King Solomon of the Royal House of David is the richest human in the world – ever. And the legend of King Solomon’s gold mines, where much of his wealth came from, has haunted the minds of Arabs and Europeans alike, for centuries. According to the Bible, King Solomon, the wise son of David, ruled in Jerusalem from 970 – 931 BC. He was Israel’s third king and ruled during the nation’s Golden Age. Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and his riches.
Now, the crowning achievement of Solomon’s illustrious reign was the building of a magnificent temple on Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was a monument to God and a permanent home for the sacred Ark of the Covenant. Solomon spared no expense on this building.
In fact, Solomon’s temple was perhaps the most beautiful building the world has ever seen. Everything inside was gold. The dishes, bowls, lamps, lampstands, and 500 shields were all made of solid gold. But that wasn’t all. Notice what the Bible says in 1 Kings 6:20-30:
“Solomon built the temple… and lined its walls inside with cedar boards… he overlaid the whole interior with gold… he also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms with gold.” (1 Kings 6:20-30)
A golden temple – walk inside, and all you would see was gold! All the furniture was solid gold. Then, the walls, the ceiling, and even the floors were all covered with pure gold.
No wonder many people believe that Solomon’s Temple was the most magnificent edifice ever built. A golden temple – the idea is breathtaking! King Solomon’s Temple was a glory of gold.
It seems that there was gold everywhere. By the end of his reign, it’s estimated that Solomon had accumulated over 500 tons of gold. Today it would be worth, not billions, but trillions of dollars. It was the largest concentration of gold on the face of the planet.
But where did all this gold come from? Well, the Bible provides a clue in 1 Kings 10, where it tells of the Queen of Sheba’s royal visit to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon. She gave him a large quantity of gold as well as precious stones and spices.
The gift of gold amounted to 120 talents, roughly 20 tonnes. In due course the two entered into trade agreements between their countries. As a result, Solomon’s navy, his ships, brought gold from the land of Ophir. Notice what the Bible says in 1Kings 10:
“The Queen of Sheba… came to Jerusalem with… very much gold… she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold… and the king had a navy and the navy also of Hiram… brought gold from Ophir… King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.”
So, we are told that all this gold came from the land of Ophir. But that’s where the clues stop and the trail goes cold. Out of this mystery grew the legend that was to obsess adventurers, explorers and treasure hunters for centuries – and drive the search for Ophir, and King Solomon’s fabled gold mines.
Well, this is Ophir. No, not the Ophir of King Solomon’s Mines, but Ophir located not far from the mighty Macquarie River and just east of the town of Orange in New South Wales, Australia. Now, please don’t be too disappointed, because there is gold here – tonnes of it!
Join us this week as we take a closer look at the history of the Australian gold rushes and some of the significant events that shaped this exciting time, and the special message it carries for us today.
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SEARCHING FOR GOLD
Ophir in New South Wales, is famous for gold. In fact, it’s the region where gold was first discovered in Australia in 1851, which is why it was named after the legendary ancient port mentioned in the Bible. This monument commemorates the discovery of gold here. The discovery triggered the Australian gold rush, leading large numbers of prospective miners to flock to the area in search of gold.
Interestingly, gold had been discovered in Australia prior to 1851, but each time the discovery was made it was not widely publicised. This was mainly because the Colonial government of the time feared that both convicts and settlers would abandon their jobs in the established settlements in favour of seeking their fortunes in gold.
But the government couldn’t keep a lid on gold fever forever, and before long, word of the California gold rush, which kicked off in 1848, began to spread through the Australian colony and men who were struggling to survive boarded ships headed for America in search of a quick fortune.
This exodus, which was exactly what government officials had feared in the first place, prompted the government of New South Wales to quickly take steps to encourage the search for gold in Australia. As an incentive, they offered large sums of money to whoever discovered sizable deposits of gold.
EDWARD HARGRAVES
Edward Hargraves, an Englishman who had arrived in Australia in 1832, heard about the California gold rush and decided to try his luck mining for gold in America. Hargraves had spent much of his time in Australia as a squatter, or someone who occupied Crown Land with no legal rights, to make a living grazing livestock. But Hargraves struggled to make enough money.
Eager to try his hand at panning gold in the rich gold fields of America, Hargraves left his wife and children at home in Sydney and booked a passage on a ship bound for San Francisco. He spent the better part of eighteen months panning for gold in California, but met with little success.
He returned home empty-handed but not dejected. Instead of curing him of gold fever, his experiences in the California gold fields convinced Hargraves that gold could be discovered in large quantities in Australia as well.
Hargraves set out from Sydney on horseback on the morning of 5 February 1851, convinced that if he could find terrain that was similar to what he had seen around the California gold fields he would discover gold in Australia as well.
Five days later he arrived at the Guyong Inn in Guyong, a small rural locality 40km west of Bathurst, in central west New South Wales, where he enlisted the help of John Lister, who was familiar with the area, and they managed to find a pick, trowel, a tin dish and a rocking cradle, which he could use to wash the soil and pan for gold.
They set off on 12 February, here along Lewis Pond Creek. After travelling about 24kms, or 15 miles, Hargraves came to the spot he had been looking for.
