7:23 the sea of cast metal. A huge circular basin holding up to eight thousand gallons of water (2 Chr. 4:5 note). According to Chronicles, the priests used the Sea for cleansing (2 Chr. 4:6). Its symbolic significance is disputed. Some scholars highlight the positive attributes of water as life-giving, while others argue that the bronze Sea commemorates God’s power over the forces of chaos, typified by the sea (cf. Rev. 21:1).