שֶׁנְהַבִּים

# Šenhabbim (שֶׁנְהַבִּים): Ivory in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *šenhabbim* denotes ivory and appears only twice in the biblical text. Based on its limited attestation, this term represents a specialized vocabulary item referring to a luxury material that, while not commonly mentioned, held enough significance to warrant distinct terminology in Hebrew. The rarity of *šenhabbim*—appearing in just two biblical passages—suggests it referred to a material that was either imported, expensive, or reserved for particular contexts such as royal furnishings or elite craftsmanship. This scarcity in the textual record reflects the likely scarcity of the material itself in ancient Israel, where ivory would have been a valuable commodity obtained through trade networks or as tribute from other regions. Without access to the specific biblical contexts of these two occurrences, we cannot determine whether *šenhabbim* was used metaphorically or carried symbolic associations in addition to its literal meaning as an ivory material. However, the existence of this dedicated term indicates that biblical Hebrew speakers recognized ivory as a distinct substance worth naming separately from other precious materials.