The Eloquence of Silver: More on the Allegorization of Matter

Medieval Naturalia

“…24 Silver was considered only slightly less pure than gold and represented Christ's human nature rather than divinity. Under Gregory the Great's assertion that God was able to communicate via physical objects, silver acted as an eloquent transmitter and mediator between God and man 36 . In addition to the materiality, Thomas of Cantimpré allegorizes the refinement of silver as symbolic of the purging of sin, and the forming into shape as representative of the search for meaning through Scripture.…”