The walls and vaults of Romanesque cathedrals were often painted with frescoes. Stone sculpture played a huge role in decorating temples. The best Romanesque cathedrals are a remarkable unity of architecture, painting and sculpture.
Approaching the temple, the faithful from a distance saw the sculpture of the facades. They went inside through a richly decorated entrance - a portal (from the Latin word "port" - an entrance, a gate). The main portal was usually located on the western facade of the building. The massive bronze gates were often decorated with reliefs with biblical scenes.
The gaze of the incoming person inevitably settled on the reliefs located directly above the doors. Most often, there was an image of the Last Judgment.
Sculptures of the portal of the cathedral in Chartres. XII century
Probably the most famous of the medieval scenes of the Last Judgment adorns the portal of the Saint-Lazare Cathedral in the French city of Autun (this is a rare case when the name of the master is known - Gislebert). In the center of the composition is the motionless and formidable figure of Christ, who came to judge everyone by their deeds. On his right hand are the jubilant righteous, on the left are sinners shaking with horror, doomed to eternal suffering. Some of them have already fallen into the clawed paws of the devils. Nearby, the angel and the devil weigh on the scales the souls of those whose destinies have not yet been determined; they are agonizingly awaiting a decision. The most remarkable thing about this relief is the richness of human feelings. On the faces, in the movements of people, fear or hope, despair or joy are read. The main thing for the master is not the believability of the figures, but the suffering and passions of people, their rich spiritual life.
Entering the temple, the believer walked towards the altar, and in front of him on the walls, vaults, capitals of the columns, biblical scenes were successively unfolded: the creation of Adam, the Fall, the Annunciation, and Christmas. But the main figure was the figure of God the Almighty, the mighty ruler of the world, merciless towards unrepentant sinners. This is how the people of that time saw God. Approaching the altar, the believer had time to experience in his soul the main events of Sacred history. It is no coincidence that the temple was called “The Bible in stone”.
Weighing the souls of the dead. Relief of the cathedral in Autun
In the sculptural decoration of Romanesque churches, not only the religious feelings of people, but also their love for the fantastic, the extraordinary, manifested themselves. Here you will see ornaments, centaurs, dragons, monkeys playing chess. Breathtaking figurines of outlandish creatures, probably, helped many to while away the time of boring sermon. The most severe abbots and bishops condemned the popular fantasy that penetrated the temples, and some monastic orders forbade decorating their temples with sculpture.
) the crown of the Ammonite king, taken by David, was of gold and adorned with precious stones (). Articles made of precious stones are spoken of in, and dal., Compare "Print". Precious stones were used not only as decoration for festive and priestly clothes, but also in buildings. David collected precious stones for the construction of the temple () and Solomon surrounded the temple ().
In symbolic language, wisdom is more valuable than any precious stones (and dal.). The future Kingdom of God is represented by precious stones (both gave and gave); also the greatness of God himself (,,,). In the following places in the Bible, gems are connected and listed: and gave. and a parallel place and gave., where it is spoken of twelve stones on the breastplate of the high priest; , where, among the adornments of the Tyrian king, 9 precious stones are listed, and in and dal. - about 12 precious stones that served as the foundation of New Jerusalem. Based on the above and other places in the Bible, we give the description of the stones in alphabetical order.
Agate ( Heb. shebo) the eighth stone in the high priest's confidant. The present agate (after the name of the Agates River in Sicily), one of the types of quartz of various colors and patterns; there are milky white, greenish, smoky and black. In ancient times it was highly valued, whereas now it is not considered a precious stone at all.
Amethyst ( Heb. ahlamah) the ninth stone in the breastplate of the high priest and the twelfth in a transparent quartz crystal, often purple, sometimes purple in color. In ancient times, it served as a healing agent against intoxication, which is why the Greeks called it amethyst (not intoxicating). It is also believed that the word "Ahlamah" means the Egyptian stone malachite, which is distinguished by a beautiful green color.
Diamond ( Heb. agglom), the most precious of all stones, combines the transparency of water with the brilliance of fire and, in its hardness, is not amenable to the best file. This stone is designated in three places by the Hebrew name “Shamir”: y speaks of a forehead, which is harder than diamond - a symbol of lack of fear; further y - about hearts as hard as a diamond and y - about a diamond tip on an iron cutter. The polishing of a diamond, on which its value depends, was not familiar to the ancients; they knew him as a native crystal.
In some Bible translations the Hebrew word "yhahal", the sixth stone in the high priest's confidant and the third one is translated by the word "diamond". It is possible that this translation is not accurate, because all the stones in the confidant were engraved, and the diamond, in its hardness, defies a cutter. Some believe that the Hebrew word yahalom means jasper, an opaque, waxy quartz with various shades. In ancient times, they wore it in rings and used it as a seal.
Beryl eighth c, also called aquamarine, a less valuable genus of emerald. Beryl comes in green, blue or yellow in various shades. The ancients highly prized beryl from India, the color of sea water.
Hyacinth eleventh stone in, a reddish brown or reddish yellow gemstone; resembles a diamond with its brilliance. In a fire, hyacinth loses its color. The ancients received it from Ethiopia.
Carbuncle ( Heb."Nofek") the fourth in the breastplate of the high priest and the eighth in, the stone brought by the Syrians to Tire (). It is not known whether the Hebrew word nofek denotes carbuncle (Greek - anthrax) from Africa and India; a real Indian ruby or an easily engraved garnet.
In Heb. the word "yekdah" (from the root - to light a fire) means a precious stone, shiny like a red-hot coal, perhaps a carbuncle.
The crystal (,) mentioned in, in Hebrew "kerah" (ice), probably denotes rock crystal, which, according to the ancients, is ice hardened from severe frost. Apparently, the word "gavish" () has the same meaning.
Onyx ( Heb."Shoham"), the eleventh in the confidant and the fifth in. He is mentioned already in, as well as among the offerings of the Israeli rulers for the sanctuary (,). Two onyxes with the names of the tribes, six on each, were set in gold and adorned the ephod of the high priest (,). Onyx is also mentioned among other jewels in,. According to ancient translations, onyx is another name for beryl. Some believe that it is a dark green chrysopras. The name onyx (i.e. nail) was given to stones that had light layers of pinkish color, similar to the color of nails, turning into darker layers of different shades or spots of different colors.
