Gold and Religion
Throughout the recorded history of mankind, gold occupies a high position. It is found in the economy as a carrier of value, in art as a symbol of greatness, and in social interactions as a sign of elevated status. Religions around the world reinforce this key place for gold, using it literally, in contexts linked to divinity, or metaphorically, as a mark of purity.
Today’s most widespread religion, encompassing more than two billion people – we are talking, of course, of Christianity in all its forms – is a rich source of examples of this attitude towards gold. In one of the most enduring and exciting legends of Christianity (see Exodus 25: 10-22), God himself, through the voice of Moses, ordered his people to build a wooden box to keep the Ten Commandments; the lid of this box was entirely of gold, adorned with two solid gold cherubs, so that from among them he would come out to speak to the people about him and appease their souls. King Solomon’s famous lost gold mines, believed to have existed (if they existed) in Africa, are mentioned in connection with the construction of the first temple in Jerusalem. Additionally, the wise men offered gold, along with frankincense and myrrh (all signs of royalty) to the infant Jesus.
It is remarkable that one of the oldest religions in the world, Hinduism, considers wealth as one of the four objectives that man faces during his life on earth. Along with righteousness (dharma), sensual pleasure (kama), and freedom (moksa), prosperity (artha) is even a duty for the Hindu man, who must amass as much wealth as possible without crossing the line of established morality. by the Vedas. Hindus consider gold pure enough to contain their souls: Yama, god of justice, is depicted holding a mirror of fire and a golden scale to measure the spirit of the dead as they enter the afterlife.
On the mischievous side of religious storytelling, the ancient Greek god Zeus, ruler of all other gods and men, known to be partial to earthly women, approached one of them (Danae), in the form of a shower of gold. . ; the result of this union was the hero Perseus (who killed the evil Medusa). The Golden Fleece, another famous piece of Greek mythology, is said to come from a winged ram sired by the sea god Poseidon.
Many other religions and beliefs treasure gold for its properties and use it to symbolize purity, constancy, divinity, etc. Most representations of gods, whether monotheistic or polytheistic, include some element of gold: most often a crown, or entire limbs made from it, the throne, the book of scriptures, etc. Clearly, since the dawn of civilized man, gold has been associated with value, and therefore validated above any other type of material possession.