The most recurring symbol for Ivory in religion and myth is life or resurrection. Many myths worldwide represent ivory as the flesh of a deity; it expresses a cyclical, organic concept of nature and existence, with parallels in many cultures. White ivory (sometimes considered the purest) is particularly associated with spiritual purification and perfection. Ivory is a smooth, hard, relatively heavy, and very durable white substance that can be found within the tusks of some mammals. In contrast to teeth that are made of dentin and covered in enamel, ivory is made from cellulose and covered in a material similar to fingernails called keratin.
Ancient ivory was mostly found as teeth or tusks. In ancient times and even today, ivory is still used for carving decorative items and utensils. It has been valued for use in billiard balls, piano keys, combs, brushes, soccer balls and guitar picks. Ivory is a substance that has been used for centuries as a precious material in sculptures, jewelry, and other fine art. It is made from tusks of elephants and other animals. The main reason ivory was so prized is because it’s rare. The only place where you can find it is in the teeth of animals like elephants and hippopotamuses. This means that it has to be harvested from dead animals, which makes it very expensive to use. Ivory’s spiritual meaning comes from the fact that ivory represents wisdom and knowledge.
This is why it was often used in sculptures of wise people like Buddha or Greek philosophers like Socrates or Plato. Ivory also represents strength because elephants have such large tusks that they can use them as weapons if they need to defend themselves against predators or poachers who want to kill them for their ivory! Ivory is a symbol of purity, faith and protection. It is traditionally associated with the color white and the season winter. The word ivory comes from the Latin word for elephant, ‘elephas’ and it was used as a material for carving due to its strength and density. Ivory has many symbols associated with it in different cultures, such as: In Christianity: ivory represents Jesus’ resurrection; In Buddhism: ivory represents purity; In Hinduism: ivory represents faith; In Judaism: ivory represents protection.
Spiritual Meaning Of Ivory
In modern times, ivory has become a highly charged symbol; although the material has been utilized by humans for millennia, the large-scale hunting of rare animals for their ivory has long been a prominent issue in the conservation community. Ivory has acquired many symbolic meanings over the centuries, some of which bridge the gap between ancient and modern.
When one thinks of ivory, usually the first animal that comes to mind is the elephant. While this is an accurate association, there are other animals from which ivory is obtained, notably the sperm whale, walrus, narwhal, and even the remains of extinct woolly mammoths. Regardless of its origin, ivory carries important symbolism in many cultures.
Due to its creamy white color, ivory is strongly associated with purity. Combined with its relative ease to shape and carve, ivory was long the material of choice for crucifixes, devotional statues, and other religious items. In places such as China and the Philippines, this practice is still widespread, and has generated much controversy connected to the illegal poaching of elephants for their tusks.
In ancient Greece, ivory was used in the creation of two of antiquity’s artistic masterpieces; the giant statue of Athena that once stood in the Parthenon in Athens, and the massive statue of Zeus in the temple at Olympia, the latter regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Since ivory was not native to Greece- therefore difficult to obtain in large quantities- its use in two such monumental projects indicates the reverence in which the people held these gods.
Ivory also appears in the Bible as a symbol of wealth and splendor. The Old Testament’s Books of Kings says that King Solomon not only received ivory as a trade item, but his throne is described as made of ivory and overlaid with gold. A parallel can perhaps be drawn between the throne of Solomon and the statue of Zeus at Olympia; both figures were kings in their own capacity (Solomon of Israel, Zeus of all the gods), so ivory could also be seen as a symbol of royalty.
Despite an international ivory ban that was established to protect animal populations from being poached, illegal ivory is still a substantial, multi-national industry. To many, ivory stands as a symbol of animal cruelty and the greed of the human population.
What Does Ivory Symbolize
Ivory, as in the rich white tusk of an elephant, represents purity, beauty, and wisdom. Weanng real ivory may evoke protective energies. Dream Source: Ariadne’s Book of Dream. Author: Ariadne Green. Symbolic of luxury, Amos 3:15.
Hebrew plural: shenhabbim
Carved cylindrical box of ivory from 15th century B.C. Greece, as displayed in the Ancient Agora Museum in Athens.
Ivory was a prestigious material often used by elite ancient craftsmen and royalty. The “tusks of elephants”) were used in decorations from early ancient times by the Egyptians, and a great trade in it was carried on by the Assyrians (Ezek. 27:6; Rev. 18:12).
“…With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus.” —Ezekiel 27:6 NASB
Ivory was used by the Phoenicians to ornament the boxwood rowing-benches of their galleys, and King Hiram’s skilled workmen made Solomon’s throne of ivory (1 Kings 10:18).
Ivory was also brought by the caravans of Dedan (Isa. 21:13), and from the East Indies by the navy of Tarshish (1 Kings 10:22).
King Ahab built an opulent ivory house (1 Kings 22:39), and “ivory palaces” are mentioned in Psalm 45:8.
The prophet Amos records the words of God’s judgment, which include,
“‘…The houses of ivory will also perish
And the great houses will come to an end,’
Declares the Lord.”
…Those who recline on beds of ivory
And sprawl on their couches…” —Amos 3:15; 6:4 NASB
The prophet Ezekiel mentions,
“The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment.” —Ezekiel 27:15 NASB
Many specimens of ancient Egyptian and Assyrian ivory-work have been preserved.
The word habbim is derived from the Sanscrit ibhas, meaning “elephant,” preceded by the Hebrew article (ha); and hence it is argued that Ophir, from which it and the other articles mentioned in 1 Kings 10:22 were brought, was in India.
Benefits Of Wearing Ivory
Elephant tusks evolved from teeth, giving the species an evolutionary advantage. They serve a variety of purposes: digging, lifting objects, gathering food, stripping bark from trees to eat, and defense. The tusks also protect the trunk—another valuable tool for drinking, breathing, and eating, among other uses.
Just as humans are left or right handed, elephants, too, are left tusked or right tusked. The dominant tusk is usually more worn down from frequent use.
Both male and female African elephants have tusks, while only male Asian elephants, and only a certain percentage of males today, have tusks.