Ruby , sardonic or sardis ( Heb."Clothe"), a precious stone, the first in the confidant of the high priest and y, the sixth century. He is also mentioned together with jasper when describing the glory of God (). This red stone, called by the ancients after the city of Sardis, was used for printing alone or on a ring. It was brought from Babylon, India and Egypt.
Sapphire Heb. sappier, fifth in the high priest's confidant, seventh in and second in. This precious stone, exported from Egypt and India, has been highly valued since ancient times. It is a brilliant azure color and therefore probably served as a symbolic image of the glory of God (,) and the future glory of Zion (). The beauty of Solomon is likened to ivory adorned with sapphires (). This comparison indicates either his blue clothing or blue veins, which made his ivory white body more beautiful. The princes of Israel () look like a sapphire. It speaks of sapphire as a rare stone.
Sardonyx fifth c, a variety of chalcedony - a transparent, shiny stone with a pink tint, which was brought from India and Arabia.
Emerald , Emerald ( Heb. brace), i.e. lightning, the third stone in the high priest's chest, the ninth in and the fourth in, a brightly shining gem, green. The ancients put it in second place after the diamond. They got it from Scythia, Ethiopia and other places. The rainbow around the throne of God shone like an emerald ().
Topaz ( Heb."Pitdah"), the second in the confidant of the high priest and u, the ninth c. Topaz is transparent like water and shines brightly, shimmering with all shades of yellow. The opinion is expressed that "pitdah" is not topaz, but chrysolite. The ancients received topaz from the islands of the Red Sea, which Pliny called the "Topaz Islands". Topaz from Ethiopia is cited as one of the most precious treasures.
The third chalcedony is believed to be the same as "shebo" or agate. The ancients called various types of stones chalcedony, after the city of Chalcedon near Byzantium, from where this stone was brought. Now this name denotes one of the types of quartz rock.
Chrysolite seventh century This is the name of the now transparent light-green gem, brought from India, Egypt and Brazil. Some believe that chrysolite is another name for turquoise.
Chrysolif, russ. per. topaz), Solomon's hands are likened to a row of golden round timber, set with Tarshian stones (Russian transl. topaz ().
Chrysopras tenth c. Now this name designates one of the varieties of chalcedony, painted with nickel oxide in an oily transparent green color.
Jasper ( Heb."Yashpeh"), the twelfth stone in the breastplate and the first in, is also mentioned in and in, where it is called the most precious and crystal-like. Therefore, some people think that this stone stands for diamond. See "Diamond". Others believe that "yashpeh" stands for opal, a milky-white stone that gleams with sparks of blue and red.
Yakhont ( Heb."Leshem"), the seventh in the confidant of the high priest, by all accounts, the same as the hyacinth. According to Pliny, yagont had the property of attracting light objects to itself, like amber. The order of 12 stones in the high priest's confidant can be seen from the following table, in which the Hebrew names are placed in the first place and under them the corresponding Russian names in the translation of the Bible in 1907 (Ed. British Bible. Common.). This table shows how difficult it is to establish complete accuracy when translating the names of these stones.
1. Odem - Ruby
2. Pitdah - Topaz
3. Bracket - Emerald
4. Mofek - Carbuncle
5. Sapir - Sapphire
6. Yahalom - Diamond
7. Leshem - Yakhont
8. Shebo - Agate
9. Ahlamah - Amethyst 10) Tarshish - Chrysolite 11) Shoham - Onyx 12) Yashpeh - Jaspis
It is not known in what order the names of the tribes of Israel were inscribed on these stones. Perhaps by seniority, as was the case with the inscription on the onyxes, which were on the amice of the high priest's clothing (), or were guided by the origin of the ancestors of the tribes from various mothers, or the order of their arrangement in the camp (). It is also unknown whether Levi's name was inscribed. If the name of Levi was there, then the names of Ephraim and Manasseh were probably combined under the name of Joseph.
Precious stones in the Bible ... Precious stones are those minerals, the distinctive features of which are hardness, transparency, luster and pleasant color and which are used to prepare expensive jewelry. Precious stones do not lie in the depths of the earth in extensive and massive layers, but are disseminated or incorporated into various rocks in the form of small grains, veins, and small fragments of stones. All of them in general are of a crystalline structure, otherwise they appear to the observer in the form of multifaceted bodies that have certain geometric outlines. Precious stones are rare and not in all countries, which greatly enhances their value. Since there are relatively few stones with the above-mentioned features, the need for them for various decorations has always been great, then, along with precious stones, stones having some or several of these properties have long been used. These latter are commonly referred to as semi-precious or precious stones. When determining which of the precious porridge is in front of the researcher, as well as when distinguishing these stones from one another, in cases of their external similarity with each other, attention is mainly paid to their hardness, specific gravity and chemical composition. 1) Of two bodies, the harder is the one that draws or cuts the other. To determine the hardness, choose a number of known bodies (ten in number), arrange them in the order of their hardness and the weakest of them (talc) is designated by the number "1", the hardest (diamond) by the number "10". If it is necessary to test any stone regarding its hardness, then the named bodies are drawn or cut with it, starting from No. 1. On the weaker ones, the test stone leaves a line. Now if on good steel, the hardness of which is "6", there is no line from the tested stone, then you need to draw with steel over the stone; if there is a line on the stone, then the stone has a hardness between five and six (5-6). If the stone does not cut steel and steel does not cut stone, then their hardness is the same and hence the hardness of the tested stone is "6". The hardness of precious and expensive stones mentioned in the Bible ranges between 6 and 10. 2) When determining the specific gravity, the test stone is weighed on a balance; let's say it weighs 30 spools. Then the same piece of stone is tied on a string to the scale pan and lowered into a substituted vessel with water so that the cup does not touch the water. Now the stone weighs less - let's say - 20 spools; therefore, it loses 10 spools in water. Dividing the weight of the stone in the air by this remainder, that is, 30 by 10, we get 3. This number (3) will denote the specific gravity of the stone. A different grade of stone will have a different specific gravity. Specific gravity the precious and semiprecious stones named in the Bible are determined by numbers from 2.5 to 4. 3) As for the chemical composition, each stone has its own unique composition; so, diamond consists of pure carbon, amethyst is a modification of quartz, the composition of beryl includes oxides of two metals: beryllium and aluminum, etc. perhaps the exceptions, their hardness and specific gravity.