The terrain was a lot like the terrain surrounding the California gold fields, and he was sure that if there was gold to be found in Australia it would most certainly be in here. Finding a suitable spot, Hargrave began to dig up soil, toss it into his little tin dish and wash out the soil with water from the river.
A MEMORABLE DAY!
On the first pass he found what he was looking for; a small piece of gold. He continued to dig up soil and wash it out in his little pan until he had found more gold. Excited by the find, he told his guide, “This is a memorable day in the history of New South Wales!”
It turned out that Hargraves’ hunch had been right. There was gold to be found in Australia, and Edward Hargraves was the first to officially discover it. Before long this area surrounding Lewis Ponds Creek would be flooded with an influx of eager miners all looking for gold. The area was given the name of Ophir and the Australian gold rush was underway
Soon after Hargrave’s discovery here on the banks of Lewis Pond Creek, he decided to explore the area further to determine if there was more gold to be found. He decided to visit the Macquarie River and was accompanied by John Lister and his friends, the brothers William and James Tom.
At the time New South Wales was in the midst of a drought and the river was sluggish and running low. Hargrave and his assistants waded out into the river and began to pan the river bed in search of gold. Hargraves was satisfied that there was gold to be found in that area as well.
Over the next few days he travelled around the area, trying to figure out the extent of the gold deposits. Once he was satisfied with the fact that there was gold to be had across a vast swathe of the area around the Macquarie River, Hargraves decided to alert the government of his discovery.
Fearing that someone else might beat him to it, he high-tailed it back to Sydney and got in touch with the Colonial Secretary. Hargraves explained the extent of his discovery, and then showed off some of the specimens he had discovered in the area.
At first, the Colonial Secretary, Edward Deas Thompson was skeptical. He couldn’t understand why the government-appointed geologist hadn’t discovered the gold deposits in the first place, especially if they were as extensive and as rich as Hargraves claimed they were.
Eventually, after a lengthy interview the Secretary relented and was willing to credit Hargrave with the discovery and agreed to compensate him for it as promised by the government. Once it was done Hargrave wasted no time in making his discovery public.
GOLD RUSH!
By May 1851 the first Australian gold rush was in full swing, thanks to Hargraves’ discovery, coupled with the discovery of 120g of gold made by John Lister, and William and James Tom, who had been trained by Hargrave to pan for gold.
By the middle of May 1851, over 300 diggers had flooded the area and gold was beginning to flow from Bathurst down to Sydney, providing diggers with a lucrative source of quick cash. One of the diggers, Edward Austin, sold a nugget worth 35 pounds in Sydney, which would have been the equivalent of a couple of thousand dollars today.
The influence of the gold rush in New South Wales soon spread to Victoria where gold was discovered in Castlemaine and Clunes in April of 1851. All in all, the Australian gold rush triggered what was probably the most important period of economic development in Australia.
In fact, the impact of the gold rush was so immense that between 1851 and 1861 Australia produced one third of the world’s gold and by the end of the nineteenth century Australia was the largest producer of gold in the world.
In the early days of the gold rush many of the diggers who flocked to the newly discovered gold fields were low income earners, squatters or drovers who were struggling to make ends meet and support their families.
Most brought along makeshift tents or pitched bark huts along the banks of the rivers that they chose to pan in. They were able to purchase equipment and supplies inexpensively and gain access to the mining site by paying a licensing fee to the government.
When they did strike gold, however – which many of them inevitably did – they were able to sell the gold and multiply their meagre incomes. The success in the gold fields triggered a wave of economic advancement right across the colonies.
STRIKING IT RICH
Faced with the prospect of losing their workers to the gold fields, employers were forced to pay their workers higher wages in order to keep them. Suddenly, ordinary Australians who had been struggling to make ends meet found that they were able to make good money and live comfortably.
Because of these changes the Australian working class experienced the best living conditions of any working class anywhere in the world.
Much like the Californian gold rush, the Australian gold rush attracted fortune seekers from around the world, all hoping to strike it rich. In fact, within ten years of the start of the gold rush the population of Australia doubled. At first many of the immigrants were mainly young men looking to strike it rich, but as the gold rush continued these early arrivals were followed by professionals, businessmen and skilled craftsmen.
A mining camp was made up of a rough mixture of tents and bark huts, slapped together in a haphazard fashion on the banks of whatever creek the diggers were panning around. Because of the nature of panning, clean water was almost non-existent.
The diggers muddied the creeks in their quest for gold, which meant that finding clean water to cook in was next to impossible. This, coupled with the meagre supply of food, led to regular outbreaks of dysentery and typhoid. But it wasn’t just the unsanitary living conditions that plagued diggers.
The gold fields were rife with violence, because it wasn’t just settlers who came down to the goldfields, but many ex-convicts came looking for gold too. And it also attracted bushrangers who were only too happy to waylay any unsuspecting victims on their journey to sell their gold in the big cities of Melbourne and Sydney.
So, exactly how did a digger go about panning for gold in the overcrowded and trigger-happy goldfields? Well, once a digger got down to the site where he planned to do much of his mining, he would stake his claim on a space of land.
