Bdellium

Bdellium appears twice in the Hebrew scriptures, once as a precious substance found in the land of Havilah and once as the visual standard for the appearance of the manna.

A Precious Substance of Havilah

The Eden geography, describing the river Pishon's circuit around Havilah, lists bdellium with gold and the onyx stone as goods of that land: "and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone" (Ge 2:12). Bdellium is set among materials valued for trade and ornament.

The Likeness of the Manna

In the wilderness, the appearance of the manna is described by reference to bdellium: "And the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance as the appearance of bdellium" (Nu 11:7). The substance is invoked because its look is recognizable enough to anchor the description — the manna's color or translucence is fixed against the familiar appearance of bdellium.