| Easton's Bible Dictionary The process of mining is described in Job 28:1-11. Moses speaks of the mineral wealth of Palestine (Deuteronomy 8:9). Job 28:4 is rightly thus rendered in the Revised Version, "He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro." These words illustrate ancient mining operations. Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) See Mien. 2. (pron. & a.) Belonging to me; my. Used as a pronominal to me; my. Used as a pronominal adjective in the predicate; as, Vengeance is mine; I will repay. Rom. xii. 19. Also, in the old style, used attributively, instead of my, before a noun beginning with a vowel. 3. (v. i.) To dig a mine or pit in the earth; to get ore, metals, coal, or precious stones, out of the earth; to dig in the earth for minerals; to dig a passage or cavity under anything in order to overthrow it by explosives or otherwise. 4. (v. i.) To form subterraneous tunnel or hole; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth; as, the mining cony. 5. (v. t.) To dig away, or otherwise remove, the substratum or foundation of; to lay a mine under; to sap; to undermine; hence, to ruin or destroy by slow degrees or secret means. 6. (v. t.) To dig into, for ore or metal. 7. (v. t.) To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging. 8. (n.) A subterranean cavity or passage 9. (n.) A pit or excavation in the earth, from which metallic ores, precious stones, coal, or other mineral substances are taken by digging; -- distinguished from the pits from which stones for architectural purposes are taken, and which are called quarries. 10. (n.) A cavity or tunnel made under a fortification or other work, for the purpose of blowing up the superstructure with some explosive agent. 11. (v. i.) Any place where ore, metals, or precious stones are got by digging or washing the soil; as, a placer mine. 12. (v. i.) Fig.: A rich source of wealth or other good. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia MINE; MINING min, min'-ing: In Job 28:1-11 we have the only Biblical reference to mines. The writer very likely derived his information either from personal observation or from a description by an eyewitness, of the mining operations of Sinai (see METALS). No traces of ancient mines have yet been found in Palestine and Syria. What metals were taken out came from the superficial strata. The mines of Upper Egypt have already been mentioned. Burton and other travelers in Northern Arabia and the Red Sea country have found there evidences of ancient mining operations.
The usual Egyptian method of mining was to follow the vein from the surface as far as it was practicable with tools corresponding to our pick and hoe, hammer and chisel. The shafts frequently extended into the ground a distance of 180 to 200 ft. The rock when too hard to be dug out was first cracked by having fires built on it. The metal-bearing stone was carried in baskets to the surface, where the crushing and separating took place. The mining operations were performed by an army of slaves who were kept at their work day and night, driven with the lash until they died, when their places were taken by others.
See METALS; CRAFTS, II, 10.
James A. Patch | Multi-Version Concordance Mine (2991 Occurrences) Mine occurs 2991 times in 12 translations. You can narrow your search using the Advanced Bible Search. Continued... |