toward the proper view and use of other material possessions that a Christian may have.—See HUMILITY.

MOLADAH

(Mo·laʹdah) [birth, origin].

One of the cities in southern Judah allotted to Simeon. Moladah remained in the hands of this tribe at least down till David’s reign. (Josh. 15:21, 26; 19:1, 2; 1 Chron. 4:24, 28, 31) After the exile Judeans resettled the site.—Neh. 11:25, 26.

Tell el-Milh, about fourteen miles (22 kilometers) E-SE of Beer-sheba, is often presented as a possible identification for Moladah.

MOLECH

(Moʹlech) [probably, meʹlekh (king) with the vowels of boʹsheth (shame) to denote abhorrence; possibly the same as Malcham (Jer. 49:1, 3; Zeph. 1:5), Moloch (Acts 7:43; compare Amos 5:26), Malcam (2 Sam. 12:30; 1 Chron. 20:2) and Milcom (1 Ki. 11:5, 33)].

A deity particularly associated with the Ammonites. (1 Ki. 11:5, 7, 33) At Jeremiah 32:35, Molech is referred to in parallel with Baal, suggesting, if not an identification, at least some connection between the two. Numerous authorities regard “Molech” as a title rather than the name of a specific deity, and, therefore, the thought has been advanced that the designation “Molech” may have been applied to more than one god.

It is generally agreed that the Malcam referred to at 2 Samuel 12:30 and 1 Chronicles 20:2 is the idol image of the Ammonite god Milcom or Molech, although the Hebrew term could be rendered “their king.” (Compare AV; AS.) Earlier in the Biblical account the Ammonite king is referred to by his name “Hanun” (2 Sam. 10:1-4); hence, it is reasonable to conclude that the name “Hanun” rather than “Malcam” would have appeared in the Scriptural record if the king rather than the idol were intended. Also, it is thought unlikely that a king would have worn a crown weighing about seventy-five pounds (c. 34 kilograms). For the same reason it has been suggested that David placed Malcam’s crown on his head only temporarily, perhaps to denote his victory over the false god. According to the reading of the Targum, which has been adopted by numerous translators, the crown had only one precious jewel. This has given rise to the view that it was the precious jewel, rather than the crown itself, that came to be on David’s head.

CHILD SACRIFICE TO MOLECH

God’s law to Israel prescribed the death penalty for anyone, even an alien resident, who would give his offspring to Molech. (Lev. 20:2-5) Nonetheless, apostate Israelites, both in the kingdom of Judah and in the ten-tribe kingdom, passed their offspring through the fire.—2 Ki. 17:17, 18; Ezek. 23:4, 36-39.

The ‘passing through the fire’ to Molech has been regarded by some as signifying a purification ritual by means of which children were devoted or dedicated to Molech; others understand this to mean actual sacrificing. That the Canaanites and apostate Israelites did sacrifice their children there can be no question. (Deut. 12:31; Ps. 106:37, 38) King Ahaz of Judah “proceeded to burn up his sons [son, Syriac Peshitta Version] in the fire.” (2 Chron. 28:3) The parallel passage, at 2 Kings 16:3, reads: “Even his own son he made pass through the fire.” This indicates that ‘passing through the fire’ is at least sometimes synonymous with sacrificing. Likely, however, the worship of Molech was not always and everywhere the same. For example, King Solomon, under the influence of his foreign wives, built high places to Molech and other deities, but not until the time of Ahaz is mention made of child sacrifice. (1 Ki. 11:7, 8) Undoubtedly if this abhorrent practice had existed earlier, it would have been denounced along with the other forms of idolatry existing during the reigns of the various kings. For this reason some commentators favor the view that the expression ‘to pass through the fire’ originally applied to a purification ritual and later came to signify actual sacrifice.

The “passing” to Molech mentioned at Leviticus 18:21 (NW ftn., 1953 ed.) evidently refers to devoting or dedicating children to this false god. This text has been variously translated: “You must not dedicate any of your children to the service of Molech.” (AT) “Thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make them pass through the fire to Molech.” (AS) “Thou shalt not give any of thy seed to be consecrated to the idol Moloch.” (Dy) “You must not allow the devoting of any of your offspring to Molech.”—NW.

Ahaz and Manasseh are the only Judean kings referred to as making their offspring pass through the fire. However, with the impetus given by these two kings to child sacrifice, the practice apparently became entrenched among the Israelites in general. (2 Ki. 16:3; 21:6; Jer. 7:31; 19:4, 5; 32:35; Ezek. 20:26) The children, at least at times, were first killed, rather than being burned alive.—Ezek. 16:20, 21.

