1 Kings 6:35 - "On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid with gold evenly applied upon the carved work."

Carving was one of the very earliest activities, of man. Before primitive man knew anything about agriculture or clothing he had found a way of chipping, rubbing, or scraping many different kinds of materials into the sculptural shapes he desired. Bone, ivory, and horn carvings have been found that were made 50,000 years ago.

It is interesting to note that, apart from allusions, usually sarcastic, to the carvings of idols, all the Old Testament references to the carving of wood, stone, and metal pertain to the Tabernacle, or its successor, the Temple.

The recorder of the biblical record has made especial note of the carving on the bronze stand of th…