Since ancient times, Jews have become familiar with precious and semiprecious stones, have long been accustomed to delighting their eyes with their brilliance and overflowing of their colors. Gems have never been found in Palestine; therefore, they were received here from other, foreign countries, sometimes in the form of gifts () and military booty (), but mainly by purchase, through the Arab, especially Phoenician merchants (Ezek. 27, 22). Precious stones in Palestine were directly obtained only under Solomon at the time when the ships of this king went, together with the Phoenician ships, to Ophir and delivered from there various kinds of rarities (.). As items of high value, precious stones were collected by Jewish kings and stored in treasuries, along with gold. So, David collected them as material for the future Jerusalem temple (); they were likewise placed in the treasury of King Hezekiah (). Gems were used by Jews for all kinds of decoration. They were used to decorate the liturgical vestments of the high priest (I. I.); they were inserted into golden vessels (); Solomon overlaid "expensive stones for beauty" interior walls the temple he built (). Using precious stones for decoration, the Jews followed in this example of neighboring countries, where the named stones could be seen on royal robes (Ezek. 28, 13.), in royal crowns () and on many other objects (.). Then precious stones were used by the Jews for the preparation of seals, and stones with seals carved on them were set in gold (I.). It should be noted that the Jews took the art of polishing precious stones, engraving them and lining them in gold (inserts into "nests") from Egypt; at least during the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness, among the Jews there were already persons skilled in carving on stones (). The works of ancient Jewish engravers were distinguished by the variety and grace of forms (I.).
Precious stones are named and listed in the biblical text several times, namely: when describing the "confidant of the judgment"; Ezek. 28, 13, indicating the extraordinary luxury in the clothing of the king of Tire, and when depicting heavenly Jerusalem, which was beheld in the vision of St. John the Evangelist. Moreover, some precious stones are named in other places in the Bible, for example,. P. et al. - Precious and semi-precious stones mentioned in the Bible, we will name and describe in alphabetical order.
Agate is a mixture or alloy of various modifications of quartz, such as jasper, amethyst, chalcedony, etc. All these modifications, combined in pieces of agate, do not lose their color, but are located in them as separate ones, different colors, in layers, and they go either in straight, parallel stripes, or in broken lines, or they take the form of various objects, for example, clouds. Due to the unequal number of multi-colored stripes, their different distribution and different shapes in pieces of agate, there are a lot of varieties of the latter - up to twenty. Agate is opaque, cloudy, like a jelly, a stone and belongs to the number of semi-precious stones. Agates with images inside their mass and resembling figures of animals or plants are comparatively highly valued. Agates of the last variety, that is, those containing, as it were, images of small bushes, tree branches, are called dendrites (from δένδρον - tree). Images of this kind, having a black, brown or reddish color, occurred inside agate masses from metallic solutions of iron or manganese, more precisely, from crystals of these solutions. Agate (lat. Ashates) got its name, according to Pliny, from the Ashates river in Sicily, where it was mined in ancient times. Locations of agate: Italy, Germany, Arabia, Syria, Ural, Upper Egypt, Brazil, etc. The Hebrew name for agate is schebo, LXX - ἀχάτης. In the Bible, agate is named among the 12 precious stones that adorned the “confidant of judgment”; the latter was part of the vestments of the Old Testament high priest, and on it the precious stones were arranged in four rows of three stones each, with agate occupying the second place in the third row. On each of the stones, it was carved, as on a seal, one name from among those names, which were designated the twelve tribes of Israel ().
Diamond(Hebrew jahalom) - the most famous stone, occupying the first place in the series of precious stones for its extreme hardness and high value. By its chemical composition, it is the purest carbon and can be burned. The appearance of a raw, rough diamond is not attractive. The surface of the crystals extracted from the earth is mostly rough and covered with fissured translucent bark of a lead-gray sheen. But a well-polished diamond, which is called a diamond, is amazing in its beauty: with its transparency and strong radiant brilliance, it leaves all other precious stones far behind it. A polished diamond is completely colorless; but there are yellowish, greenish, bluish and pink diamonds; pink and bluish are more valuable than others. In the Russian translation of the Bible, the word diamond renders the Hebrew name jahalom, in accordance with the understanding of the ancient Jewish rabbis (Keil u. Delitzsch, Commentar I, 1, 2 Aufl. 8. 531–532), which Luther also followed. In LXX, the Hebrew word jahalom is rendered by the utterance - ἴασπις, and in Ezek. 28, 13 - by the utterance of σμάραγδος. It follows from this that already in ancient times the exact meaning of the word jahalom was no longer known. The latter circumstance serves as a reason for modern scholars to assume that jahalom does not mean a diamond, but some other stone, more convenient for engraving. In the Russian translation of the Bible, the word "diamond" is transmitted, in addition to "jahalom", another Hebrew utterance schamir. Ezek. 3, 9. It can be seen from the first quote that small fragments or crystals of diamond were inserted into metal handles, with the sharp end up, and served as a cutter for engraving; from Ezek. 3, 9 it is clear that the ancient Jews considered diamond to be the hardest body in nature. The diamond (jahalom) on the "confidant by the ship" ranked third in the second row of precious stones (); at St. Ezekiel (28, 13), the diamond is named among the jewels. The name "diamond" is of oriental origin.
Amethyst- a transparent modification of quartz, similar to rock crystal (see "Crystal"), but lilac or violet in color. However, the main purple color is found in crystals of amethyst with various shades: there are amethysts of light purple, dark purple, reddish purple, and so on; light blue amethysts are also known, but they are rare. Moreover, such amethysts are found, in the mass of which needle-like crystals of brown iron ore are enclosed. Locations of amethyst: Tyrol, Cyprus, Ural, Deylon, Brazil, etc .; in ancient times it was obtained from India, Arabia and Egypt. - Amethyst is recognized as one of the most beautiful stones and is highly valued. They find it in small, with rare exceptions, crystals. The ancients attributed to amethyst the power to prevent drunkenness; hence its Greek name ἀμέθυστος (α - particle of negation, μεθύω - I'm drunk). Its Hebrew name is achlamah. In the biblical text, amethyst is named several times, namely:. Ezek. 28, 13 (on the lane. LXX and Slavic),. On the "confidant by ship", the amethyst occupied the third place in the third row.
