Alabaster in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

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What is an Alabaster?
AL'ABASTER
Matt 26:7. A white mineral, easily carved and susceptible of a fine polish. It was of two distinct kinds. One was a pure variety of gypsum or sulphate of lime, the rock which is often ground into plaster of Paris; the other kind was carbonate of lime, a mineral of the same chemical composition as most of the marbles. It was highly valued for its translucency and for its variety of reddish or grayish streakings. The name "alabaster" is from Alabastrou, in Egypt, where this material was found, and where vessels were manufactured from it for holding perfumes. Vases of the same mineral for containing ointments or cosmetics were found at Nineveh by Mr. Layard. The well known sculptured slabs from that city are of alabaster of the gypsum kind. The druggists in Egypt at the present day Alabaster Vases. (From the British Museum.) The inscription on the centre vessel denotes the quantity it holds. use vessels of this substance for the purpose of keeping medicines and perfumes. Theocritus, an ancient profane historian, speaks of gilded alabasters of Syrian ointment. The phrase "she brake the box", used in Mark 14:3, is supposed to mean that she broke the slender neck of the sealed bottle or pitcher. Thus the offering was very costly and appropriate. Box was formerly used in a more general sense than now. The word is said to come from the wood of the same name, and at first was used for any vessel formed from that material.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'alabaster' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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