χαλκολίβανον

χαλκολίβανον, ου, τό (χαλκός, λείβω ‘pour’; as a neut. in Suidas, Oecumenius) or χαλκολίβανος, ου, ὁ (so the Coptic version and Ausonius [in Salmasius, Exerc. ad Solin. p. 810a], perh. even fem.: FRehkopf, JJeremias Festschr. ’70, 216; B-D-R §49, 1; 115, 1) an exceptionally fine type of metal or alloy. Since the word is found nowhere independent of Rv, the exact nature of this metal or alloy remains unknown. One must be content Rv 1:15; 2:18 with some such rendering as fine brass/bronze (perh. it is someth. like ‘electrum’. Suda defines it s.v. χαλκολίβ.: εἶδος ἠλέκτρου τιμιώτερον χρυσοῦ. ἔστι δὲ τὸ ἤλεκτρον ἀλλότυπον χρυσίον μεμιγμένον ὑελῷ καὶ λιθείᾳ ‘a kind of electrum, more precious than gold. Now, electrum is an alternate form of gold, composed of a crystalline substance and fine stone’ [on ἤλεκτρον cp. Ezk 1:27 and Pliny, NH 33, 4 where ἤλ. is a natural alloy of gold and silver]. S. also Jos., Ant. 7, 106: χαλκός, ὸ̔ν τοῦ χρυσοῦ κρείττονʼ ἔλεγον=the metal which is claimed to be superior to gold). The Old Latin versions transl. the word ‘aurichalcum’ or ‘orichalcum’ (cp. Vergil, Aen. 12, 87 and Servius’ observation on it). The Syrian version and Arethas consider it to be a metal fr. Lebanon (=Libanon in Gk., Lat., et al.).—S. esp. CHemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting ’86, 111–17: ‘copper-zinc’. Also PDiergart, Philol 64, 1905, 150–53.