Plural of bdellium; an aromatic resin or gum produced by certain trees in Africa and Asia, historically used in perfumes and medicines.
From Greek 'bdellion' (βδέλλιον), likely borrowed from a Semitic source. The resin was highly valued in ancient trade and mentioned in biblical texts. The modern plural adds the English '-s' ending.
Bdellium is mentioned in the Bible and was worth its weight in gold in ancient times—it's a word that survived millennia of linguistic change because the precious resin it named was so valuable in trade!
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