Beryl there is a modification of the emerald. It includes, among other things, oxides of the metals beryllium and aluminum. It is transparent except for the inferior grades; the latter are cloudy. Beryls are found in a wide variety of colors - from dense asparagus, green, blue, white, golden to dirty pinkish. Beryl of the color of sea water is called aquamarine... Beryl locations: Ural, China, India, Egypt, Brazil; the ancients received it mainly from India. In the Russian biblical text, beryl is named only once: ("virill"). The Greek name for the stone is Βήρυλλος.
Hyacinth- a shiny transparent stone. It consists of an oxide of a special metal - zircon (therefore it is also called zircon) and from silica. Its color is orange of various shades and brown; also occurs colorless. Locations: France, Prussia, Daylon, Austindia, Abyssinia, etc .; it is found mostly in small crystals. Hyacinth is mentioned in the Bible once:; its Greek name is ὑάκινθος.
Emerald Is one of the finest gemstones, lustrous, deep green and perfect clarity. Chemical composition emerald is similar to the composition of beryl (see Mendeleev Chemistry, 6th ed., pp. 427–428). Locations: Ural, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, etc. Absolutely green, unusually pleasing to the eye, the color of emerald depends on the fact that chromium oxide is mixed with its main constituents, in small proportions. The Hebrew name for this stone is bareketh, indicating its brilliance (from barak - to shine), Arabic. - tsamarud, Greek. - σμάραγδος (from ἀμαρύσσω - shine), Slavic. - smaragd. - On the “confidant by ship”, the emerald took the third place in the first row (); further, the emerald is mentioned by Ezek. 28, 13.. ... ... ... It should be noted that in the Russian (synod.) Translation of the Bible the name "emerald" is used only in those places where the Hebrew bareketh is placed, that is, in books translated from the Hebrew; in the books translated from Greek, the Greek name of the emerald σμάραγδος is left without translation and is rendered by the utterance of emeralds (..), except where instead of “σμάραγδος” stands in Russian “emerald”.
Carbuncle is one of the types grenade. Garnet or venisya there is, in most cases, a transparent stone with a strong vitreous luster. Its composition, by the way, includes silicon, aluminum, manganese, iron combined with oxygen. Locations: Ural, Ostindia, Ceylon, Ethiopia and some. others. Pomegranate is found in various colors and, depending on the color, has different names. So, the name essonite or brown stone assimilate brown pomegranate, grossular- a pomegranate of apple-green color, then, a pomegranate of bluish-red, cherry-red, raspberry-red colors is called almandine; finally, a blood-red garnet with a fiery hue (from a significant admixture of iron), occupying the first place in beauty among the garnet varieties, is known under the name or pyrope, or anphrax, or carbuncle... The Hebrew name for carbuncle is nophekh, for LXX it is ἄνθαξ. Carbuncle took the first place in the second row on the "Sudny confidant" (); further this stone is called Ezek. 27, 16.28, 13.. In the last quote, the Greek ἄνθραξ; left in the Russian text of the Bible without translation: anfrax.
Onyx(Hebrew schoham) belongs to the group of agates and is an alternation of layers of pink color with white layers, which makes it somewhat similar to a “nail lying on the body”. Hence the Greek name for it ὄνυξ, which means "nail". Multi-colored layers of real onyx (of which there are more than two) are arranged in rather wide stripes, which always run straight and parallel. Layers in some types of this stone are also black, as, for example, in Arabian onyx also called black ribbon agate... Location Arabia, India, Egypt, Brazil and others. The ancient Jews believed that onyxes were mined mainly in the now unknown country of Havilah (). Among the offerings for religious purposes from voluntary givers, Moses commanded to accept, among other things, onyx with other stones for the sacred clothes of the high priest (). Then, of the onyx, two stones were affirmed on the amice of the high priestly ephod and one on the "breastplate", where it occupied the second place in the fourth row of precious stones (). The names of the tribes of Israel were carved on two “onyx” stones, intended for amice, with six names on each stone (). U and Ezek. 28, 13 onyx is mentioned among the jewels and is directly called precious in Job; in the latter case, it was probably meant "Arabian onyx", which of all types of onyx was valued and is valued especially highly. It should be noted, however, that onyx is classified as a semi-precious stone.
Ruby and sapphire... These stones are the essence of modification corundum or so called yacht... None of the gemstones has such a variety of colors as corundum. It is found in white, red, blue, green, yellow and other colors, and sometimes it is completely colorless. The chemical composition of colorless corundum is pure alumina, but its colored specimens contain traces of iron, manganese and other impurities, which determine the colors of these stones. Locations of corundum: Africa, India, Ceylon, Orenburg and Perm bays. and others. Of the colored corundums, red and blue are especially highly valued. Grass-red and carmine-red corundums are called rubies or red yachts and are considered even more expensive than diamonds; blue corundums are known by the name sapphires or blue yachons... - Rubin took first place in the first row, sapphire - second in the second row. precious stones on the "breastplate by the ship" (). Then the ruby and sapphire, as jewelry of high value, are called in the following places in the Bible:. Isa. 54, 11.. Ezek. 1, 26.27, 16.28, 13.. P. . ... ... B and Ezek. 1, 26 you can see an indication of blue color and the shine of a sapphire. The Hebrew name for ruby ’odem, sapphire - sarr, in LXX and in Slaviansk. - ruby - σάρδιον, sardium, sapphire - σάπφειρος, sapphire. Greek ἄνθραξ; I. in Russian. the biblical text corresponds to the word "ruby". - River corundum there is a modification of the eastern words corind, corindou (corind, corindou), used in India and China to name some varieties of corundum or yahont (Shcheglov); the Hebrew ’odem and the ruby originating from the Latin root indicate the red color of the stone they designate, Heb. sappir - blue.
Sardonyx mentioned; it belongs to the group of agates. This stone is nothing more than onyx with white and orange or reddish stripes. In ancient times, sardonyx, if only the layers of different colors lay in them correctly, were valued almost as much as sapphires. In ancient times, they were obtained from India and Ethiopia. Sardonite(Greek σαρθόνιξ) - Sardian onyx, the actual meaning of this name has not been clarified.
Cornelian(Greek σάρδιον) is named. Carnelian - appellation of eastern origin (Pyliaev); what exactly it indicates is not known with certainty (see below "Chalcedon").
