עזרא, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ״ז

The return to the Temple brought with it a collection of dedicated items, revealing not just an abundance of gold, but also the surprising worth of rare copper pieces whose beauty and quality rivaled gold itself. Among the treasures were golden bowls, primarily understood as basins used for throwing blood upon the altar for atonement [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, these may have been sheets of beaten gold [רס״ג].

Their value or weight was measured in a unit of a thousand Persian gold coins, though there is an opinion that this term actually refers to types of pearls [רס״ג]. The primary approach among commentators is that the combined weight or value of all twenty golden vessels together equaled one thousand gold coins [רש״י, רלב״ג, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. However, others suggest that each individual vessel weighed a thousand coins on its own [מצודת דוד], or that a separate donation of a thousand coins was given alongside the twenty items [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond the gold, the collection included two exceptional copper vessels. This was no ordinary copper, but rather a high-quality, polished alloy—perhaps brass—that gleamed with a bright yellow finish [אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, רלב״ג, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These two items were so beautiful and rare that their worth was considered entirely equal to that of actual gold [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A unique tradition sheds light on the identity of these two pieces, tracing them all the way back to the days of Moses. According to this view, they were a sweet-sounding copper cymbal and a copper mortar used for preparing the sacred incense. Having survived the era of the First Temple, these ancient historical vessels remained deeply cherished. Even though they had been damaged over time and never repaired, their immense historical and spiritual significance made them as precious and beloved as the finest gold [רס״ג].