Algum

Algum (also spelled almug) is an imported timber that enters Israel's record only in connection with Solomon's temple project. The wood is fetched by sea from Ophir and requested by land out of Lebanon, and at Jerusalem it is worked into both the fabric of the house of Yahweh and the instruments of its singers. The two parallel narratives — Kings and Chronicles — preserve the wood under two spellings and put it to overlapping but distinct uses.

Cargo from Ophir with Hiram's Fleet

The first notice of the timber comes in the account of Hiram's gold-bearing fleet. Riding alongside the gold are quantities of the rare wood and precious stones: "And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees and precious stones" (1Ki 10:11). The Chronicler gives the same shipment in joint terms — Tyrian and Israelite crews working a shared expedition: "And the slaves also of Huram, and the slaves of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum-trees and precious stones" (2Ch 9:10). The wood is paired with gold and gems, marking it as a luxury import rather than an ordinary building stock.

A Request out of Lebanon

Alongside the sea-borne supply from Ophir, Solomon writes to Huram for the same timber from the cedar country. His request groups algum with the standard Lebanese building woods: "Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, and algum-trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that your slaves know how to cut timber in Lebanon: and, look, my slaves will be with your slaves" (2Ch 2:8). The wood is therefore named in two supply lines — by ship from Ophir and by Tyrian foresters out of Lebanon — both feeding the same building program.

Worked into the House of Yahweh

At Jerusalem the timber is taken up into the temple structure itself and into the king's adjoining house. Kings reports the wood made into architectural members and musical instruments: "And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, to this day" (1Ki 10:12). Chronicles records the parallel application with one variant in the architectural element — terraces in place of pillars — but the same musical use: "And the king made of the algum-trees terraces for the house of Yahweh, and for the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah" (2Ch 9:11).

A Wood Without Equal

Both accounts close on the same superlative. Kings remarks that no comparable algum had come into the land "to this day," and Chronicles likewise that "there were none such seen before in the land of Judah" (2Ch 9:11). The wood appears in scripture only in this single moment of Solomonic procurement; after the temple's furnishing it is not named again. Its weight in the record is concentrated entirely on this one project — pillars or terraces in the house of Yahweh, and harps and psalteries for the singers who served there.