King Josiah defiled Topheth, the chief center of Molech worship in Judah, in order to prevent anyone from making his offspring pass through the fire. (2 Ki. 23:10-13) But this did not eradicate the practice for all time. Ezekiel, who began serving as a prophet about fifteen years after the death of Josiah, mentions it as occurring in his day.—Ezek. 20:31.

The view has been advanced that the Molech to whom children were sacrificed had the form of a man but the head of a bull. The image is said to have been heated red hot and the children cast into its outstretched arms, thus to fall into the flaming furnace below. This conception is largely based on the description of the Carthaginian Kronos or Moloch given by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus of the first century B.C.E.

MOLE RAT

This translates the Hebrew word hhoʹledh, and the animal that it designates was unclean for food. (Lev. 11:29) Although numerous translations render hhoʹledh as “weasel” (AS, AV, RS), there is a basis for preferring “mole rat.” In Arabic, a language related to Hebrew, a very similar word, khuld, means “mole rat.” Also, hhoʹledh may be related to a post-Biblical Hebrew term signifying “dig” or “hollow out.” This would harmonize with the mole rat’s characteristic digging.

The mole rat is a rodent measuring eight inches (c. 20 centimeters) or more in length. It resembles a short-legged, tailless and neckless cylindrical lump of soft, thick fur, generally a yellowish gray-brown color. The head is recognizable by the furless muzzle and two pairs of large protruding teeth.

Mole rats live in underground communities and dig subterranean sleeping quarters and large storage chambers. These creatures subsist on vegetable matter, primarily on roots and bulbs. Thus they differ from true moles, which feed on insects and earthworms, and are not considered native to Palestine.

MOLID

(Moʹlid) [begetter].

A man of Judah and descendant of Hezron through Jerahmeel. Molid was the son of Abishur by his wife Abihail.—1 Chron. 2:4, 5, 9, 25-29.

MOLTEN SEA

(or, Copper Sea).

When the temple was constructed during Solomon’s reign, a “molten sea” replaced the portable basin of copper used with the earlier tabernacle. (Ex. 30:17-21; 1 Ki. 7:23, 40, 44) Built by Hiram, a Hebrew-Phoenician, it was evidently called a “sea” because of the large quantity of water it could contain. This vessel, also of copper, was “ten cubits [c. 14.6 feet or 4.4 meters] from its one brim to its other brim, circular all around; and its height was five cubits [c. 7.3 feet or 2.2 meters], and it took a line of thirty cubits [44 feet or 13.4 meters] to circle all around it.”—1 Ki. 7:23.

CIRCUMFERENCE

The circumference of thirty cubits is evidently a round figure, for more precisely it would be 31.4 cubits. In this regard, one Bible commentary contains the following information: “Up to the time of Archimedes [third century B.C.E.), the circumference of a circle was always measured in straight lines by the radius; and Hiram would naturally describe the sea as thirty cubits round, measuring it, as was then invariably the practice, by its radius, or semidiameter, of five cubits, which being applied six times round the perimeter, or ‘brim,’ would give the thirty cubits stated. There was evidently no intention in the passage but to give the dimensions of the Sea in the usual language that every one would understand, measuring the circumference in the way in which all skilled workers, like Hiram, did measure circles at that time. He, of course, must however have known perfectly well, that as the polygonal hexagon thus inscribed by the radius was thirty cubits, the actual curved circumference would be somewhat more.” Thus, it appears that the ratio of three to one (that is, the circumference being three times the diameter) was a customary way of stating matters, intended to be understood as only approximate.

OF COPPER

The copper sea was decorated with “gourd-shaped ornaments” and had as its base twelve figures of bulls, facing north, south, east and west in groups of three. The brim of the sea resembled a lily blossom. Since the thickness of this large vessel was a “handbreadth [about 2.9 inches or 7.4 centimeters]” it may well have weighed in the neighborhood of thirty tons [c. 27 metric tons]. (1 Ki. 7:24-26) This huge quantity of copper came from the supplies King David had obtained in his conquests in Syria. (1 Chron. 18:6-8) The casting was done in a clay mold in the region of the Jordan and was indeed a remarkable feat.—1 Ki. 7:44-46.

CAPACITY

The account at 1 Kings 7:26 refers to the sea as ‘containing two thousand bath measures,’ whereas the parallel account at 2 Chronicles 4:5 speaks of it as ‘containing three thousand bath measures.’ Some claim that the difference is the result of a scribal error in the Chronicles account. However, while the Hebrew verb meaning “contain” in each case is the same, there is a measure of latitude allowable in translating it. Thus some translations render 1 Kings 7:26 to read that the vessel “held” or “would contain” two thousand bath measures, and translate 2 Chronicles 4:5 to read that it “had a capacity of” or “could hold” or “could contain” three thousand bath measures. (AT, JB, NW) This allows for the understanding that the Kings account sets forth the amount of water customarily stored in the receptacle while the Chronicles account gives the actual capacity, brim-full, of the vessel.

