Revelation lists silk among Babylon's luxury trade goods, representing the height of expensive imports (18:12). In the ancient world, silk came from distant China along trade routes that made it extraordinarily costly. Only the wealthy could afford garments of this shimmering fabric. The Greek term σηρικός derives from Σῆρες, the Greeks' name for the Chinese people. John's inclusion of silk in Babylon's cargo manifest emphasizes both the city's vast commercial networks and its appetite for extravagant luxuries—economic practices subject to divine judgment.