“There were hangings.” One only has to read this verse in several different versions to discover that what it is saying or how to translate it is not clear. It uses many technical words and words that only occur once and whose meaning is uncertain. Some scholars have proposed that this was done on purpose to elevate the exotic nature of the scene.

“porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other precious stones.” The text has words for the stones that are debated, and so the English translations vary somewhat. In any case, the scene was elegant in the extreme.