This word appears in Revelation 18:12 within the list of luxury goods no longer purchased after Babylon's fall. Originally denoting any crystalline stone that sparkles (from μαρμαίρω, 'to sparkle'), it came to mean specifically marble, the white limestone extensively used in Greco-Roman architecture and art. John's inclusion of marble in Babylon's cargo emphasizes the city's opulence and architectural grandeur. The fall of this commerce symbolizes the collapse of economic systems built on exploitation and luxury rather than justice, echoing prophetic denunciations of excessive wealth.