Emerald(see "Emerald").
Topaz... The composition of topaz includes clay, silicon and sec combined with oxygen. Topaz is less hard than diamond, but equal in weight; it has a strong glassy luster; its colors: white, wine-yellow, brownish-yellow or green. Transparent topaz is called noble, opaque - ordinary. In ancient times, topaz was mined on one of the islands of the Red Sea, where the Egyptian pharaohs had special mines for this, as well as in India and Ethiopia; now it is found in Siberia (where it is called "heavyweight"), in Saxony, Brazil and some other countries. Topaz is mentioned (on the "confidant" - the second place of the first row), Ezek. 28, 13. ("Ethiopian topaz"). ... The Hebrew name for topaz is pitedah, indicating its yellow color. The origin and meaning of the name "topaz" has not been determined.
Chalcedon. Chalcedons or chalcedony colored quartz known since antiquity are called. "They were formed from quartz dissolved in water, which turns into a soluble state as the rocks gradually break down under the influence of air." Chalcedons belong to the agate group. They are cloudy, like jelly, of various, but not bright colors. Chalcedons of meat color or red ( cornelian or carnelian), apple green ( chrysopras), with stripes or layers of red and white ( onyx), grayish blue. Chalcedon is mentioned. The name of the stone "Chalcedon" comes from the Asia Minor city of Chalcedon, from where, by the way, this stone was sent for sale. Location: Arabia, Ural, etc. Chalcedon is one of the semi-precious stones.
Chrysolite(χρυσός - gold, λίθος - stone) is a transparent stone of yellowish-green or pure yellow color with a strong luster. It contains magnesium and silicon. Locations: Egypt, Deylon, Siberia, etc. Mentioned: (on the "breastplate" - the first place of the fourth row). Ezek. 28, 13.. The Hebrew name for chrysolite - tarschisch indicates the place from where, by the way, the stone was delivered by merchants. The word tarschisch is also used by Ezek. 1, 16. 10, 9. P., but here Russian translators rendered this Hebrew word by the expression "topaz".
Chrysopras mention. The Greek name χρυσόπρασος (from χρισός - gold πράσον, - leek - plant) indicates the color of the stone (see "Chalcedon": stb. 218 -).
Jasper(Hebrew jaschpheh, Greek ἴασπις): jasper or jasper quartz... Jasper is completely opaque, does not show through even at the edges. In terms of color and arrangement of flowers, the types of jasper are extremely varied. In addition to the one-color jasper of yellow, brown, red and green colors, there are many more varieties of multi-colored jaspers, which are: brown with light irregularly positioned (curved) stripes, red with yellow veins, white with thin veins of red-carmine color, etc. Jasper accepts pretty shiny polish. In ancient times, jasper was found convenient for engraving. Location: Egypt, Siberia and other countries. Jasper, or jasper, is mentioned (on the "breastplate" - the third place of the fourth row). Ezek. 28, 13.. One might think that, of course, not jasper, but some other crystal-like stone.
Yakhont mentioned in the Russian translation of the Bible (on the "confidant" - the first place in the third row). The word "yahont" in the original Hebrew text corresponds to the word leschem (from lascham - to attract), in the LXX - λιγύριον, Vulg. - l and gurius (originating from Liguria). Yakhont there is a collective name used to designate varieties of corundum, which are usually recognized as separate stones and bear special names (see "Ruby and Sapphire": stb. 216 -). It may very well be that in the given places of the book. Exodus is of course some beautiful variety of corundum not named elsewhere in the Bible, for example, oriental fat, translucent, milky-colored stone, similar to a noble disgraced emitting reddish, or yellowish, or bluish rays. The name "Yahont" is probably of eastern origin: "Yagut" or "Yakut" is the Persian name for a ruby.
Pearl... When listing and describing precious stones mentioned in the Bible, it is appropriate to provide information about pearls. True, pearls do not belong to minerals, they are organic matter of animal origin; but the Bible calls it, along with precious stones, as an object of high dignity, serving, like stones, for adornments of various kinds. Pearl is the product of those animals that are called soft-bodied, otherwise slugs or shellfish (Mollusca), belong to the class lamellar or bivalve (Lamellibranchiata siиa Вivaliae), to the detachment of different muscles (Neteromya), to the family pearl mussels (Avicuacca), to mind pearl mussels (Maleagrina margaritifera)... The headless mollusk of the pearl mussel is enclosed in a bivalve shell, the lateral valves of which, right and left, appear, according to outward appearance, the same - rounded-four-sided, having a leafy structure, greenish-brown color with longitudinal white stripes. These valves in the upper, dorsal, parts are interconnected by means of a special elastic mass, the so-called ligament, and consist of three layers of various structures, and in pearl mussels, the inner mother-of-pearl layer is the thickest. The outer part of the mollusk's body, called the mantle or epanche, consists of two lobes connected at the back and representing a thickening of the skin, especially when joined. These lobes form a cavity, in which on each side there are two leaf-shaped gills of the animal, separated by a muscular wedge-shaped leg, adapted for movement and protruding, as needed, from the lower part of the valves. The blades of the epanchi with their upper mucous layer directly adjoin the shell valves and are attached to them by locking, not equally developed muscles, which go from one valve to the other across the body of the mollusk and serve to bring the valves closer together with their free lower edges.
The ancients considered pearls to be a jewel of the highest dignity and loved to be adorned with them, which especially needs to be said about the Romans. Wealthy Roman women tied their heads with pearls, wore pearl earrings, necklaces, signet rings, and even pearl-studded shoes. Roman women did not remain without imitators in other areas of the empire (). Pearls were undoubtedly known to Jews as well. At least he, at the time of Christ the Savior, was very common in Palestine ().
