivory to Judea. Mentioned in the reign of Solomon, and referred to in Psalm 45:1-17, as used in decorating palaces.
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