Marble

Marble in the biblical text refers to various fine stones used for decorative purposes in royal and sacred architecture. The Hebrew shayish or shesh and the Greek marmaros cover polished limestone, alabaster, and true marble. The most elaborate biblical description of marble use appears in Esther 1:6, depicting the pavement of the Persian palace of Ahasuerus at Susa: "There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones." This display of luxury was part of the 180-day feast Ahasuerus held to show the wealth of his kingdom.

David gathered marble in abundance for the temple that Solomon would build (1 Chronicles 29:2). Revelation 18:12 lists marble (marmaros) among the precious goods of Babylon the Great whose trade ceases at divine judgment, placing it alongside gold, silver, precious stones, and fine linen as a marker of imperial luxury. The use of marble in Solomon's temple and the Persian palace connects the material to the highest expressions of human political and religious aspiration in the biblical world.