In order to satisfy the constant and significant demand for pearls, there were then merchants among the Palestinian Jews who were exclusively engaged in the pearl trade, and did not stop even at extraordinary costs, trying to acquire, among other things, large, and therefore rare and very expensive pearls (); it means that at the time of Christ, in Palestine there was a demand for such jewelry (cf. mentions of pearls). It is also possible to assume that pearls were also consumed by Jews in Old Testament times; but there are no direct and definite, unquestionable indications of this in the writings of the Old Testament. True, in the Russian (synod.) Translation of the Old Farm. Bible, it is in the book. Proverbs (8, 10.20, 15.31, 10) with a word pearl Hebrew speech transmitted reninim... But by this utterance, scholars of the Hebrew text of the Bible (e.g., Delitzsch) tend to understand rather coral, rather than pearl... It is possible, however, that the ancient Hebrews with the use of reninim meant both coral and pearls, taking into account their identical marine origin; but where exactly in the true Old Farm. In the text, peninim means pearls, it is impossible to define: here only guesses are possible, always unfounded, vacillating, and therefore have no positive value. In this case, Russian (synod.) Translators also found a similar hesitation. They did not translate the word everywhere pearl Jewish reninim... So, for example, peninim(at the end of the verse) they conveyed the expression rubies and the word pearl(at the beginning of the same verse) put in place of Heb. gabisch, which means ( Gesenins, Delitzsch) crystal (Schenkel, Richm, Guthë, Perlen ").
Russian name pearl match: Arabic - zenchug, Greek - margarite (μαργαρίτης), German - Perlen. The old Russian name for large pearls is Burmyk grain, small - kafim grain, that is, grain brought from the city of Kafa (now Feodosia); Old Russian expression - pitched pearls means - the pearl is round, rolling, that is, the best pearl ( Pyliaev, Gems, pp. 3 231–233).
Prot. P. Eleonsky
Gen. 2:12 ... there is bdellium and a rock onyx...
Genesis 28:18 ... and took a rock, which he put himself as a headboard, ..
Genesis 28:22 ... then this a rock, which I put as a monument ..
Genesis 29: 2 ... There was a big well over the mouth of the well a rock...
Genesis 29: 3 ... a rock from the well's mouth and watered the sheep; ..
Genesis 29: 3 ... then they put it again a rock to its place, at the mouth of the well ...
Gen. 29:10 ... then Jacob came up, pissed off a rock from the mouth of the well ...
Genesis 31:45 ... and Jacob took a rock and set him up as a monument ...
Ex 15: 5 ... they went deeper as a rock...
Ex 15:16 ... from the greatness of Thy arm, let them be numb, as a rock,..
Ex 17:12 ... and then they took a rock and put it under it, and he sat on it, ..
Ex 25: 7 ... a rock onyx and stones inserted for the ephod and for the confidant ...
Ex 35: 9 ... a rock onyx and stones inserted for ephod and confidant ...
Ex 35:27 ... but the princes brought a rock onyx...
Numbers 35:23 ... or some a rock you can die from ..
Nav 24:26 ... and took a large a rock and put it there under the oak tree, ..
Nav 24:27 ... behold, a rock this one will be a witness to us, ..
Judgment 6:20 ... and put on this a rock, and pour the stew ...
1 Samuel 6:14 ... and there was a great a rock,..
1 Samuel 7:12 ... and Samuel took one a rock,..
1 Samuel 14:33 ... now bring the big one to me a rock...
1 Samuel 17:49 ... And David put his hand into the bag and took from there a rock,..
1 Samuel 17:49 ... so a rock stabbed into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground ...
1 Sam 25:37 ... and his heart sank in him, and he became like a rock...
2Ki 12:30 ... and in him was talent and precious a rock, –..
4 Kings 19:18 ... the tree and a rock;..
Nehem 9:11 ... how a rock into strong waters ...
Job 28: 3 ... and carefully searches a rock in the darkness and shadow of death ...
Job 38: 6 ... or who laid the cornerstone a rock her,..
Job 38:30 ... Water like a rock, grow stronger, and the surface of the abyss freezes ...
Job 41:16 ... His heart is as strong as a rock, and hard as the lower millstone ...
Psalm 77:15 ... cut a rock in the wilderness and gave them drink, as from a great abyss; ..
Psalm 77:20 ... Behold, He struck in a rock, and the waters flowed, and streams flowed ...
Psalm 90:12 ... but you will not stumble about a rock with your foot; ..
Psalm 104: 41 ... a rock, and water flowed, ..
Psalm 113: 8 ... turning a rock into a lake of water and a rock to the source of water ...
Psalm 117: 22 ... A rock, which the builders rejected, became the head of the corner: ..
Ps 136: 9 ... Blessed is he who will take and break your babies about a rock!..
Proverbs 17: 8 ... The gift is precious a rock in the eyes of the one who owns it: ..
Proverbs 26: 8 ... that he who encapsulates precious a rock in a sling, ..
Proverbs 26:27 ... and who will roll up a rock, to that he will return ...
Proverbs 27: 3 ... Heavy a rock, weight and sand; ..
Isa 28:16 ... behold, I lay the foundation in Zion a rock, –..
Isa 28:16 ... a rock tried and tested, cornerstone, ..
Isa 37:19 ... the tree and a rock, therefore they destroyed them ...
Jer 51:63 ... bind to her a rock and throw it in the middle of the Euphrates, ..
Eze 10: 1 ... who is over the heads of the Cherubim, as it were a rock sapphire,..
Dan 2:34 ... until a rock did not break away from the mountain without the help of hands, ..
Dan 2:35 ... a a rock the one who smashed the idol became a great mountain ...
Dan 2:45 ... what a rock I was not torn away from the mountain by my hands ...
Dan 6:17 ... and was brought a rock and put on the opening of the ditch, ..
Agg 2:15 ... when it wasn't laid yet a rock on the a rock in the temple of the Lord ...
Zech 3: 9 ... for here is that a rock which I put before Jesus; ..
Zech 4: 7 ... and he will carry out the cornerstone a rock...
Zech 10: 4 ... from it will be the cornerstone a rock,..
Mt 4: 6 ... don't stumble about a rock with your foot ...
Mt 7: 9 ... would give him a rock?..
Mt 21:42 ... a rock
Mt. 21:44 ... and the one who falls on this a rock, will crash, ..
Mt. 27:60 ... and rolling a large a rock to the door of the coffin, withdrew ...
Mt 28: 2 ... having started, he went away a rock from the door of the coffin ...
Mark 9:42 ... if they hung a millstone for him a rock on the neck...
Mark 12:10 ... a rock, which the builders rejected, ..
Mark 15:46 ... and rolled a rock to the door of the coffin ...
Mk 16: 3 ... who will take us off a rock from the door of the coffin? ..
Mk 16: 4 ... and looking, they see that a rock rolled away; ..
Luke 4:11 ... do not stumble about a rock with your foot ...
