VITRUM, Glass, which see. This is now very common, and every one knows what it is; but its Original is not so well known, or who was its first Inventor. Pliny tells us, that some Merchants arriving by Sea on the Shore of Ptolemais, and intending to light a Fire, that they might prepare their Victuals, they took into their Ship some Clods of Nitre, because they could find no Stones that were proper for their Purpose. When they had made a good Fire, they perceived, to their Surprize, that the Sand melted, and ran into a transparent Liquor, which became Glass. This Discovery was soon carried to perfection, and the Phœnicians, who were ever laborious and industrious, introduced the use of Glass where-ever they had any Commerce; that is, over all the Coasts, and in all the Islands of the Mediterranean Sea. We are not told when this happened, nor have we this History transmitted to us as a Certainty; but it appears to be out of doubt that it was in Palestine, and about Ptolemais and Sidon, that the Way of making Glass was found out.
Moses seems to have pointed out to Deut. xxxiii. 19.this Invention, and to the great Trade that was afterwards carried on with it, in the Places we have mentioned, when, giving his last Benediction to Zebulun, whose Settlement was in that Country, he uses this Expression, They shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in Plin. 36. c. 26.the sand. Now those Riches of the Sea, and these Treasures hid in the Sand, are nothing else, according to the Paraphrast Jonathan, and Rabbi Solomon, and some other Interpreters, but the Purple that was dyed at Tyre, and the Sand, of which Glass was made in the same Country. Joseph. de Bell. l. 2. c. 17.Josephus speaks of the Tomb of Memnon near Ptolemais, and of the River Belus, the Sand of which was very proper for making Glass. There is a kind of Valley, says he, of about an hundred Cubits, where great quantities of Sand are gathered fit for the making of Glass. And tho’ they carry away whole Vessels full at a time; yet it is not exhausted, but is still filled with new Sand. Pliny speaks of the same River Belus, which empties itself into the Sea near Ptolemais. The Sand which lies at its Mouth for the Space of five hundred Paces, has furnished Matter for making Glass for many Ages: Quingentorum est passuum non amplius littoris spatium, idque tantum multa per sæcula gignendo fuit vitro. Strabo assures us however, Strab. l. 16.that all the Sand upon the Sea-shore, from Ptolemais as far as Tyre, is proper for this Work. However this be, the Hebrew Word Chol, or Hol, or Hull,1 which signifies Sand, is evidently the Root of the Greek Word Hyalas,2 which signifies Glass.
Job also speaks of Glass by the Name Sechochit:c Non adæquabitur ei aurum vel vitrum. Neither Gold or Glass (or Crystal) are of equal Value with Wisdom. The Word Sechochit comes from a Root that signifies to shine, to be pure, clean, transparent; which agrees perfectly well with Glass or Crystal. These Substances heretofore were much more valuable and sought after than they are at present. These two Passages out of Moses and Job shew the Antiquity of Glass.
We find often in Scripture the Word Crystallus; but it commonly signifies no more than Ice. For example,3 Mittit crystallum suum sicut buccellas: God sends forth Ice or Hail, as Morsels, as pieces of Bread. The Hebrew says, he sends Ice as by Mouthfuls. Hail is Ice, or Water frozen, and, as it were, cut into Bits. Ecclesiasticus also speaks of Crystal, or rather of Ice. Gelavit Crystallus ab aqua. And Ezekiel; quasi aspectus crystalli: Over the Ezek. i. 22.four Beasts there was a kind of Heaven of Crystal, or of Glass, according to the Hebrew. And St. John, in his Revelations, describes a Sea of Glass like Crystal, or Ice: Mare vitreum simile crystallo. As in the Greek Tongue Crystallus is used indifferently both for Ice and Crystal, it cannot be determined in which Sense this Place ought to be understood.
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