Mar.4] PROCEEDINGS. [1890.(1 Sam. xvii,5, 6, 38); fettersweremadeof it (Judges xvi, 21, etc.) ;
as also were the bars of the cities of Argob (1 Kings, iv, 13). More
remarkablestillis the allusion to bows of bronze in the book of Job
(Job xx, 24) and the song of David (2 Sam. xxii,35). So unsuited
for this purpose did brassappear,thatthe translators of the authorized
versionhave renderedit a " bow of steel " in both cases. The
revisedversiongivesthe more correctrendering: " He teacheth my
hands to war, so that minearms do bend a bow of brass." The
" doors of brass," at Babylon, referredto in Isaiah xlv, 2, were
probablysimilar in composition to that given abovefor those of
Balawat,whichwerecontemporarywiththe Israelitish KingJehu.
Theanalysesof the metallic implements of the Xllth dynasty
stronglyconfirmthe view heldby many archaeologists, thatin the
latterpartof the stone age there was what has been termeda pre-
bronzeage in which copperoreswere smelted andthe metal used
for implements. It could scarcelyhavebeenotherwise. Themetal
thus obtained was harder thanrefinedcopperwouldhavebeenon
accountof the impurities whichwere left in it. It seems highly
probablethatsuchoresas those thatproducedthe copper foundat
Kahunwouldbe preferred, andthatgraduallythe workers in metal
wouldfind out why theymadebetter tools,anda demand would
arisefor the ores of tin. Of course as tin was a rare andcostly
material,theycould affordto add it to the copper onlyin small
quantities, as in the bronzes of the XVIIIth dynastywhich Mr.
Petriefoundat Gorub. When,however,tin was imported in larger
quantitiesit could be used morefreely.
We find indicationsof this process in other places. Berthelot*
examinedthe " sceptre " of Pepi I, of the Vlth dynasty,and found
it to consist of copper, withoutanytin or zinc. He also givesan
analysis of a small votivefigure found at Tello, and belonging
to about the most ancientperiodof Mesopotamian history,which
was nearly purecopperwithoutanytin whatever. He found 9 per
centof tin in an Egyptian mirror of the XVIIthor XVIIIth
dynasty, and 10 per cent, in a votive tablet from the palace at
Sargon,aboutb.c. 706.
Theancient metallictools describedby Dr. Schliemann in his
workentitled" Ilios," tell the same tale. In the older buriedcity,
Annalesde Chimie et Physique. Sene6, XII, p. 129 : and Academie des
Inscriptionset Belles Lettres,C. R., 1887, p. 472.
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