There is evidence that the “bath measure” anciently equaled about 5.8 gallons (22 liters), so that, if kept at two-thirds capacity, the sea would normally hold around 11,600 gallons (44,000 liters) of water. For it to have had the capacity indicated it must not have had straight sides, but, instead, the sides below the rim or lip must have been curved, giving the vessel a bulbous shape. A vessel having such shape and having the dimensions stated earlier could contain up to 17,430 gallons (66,000 liters). Josephus, Jewish historian of the first century C.E., describes the sea as “hemispherical.” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, chap. III, par. 5) Josephus also indicates that the sea’s location was between the altar of burnt offering and the temple building, somewhat toward the S.—Ibid., par. 6.

Additional to the copper sea there were ten smaller copper basins resting on carts and these were evidently filled from the copper sea. (1 Ki. 7:38, 39) Rabbinical tradition is that the sea was equipped with faucets. The ten basins were used for washing certain sacrifices and likely for other cleansing work, but “the sea was for the priests to wash in it.” (2 Chron. 4:6) Some rabbis have held that the priests completely immersed themselves in the water of the copper sea, while Josephus says it was “for washing the hands and the feet of the priests.” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, chap. III, par. 6) Whatever the procedure, the copper sea is associated with priestly cleansing.

IN PROPHECY

This doubtless provides the key for understanding the references in the book of Revelation to the “glassy sea” seen before the throne of God in the apostle John’s vision. (Rev. 4:6; 15:2) It was “like crystal,” hence evidently having transparent sides (compare Revelation 21:18, 21) so that the contents could be seen. Those standing by it, persons victorious over the “wild beast” and its “image,” correspond to those “called and chosen and faithful” ones described at Revelation 17:14; 20:4-6. These serve as “priests of God and of the Christ” and as kings with Christ during his thousand-year rule. (Compare 1 Peter 2:9.) The position of this priestly class next to the “glassy sea” before God’s throne calls to mind the apostle’s reference to the Christian congregation’s being ‘cleansed with the bath of water by means of the word.’ (Eph. 5:25-27) Jesus also spoke of the cleansing power of the word of God that he proclaimed. (John 15:3) The ‘mingling of fire’ (Rev. 15:2) with the watery contents of the sea undoubtedly relates to judgments of God, for fire is frequently used in this connection and God himself is described as a “consuming fire” toward those rejecting his divine will.—Heb. 12:25, 29.

The symbolism of the “glassy sea” in John’s vision thus illustrates Paul’s inspired explanation that the earthly tabernacle and temple with their equipment and priestly functions served as patterns of heavenly things. (Compare Hebrews 8:4, 5; 9:9, 11, 23, 24; 10:1.) As to the significance of the figures of bulls on which the copper sea of Solomon’s temple rested, see BULL.

MONEY

A medium of exchange. Anciently, livestock often figured in barter, that is, the exchange of one item for another and evidently the oldest method for making a business transaction. indicative of this is the fact that the Latin word for money (pecunia) is drawn from pecus, meaning “cattle.” However, livestock (Gen. 47:17) and foodstuffs (1 Ki. 5:10, 11) were not always convenient mediums of exchange. Therefore metals such as gold and silver came to be used. As early as Abraham’s time precious metals served as money. But this was not standard coined money. It consisted of silver and gold, doubtless molded for convenience into bars, rings, bracelets or other standard shapes having a specific weight. (Compare Genesis 24:22; Joshua 7:21.) Often the metal objects were weighed by the individuals concerned when payment was made.—Gen. 23:15, 16; Jer. 32:10.

As business transactions involved weighing, understandably designations of weights were also monetary designations. (See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.) Among the Israelites there were five main divisions: the gerah, half shekel (bekah), shekel, maneh (mina) and talent. (Ex. 25:39; 30:13; 38:25, 26; 1 Ki. 10:17; Ezek. 45:12; see GERAH; MINA; SHEKEL; TALENT.) Their relationship and comparative modern values in gold and silver are set forth below. (Gold is calculated at $35.115 per ounce troy and silver at $1.293 per ounce troy; the ancient ratio of gold to silver, however, is considered to be 1 to 13.)

Gold Silver

1 gerah = 1/20 shekel $ .64 $ .0237

1 bekah = 10 gerahs 6.44 .237

1 shekel = 2 bekahs 12.89 .475

1 maneh = 50 shekels 644.35 23.73

1 talent = 60 manehs 38,661.00 1,423.59