Gold is often found in solid masses, but generally in combination with silver and other ores, from which it requires to be purified. Peter (1 P 1") refers to ' gold proved by tire ' (xpwLov Sia. trvpos SoKifML^ofiivov ; cf. Rev 3'^).
' Strabo states that in his time a process was employed for refining- and purifj'ing gold in large quantities by cementing or burning it with an aluminous earth, which, by destroying the silver, left the gold in a state of purity. Pliny shows that for this purpose the gold was placed on the fire in an eartlien vessel with treble its weight of salt, and that it was afterwards again exposed to the tire with two parts of salt and one of argillaceous rock, which, in the presence of moisture, effected the decomposition of the salt ; by this means the silver became converted into chloride ' (EBr^^, art. ' Gold,' xii. 199).
India, Arabia, Spain, and Africa were the chief gold-producing countries of the ancients. Arabia, containing the lands of Seba, Havilah, and Ophir, was the Eldorado of the Hebrews. Herodotus (vi. 47) tells of the Phoenician quest for gold in the island of Tliasos : ' a large mountain has been thrown upside down in the search.' Pliny describes the gold-mining of Spain {HN xxx. 4. 21). The
art of the goldsmith flourished in all the ancient civilizations. The gold-work of the Greeks, Etrus- cans, and Romans may be rivalled, but can scarcely be excelled, and that of the Egyptians of 2,000 years earlier was no less exquisite.
Gold was used for many purposes, secular and sacred. Crowns were made of it (Rev 4^ 9^ 14''*), rings ( Ja 2'-), vessels of great houses (2 Ti 2^"), idols (Rev 9-" ; cf. Ac 17"^). Many articles of gold were in the merchandise of Rome (Rev 18'^) ; the great city itself was decked with it (18'®) ; the scarlet woman's cup of abomination was made of it (H'*). Much of the furniture of the real Temple, as of St. John's ideal one, was of gold — the ark of the cove- nant (overlaid with it. He 9^), the censer (He 9^, Rev 8=*), the altar of incense (8^ 9"), the bowls full of incense (5*), the pot of manna (He 9*), the candlesticks (Rev l'^. is. 2u 21). But servants of God have a spiritual rather than a material standard of values ; for tliem ' the true veins of wealth are purple — and not in Rock, but in Flesh' (Ruskin, op. cit. § 40). They have been redeemed not with gold, but with blood (1 P 1'*). Apostles, though poor, have something more precious to offer than gold (Ac 3^). Women have a finer adornment than jewels of gold (1 Ti 2^, 1 P Z% It is assumed that even the noblest metal may be rusted (Ja 5^), and if this is only a popular fancy, at any rate gold is ultimately as perishable as all other material things (1 P 1^).
It is natural, however, that gold should be a universal symbol of purity and worth. The golden age, the golden rule, golden opinions, golden oppor- tunities are in common speech the best of such things. Gold is likewise an inevitable category of apocalyptic prophecy. The Son of Man wears a golden girdle (Rev 1'^), as does each of the seven angels of the seven golden bowls (15®" ''). The twenty-four elders have on their heads crowns of gold (4-'). An angel receives a golden reed to measure the New Jerusalem (2P"), and the city itself is pure gold (21i8- 21 . cf. To 13i«- "). The gold of the Apocalyptist, moreover, has a transcendent quality ; differing from our opaque yellow metal, it is ' like unto pure glass,' clear and transparent as crystal. The gold of heaven is finer than earth's finest. James Strahan.
GOMORRAH.— See SoDOM.
GOOD. — The adj. 'good' [ayaObs, /caX6s) maybe used of any quality, physical as well as moral, thing, or person that may be a.pproved as useful, fit, admirable, right. In the moral sense it con- notes in the NT not only righteousness but kind- ness, helpfulness, love. For Jesus, God alone was good without limitation or qualification (Mk'lO^®, Lk 18'^) ; and whUe His own moral discipline on earth was going on. He disclaimed that epithet for Himself (cf. Mt 19", with its attempt to escape the apparent difficulty of the disclaimer). This Divine perfection is shown in an impartial, uni- versal beneficence (Mt 5^^), which men are to imi- tate (v.''^). The same conviction of what God is, and what man, therefore, should be, is found in St. Paul's counsels (Eph 4^i-5^). Jesus Himself is the expression and activity of this Divine perfec- tion, and so it is characteristic of Him to go about 'doing good' (Ac 10^**), as He Himself indicates in His reply to the Baptist (Mt \\*- ^) ; and this, too, He enjoins as the practice of His disciples (Lk 6" ; cf. iMt 25='iff-, :\Ik 14", Lk ig^- »). St. Paul echoes the teaching of Jesus when he bids the Romans 'overcome evil with good' (Ko 12-'), and assures them that such conduct will have its reward (2'°). The distinction St. Paul makes between ' a righteous man ' and ' the good man ' (Ro 5') deserves special attention. Just as God because He is righteous