Job 28:1-10 - There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
Man puts an end to the darkness;
he searches the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,
in places forgotten by the foot of man;
far from men he dangles and sways.
The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
sapphires come from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon's eye has seen it.
Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
Man's hand assaults the flinty rock
and lays bare the roots of the mountains.
He tunnels through the rock;
his eyes see all its treasures.
I wonder what type of lighting they used down in the mines. Obviously electricity is not mentioned, so it probably wasn't light bulbs that lit their way. (Or was it?) Was it fire? Torches? Lanterns? Oil or gas?
Job says, "...far from men he dangles and sways." I wonder how far down the deepest mines went. How did they compare with mines of today? Had Job ever actually seen miners working? Had he been a miner?
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