Define
- Strength, judgment, and healing
Additional Info
- Strength and rigidity: The Hebrew word for copper ((nechoshet)) is connected to the word for "snake" ((nachash)). As a metal, it symbolizes strength, hardness, and rigidity. The Tabernacle's altar was covered in copper, and the heavens are described as being "like copper" to denote drought in Lev-26:19.
- Judgment: Copper is most notably associated with divine judgment and the atonement process. The utensils for the altar of burnt offerings in the Tabernacle were made of copper.
- Healing: In the desert, after being bitten by venomous snakes, the Israelites were healed by looking upon a copper serpent Moses had made (Num-21:9). This serpent, called the Nehushtan, later had to be destroyed because people worshipped it. The Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah, states that copper symbolizes mercy and is the "secret to the source of life".
Connections
Connections