PEARLS. 829

the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it, and the exchange
of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall
be made of coral or of pearls; for the price of wisdom is
above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,
neither shall it be valued with pure gold.”

The reader will remember several well-known allusions to
_ pearls in the New Testament, all evincing a knowledge of
their value and beauty : “Give not that which is holy unto
the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine” (Matthew
viii.) ; and again, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
merchant man, seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had
found one pear? of great price, went and sold all that he
had, and bought it” (Matthew xiii.).

There are some things mentioned in Scripture, which,
though not in themselves animals, are either portions of, or
produced by, animals: of these are ivory, coral, and a few
of the dyes used by the ancients, such as purple and scarlet,