Luke 8: 6 ... and the other fell on a rock...
Luke 8:13 ... but the one that fell on a rock, these are the ones ..
Luke 11:11 ... when the son will ask him for bread, give him a rock?..
Luke 20:17 ... a rock, which the builders rejected, ..
Luke 20:18 ... Everyone who falls on him a rock, will crash, ..
Luke 24: 2 ... but found a rock rolled away from the coffin ...
John 1:42 ... you will be called Cephas, which means: a rock(Peter)...
John 8: 7 ... whoever of you is without sin, throw it first at her a rock...
Jn 11:38 ... It was a cave, and a rock lay on it ...
John 11:39 ... Jesus says: take away a rock...
Jn 11:41 ... So they took away a rock from caves where the deceased lay ...
John 20: 1 ... and sees that a rock rolled away from the coffin ...
Acts 4:11 ... He is a rock, neglected by you who are building, ..
1 Pet 2: 6 ... I believe in Zion a rock cornerstone, chosen, precious; ..
1 Pet 2: 7 ... but for the unbelievers a rock, which the builders rejected, ..
1 Pet 2: 7 ... a rock stumbling and a rock temptation, ..
Rom 9:32 ... For they stumbled about a rock stumbling blocks, ..
Rom 9:33 ... behold, I believe in Zion a rock stumbling blocks and a rock temptation; ..
1 Corinthians 10: 4 ... a rock it was Christ ...
Rev 2:17 ... and I will give him white a rock and a new name written on the stone, ..
Rev 18:21 ... And one strong Angel took a rock like a large millstone ..
3 Ride 1:20 ... when you were thirsty, did I not cut a rock,..
3 Ezra 5: 5 ... and blood will drip from the tree, a rock will give his voice, ..
Prem 13:10 ... or unusable a rock, the work of an old hand ...
Sire 6:22 ... she'll be on it like heavy a rock tests, ..
Sire 22:22 ... Thrower a rock the birds will drive them away; ..
Sire 27:28 ... who throws a rock up, throws it on his head, ..
Sire 32:22 ... Do not walk on the path where the ruins are, so as not to trip over a rock;
The first decorations that have reached us on the pages of literary works are biblical stones. They are mentioned in the Bible of both the Old and New Testaments. The oldest original scripture can be traced back to 1500 BC. It is there that it is said that the High Priest, who was a follower of Jehovah and brought worship, had a thimble in his everyday life, which was a bag made of linen. The bag was framed with precious stones. There were twelve of them. It is these gemstones that are called biblical stones. They came in a wide variety of shapes and colors, and were set in gold frames.
The Bible (Exodus chapter 28) says:
28. 17. And insert the rimmed stones into it in four rows. Nearby: ruby, topaz, emerald - this is the first row.
28. 18. Second row: carbuncle, sapphire and diamond.
28. 19. Third row: yagont, agate and amethyst.
28. 20. Fourth row: chrysolite, onyx and jasper. They must be inserted in the gold slots.
28. 21. These stones must be twelve, according to the number of the children of Israel, according to their names; on each, as on a seal, one name from among the twelve tribes must be engraved.
The thimble had various names and was referred to as a thimble, bib, or hoshen in Hebrew. It was attached to the priest's apron, called the ephod, with gold chains and blue cords. Sometimes in the scriptures a bag was called a thimble, which, like a pectoral, was worn around the neck. The thimble on the obverse was decorated with 12 stones, which symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel and were fastened in a certain order: three stones in four rows.
1st row - ruby, topaz and emerald;
2nd row - carbuncle, sapphire and diamond;
3rd row - yagont, agate and amethyst;
4th row - chrysolite, onyx and jasper.
The bag was made of colored wool with gold thread. The thimble was intended for wearing the urim (light) and tumim (perfection), which were symbols with the help of which the hierarch consulted with the Almighty on the life of the people of Israel. They were predictive tools, a kind of answer to the question "yes" or "no".
The Bible says that God, having told the people the laws and commandments, strongly commanded Moses to make a tabernacle near Mount Sinai, which was a special place for performing rituals and sacraments. Here were the ark of the covenant, the altar for incense, the table for the sacrifice, the candlestick - the seven-branched candlestick. It was then that it was ordered to make clothes for the high priest Aaron, which included the famous bag.
It is believed that the gems symbolized the spiritual unity of the people of Israel. In his book Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus tells two notable remarks about stones. In the sanctuary, in the presence of God, the sardonyx "began to shine especially strongly with such a bright light, which is usually not characteristic of it, and 12 stones on the chest with brilliance and radiance announced the coming victory when the Israelites were going to war." And the second reflection of his thoughts regarding the clothes of the high priest is that the sardonyxes that adorned the clasps are comparable to the Sun and the Moon, and the stones on it with 12 months of the year, or as described in the book "groups of stars, which the Greeks call the Zodiac."
The value of the gems bordering the breastplate was very great. One of the scriptures described the order of the Jews in the desert during the exodus from Egypt. The line of "up to six hundred thousand foot men, except children" was arranged strictly in clans "with their own banner and with the signs of families" headed by the patriarch, each of which had its own special banner, the color of which strictly corresponded to the shade of the stone on the breastplate bearing his name.
The history of the breastplate after the collapse of the Roman Empire is currently unknown. There is only speculation that the breastplate was moved to the East after the capture and sack of Jerusalem in the 7th century by the Mohammedans. It is also possible that at the moment it is kept in the treasury of the descendants of the warlike Persians.
The ancient names of the stones are indicated in the sacred writings. Let's take a look at their modern terminology:
Virill is a greenish-yellow beryl.
- Iakinth - hyacinth (zircon, its precious variety).
- Carbupkul - red garnet (pyrope or almandine).
- Sardonyx - dark red onyx or, in other words, chalcedony.
- Chalcedon - chalcedony.
- Jasper - jasper of a red hue (there are different versions that say that jasper could be green).
- Yakhont - ruby (red corundum).
But the above names cannot be given the final result, since in ancient times the main differences were color and hardness, and often minerals were hidden under one name. different types, at the same time, stones of the same mineral were attributed to different names.
The first stone of the thimble.
