Abenesra and Kimchi explain the Hebrew ahlmh in an analogous manner, deriving it from hlm, to dream hlm in its first meaning signifies "to be hard". The Greek name alludes to the popular belief that amethyst prevented intoxication as such, drinking vessels were made of amethyst for festivities, and carousers wore amulets made of it to counteract the action of wine. It is the third stone in the third row of the rational, representing the tribe of Issachar (Ex., xxviii, 19 xxxix, 12 ) the Septuagint enumerates it among the riches of the King of Tyre (Ezech., xxviii, 13 ). This is the twelfth and last stone of the foundation of the New Jerusalem. Magaliesburg, South Africa Facet Cut AmethystĪmethyst, Heb. The banded agate is used for the manufacturing of cameos.Īmethyst Amethyst. Formerly, an agate that was banded with well-defined colours was the onyx. Within mythology, the eagle placed an agate in its nest to guard its young against the bite of venomous animals, and the red agate was credited with the power of sharpening vision.Īt present, agate and onyx differ only in the manner in which the stone is cut: if it is cut to show the layers of colour, it is called agate if cut parallel to the lines, onyx. Agate was supposed to void the toxicity of all poisons and counteract the infection of contagious diseases if held in the hand or in the mouth, it was believed to alleviate fever. Various medicinal powers were attributed to this stone until far into the Middle Ages. Its conchoidal cleavage makes it susceptible to a highly polished state. This mode of formation results in the bands of various colours which it contains. The stone belongs to the silex family ( chalcedony species) and is formed by deposits of The Greek and Latin names are taken from the river Achates (the modern Dirillo), in Sicily, where this stone was first found ( Theophrastus, " De lapid.", 38 Pliny, "Hist. Caravans having brought the stone to Palestine. The Hebraic derivation derives shbw from shbb "to flame" it may also be related to Saba ( shba). The etymological derivation of the Hebrew word is unclear, but the stone has generally been acknowledged to be the agate. This is the second stone of the third row of the rational, where it likely represented the tribe of Asher. achates (Ex., xxviii, 19 xxxix, 12, in Heb. The list comprises comparative etymological origins and referential locations for each stone in the Bible.Īgate Mexican crazy lace agate AgateĪgate, Heb. However, we know most of the stones were precious in Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia. Another problem is nomenclature names having changed in the course of time: thus the ancient chrysolite is topaz, sapphire is lazuli, etc. Therefore, stones of the same or nearly the same colour, but of different composition or crystalline form, bear identical names. The ancients did not classify their gemstones by analyzing their composition and crystalline forms: names were given in accordance with their colour, use or their country of origin. Josephus claimed he had seen the actual stones. Both Book of Ezekiel, xxviii, 13, and Book of Revelation, xxi, 18–21, are patterned after the model of the rational and further allude to the Twelve Tribes of Israel.Īt the time of the Septuagint translation, the stones to which the Hebrew names apply could no longer be identified, and translators used various Greek words. The twelve stones of the breastplate and the two stones of the shoulder-ornaments were considered by the Jews to be the most Gemstones are mentioned in connection with the breastplate of the High Priest of Israel ( Book of Exodus, xxviii, 17–20 xxxix, 10–13), the treasure of the King of Tyre ( Book of Ezekiel, xxviii, 13), and the foundations of the New Jerusalem ( Book of Tobit, xiii, 16–17, in the Greek text, and more fully, Book of Revelation, xxi, 18–21). King Solomon even equipped a fleet which returned from Ophir, laden with gems ( Books of Kings, x, 11). When they were settled in the Land of Israel, they obtained gemstones from the merchant caravans travelling from Babylonia or Persia to Egypt, and those from Saba and Raamah to Tyre ( Book of Ezekiel, xxvii, 22). At the time of the Exodus, the Bible states that the Israelites took gemstones with them ( Book of Exodus, iii, 22 xii, 35–36). The Hebrews obtained gemstones from the Middle East, India, and Egypt. Much has been written about the precise identification of these stones, although largely speculative. JSTOR ( December 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī range of gemstones are mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Gemstones in the Bible" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
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