In order to retain his claim on this space, a digger was required to work on it every day with the exception of Sunday. If he was unable to do this, someone else would step in and steal his claim. This was called claim-jumping.
In time, these little mining settlements began to morph into townships. Tents were exchanged for more permanent dwellings and businesses began to crop up and offer their services to miners.
However, supplies needed to be brought in by cart which made the goods themselves very expensive. Soon boarding houses and hotels began to make an appearance along the rustic main street of the new settlement, slapped together with rough wood and then lined with calico to give them a decent appearance.
Sadly, only a small percentage of diggers actually managed to find enough gold to strike it rich. Many of those who came to dig went away empty-handed, having spent their time and money and energy on a failed venture.
MINING THE GOLD
Despite all these hardships the vast majority of diggers, be they locals or immigrants, dug in their heels and settled down for the long haul, determined to make their fortunes panning for gold.
So, how did these early diggers mine for gold? For the most part they used a cradle and gold pan to find gold that was fairly close to the surface. Both implements required rocking motions in order to separate gold from the mixture of gravel and water that encased it.
The mining cradle which was also known as a rocker box was a one-sided box which was open on the top and on one end. It was placed on rockers. The inside bottom of the box was lined with riffles and a carpet which was designed to trap the gold. Most rockers used by the early miners were home-made.
As time went on, diggers began to settle into the goldfields more permanently. They began to use more sophisticated equipment to reach gold ore that was not as easily accessible. They also used a more systematic scientific approach to mining and often organised themselves into companies.
LONG ODDS
What is most significant about the Australian gold rush, or even the California gold rush for that matter, is the lengths to which prospectors were willing to go in order to have a chance at striking gold and making a fortune.
Often they were willing to not only risk their lives, but also their livelihoods. Many of them left their homelands and struck out towards an unknown shore, all in the hopes of making a fortune and providing a better life for themselves and their families.
Frequently they faced challenges and setbacks but, instead of backing down in the face of difficulty they soldiered on, determined to reach their goal and try their hand at finding gold. Interestingly it wasn’t just the courage, determination or even perhaps greed that is most striking.
The most striking thing about the gold rushes is that people were willing to gamble so much on such long odds because they understood the value of gold. If they could get their hands on a significant chunk of gold then there was no doubt that they would make a fortune.
TRUE VALUE
It was the inherent, unshakeable value of the gold itself that spurred these diggers onwards, even in the face of great sacrifice. See, as human beings we are often willing to go to great lengths and make great sacrifices in order to obtain something we think is valuable.
Jesus explored this concept in two parables found in Matthew chapter 13. The first is found in verse 44, where Jesus says,
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
In this parable the treasure Jesus refers to is the good news of salvation. It is inside the soil of God’s word and requires a certain amount of digging to unearth, but once it is unearthed it is a treasure of inestimable worth.
In fact the man in the parable valued this treasure so much that he was willing to sell everything he had in order to buy the field so he could have the treasure. Much like gold prospectors were quick to see the value of gold, the man in this parable was quick to see the value of salvation through Jesus Christ.
And much like the diggers who were willing to make a significant investment of their time and money in order to pan for gold, the man in the parable was willing to make a significant investment in order to acquire the field and the treasure.
The second parable that Jesus gives us is found in Matthew 13:45-46 where Jesus says,
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Once again the man in the parable finds something he greatly values and once again he is willing to make a significant investment in order to acquire it. In life, we’re often willing to invest our time, resources and energies into something that we think is valuable.
Thousands of eager prospectors swarmed over the Australian goldfields seeking their fortune. They were convinced that the goldfields held the key to securing a better life for themselves and their families.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF TREASURE
Jesus presents us with a different kind of treasure. A treasure that is incorruptible and eternal. A treasure that will last beyond the fleeting insecurities and uncertainties of this world, and offer us a reward that is far richer and more lasting than anything this world can offer.
The Bible tells us that the good news of Salvation is free to everyone who is willing to seek it. In Isaiah 55:1 the Bible says
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
This is an invitation to every human being on the planet to come to Jesus so that they can find the peace and hope and eternal life that he offers. Indeed, it is a treasure that is far more valuable than all the gold of Ophir, here in New South Wales, or the Ophir of Solomon’s Mines, or anything else the world can offer.
Jesus says in John 10:10,
“I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Friends, what Jesus has to offer us is of far greater value than the richest gold fields the world can offer. The Bible offers us a glimpse of this treasure. A treasure not measured in dollars and cents, but a treasure measured in love, joy, peace and hope.
SPECIAL OFFER AND CLOSING PRAYER
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If you have enjoyed our visit to the goldfields of Ophir and our reflections on the real treasure found in God’s Word, the Bible, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray for God’s wisdom and guidance in our lives.
Dear Heavenly Father, today we have considered the value of gold. But more importantly we have been reminded of the gift of salvation and eternal life, and your great and unconditional love for us. May we always remember just how much you love us, and that you accept us just as we are. And so Lord we come to you today, to accept Jesus and your great love for us. Please guide us now as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and prepare for His soon return. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
