Thyine Wood

Thyine wood is mentioned only in Revelation 18:12 among the luxury goods traded by the merchants of Babylon, listed alongside gold, silver, jewels, and fine linen. It came from the sandarac tree (Tetraclinis articulata or Callitris quadrivalvis), a North African conifer valued in antiquity for its dark, fragrant, beautifully grained timber. Roman writers mention it as among the most expensive luxury cabinet-woods, used for furniture and decorative inlays by wealthy households.

Its inclusion in Revelation's catalogue of Babylon's luxury trade underscores both the extent of the ancient Roman long-distance luxury market and the moral critique implicit in the passage: the accumulated wealth of the imperial system, built on commerce reaching across continents, is presented as destined for sudden destruction. The list of goods in Revelation 18 ends with "the souls of men" (v. 13), placing human trafficking at the culmination of Babylon's trade in luxury.