Dress. Translated from Hebrew, its name tells that the stone had a red tint. In such scriptures as the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, in the treatises of Josephus and Epiphanius of Cyprus, carnelian was designated as the first stone of a thimble. Later, in the already rewritten editions of the Bible, it was indicated that the first stone was a ruby. However, this could hardly be, since history says that the ruby appeared on the territories of the ancient Jews much later from the time of their Exodus from Egypt. But carnelian was just widespread and used in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. There the stone was considered magical and the properties of a talisman were attributed to it. An interesting fact is that the gem had similar properties of a special symbol both in the vastness of Egypt and in the civilization of Mesopotamia. The Egyptians revered carnelian as the stone of the goddess Isis, which represented the embodiment of femininity and fertility. And among the Sumerians, the gem was considered the stone of the goddess Ishtar and served as a conductor of feminine energy and beginnings. Likewise, in the ancient Jewish civilization, the odem stone has the status of a female stone. The name Reuben was engraved on it.
The second stone is the thimble.
Pitda. Knowledgeable interpreters of the Tanakh translate "pita" from the Sanskrit "pita", which means fire, flame, yellow. In almost all Bible translations, this stone is called topaz. Now it is difficult to say whether that stone was really topaz. It is not excluded that the gem had a different shade and that the word "pita" generally has this translation. For example, in the writings of the historian Ancient Greece Strabo and the scientist-encyclopedist of Ancient Rome Pliny the Elder under the name "topaz" is a glimmer of a green mineral. And what is interesting is that at the beginning of the 20th century, ancient mine workings were found on one of the islands of the Red Sea, where transparent minerals of a yellowish-green color were found, which in modern science are referred to as chrysolites.
This island was correlated with the one that Strabo and Pliny spoke about in their writings, according to its natural structure, the characteristics and color of the deposits of gems found there. Therefore, as for the second stone of a thimble, there is variability in its definition and attribution to one or another type. On the stone was inscribed the name of Jacob's son - Simeon.
The third stone is a thimble.
Bracket. Linguists believe that the roots of this word go back to the Sanskrit word "marakat", which means "green". According to the Septuagint and Vulgate, the stone also has the name "smaragd" and today it is interpreted as the ancient name of the emerald. We meet the name "emerald" just in the synoidal translation of the Bible. The gem deposit, which is located in Egypt, is called the Cleopatra Mine and is one of the most famous ancient developments of precious stones. But in all likelihood, at the time of the creation of the thimble, many green stones were included in the name "smaragd".
According to scientists, the third stone in the thimble was green feldspar, which today is called amazonite. It is often found during the excavations of Ancient Egypt in many decorations and cult rites. The name Levi was engraved on it.
The fourth stone is the thimble.
Nuofek. This is the Hebrew name, which is translated by the Septuagint as "anthrax", and the Vulgate as "carbuncle". This name reflects the interesting color of the mineral and is translated from Greek and Latin as "coal". In the well-known work of the ancient Greek scientist Theophrastus "On the Stones" it is clearly stated that in the 4-3 centuries BC this name referred to a pomegranate. It was used when cutting seals, "its color is red, and when exposed to the sun, it is similar in color to burning coal."
At the same time, the origin of the Hebrew name is not very clear and carries with it a trail of other versions of the translation. So, in some sources turquoise is inserted into the fourth nest of the thimble. The shade of this stone is sky blue. His deposit on the Sinai Peninsula has been known since ancient times. And the stone itself was widely used in the manufacture of jewelry in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is interesting that in those days turquoise must have been present in the jewelry of the high priest, and therefore there is a high probability of finding this mineral in the fourth nest of the thimble. It is worth noting that the rabbinical commentary on the Torah notes the fact that the shade of the mineral should be the same as the color of the knee banner, whose name is reflected on it. On the fourth stone of the thimble, the name of Judas is engraved and it is believed that its color is precisely sky blue.
Fifth stone of the thimble.
Shappier. Translated from Hebrew - "sapphire". Theophrastus in his writings gives an accurate description of this mineral, indicating its subtle individuality - the presence of "golden dots". Scientists of the ancient era, with their descriptions of sapriff, uniquely identified it as lapis glaze. Lapis lazuli is distinguished by its opacity and fullness of dark blue color, and its the best varieties marked by fine dissemination of pyrite crystals, filled with bright yellow light. This stone is also often mentioned in various ancient treatises. In the Bible alone, his reflection surpasses other stones and is mentioned 13 times. According to Epiphanius of Capra, the name of Jacob's fifth son, Dan, was engraved on the stone. Other sources say that the name of the fifth son of Jacob, the ninth in the order of birth - Issachar was engraved on it.
Sixth stone of the thimble.
Yahalom. Usually the translation of this name is derived from such verbs as "strike" or "destroy". And this is no coincidence. In rare translations, for example, in the synoidal, the stone is called a diamond. It was he who was not known to the ancient Jews and, accordingly, could not adorn the sacred clothes of the high priests. According to the Septuagint and Vulgate, the sixth stone in the magic thimble was "iaspis", similar to "yashfu" - the twelfth stone of the suma. Its name extends its root to the Persian word "jasper", which means "strong, variegated stones." According to Theophrastus, a green stone, which is similar in color to emeralds, was called yahal. Most likely, it was jade or jadeite, but also green jasper should not be ignored.
There are two ways of relating this mineral to one of the tribes of Israel: in one version it is Naphtali - the sixth son of Jacob by birth, and in the other - Zebulun - the sixth son and tenth in the order of birth.
The seventh stone of the thimble.
Ligurion. This gem is very difficult to identify and relate to any mineral. Translated from ancient Greek it stands for "lynx urine". Theophrastus describes a yellow stone under it, which serves as a material for making seals.
There is another property that is described in ancient writings - "it is cold and very transparent." And in this regard, there are many versions for translating this name: hyacinth, opal, amber, yahont. There are also many options for reflecting the inscriptions of names on it: Gad, Dan or Joseph.
The eighth stone of the thimble.
Shebo. The name of this stone comes from the distorted name of the most ancient city located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. In the modern interpretation, it is called Yemen-Saba (Sheba). In ancient translations, this name means "agate". It is a particularly revered stone at the time, which certainly earned its place in the thimble's collection. Difficulties arise only with the correlation of this mineral with one of the sons of Israel. According to the writings of Epiphanius of Kirpsky, the eighth stone bears the name Asher, the son of the eighth oldest Jacob. But according to the writings of the Tanakh-Midrash Rab, the name Naphtali was inscribed on the shebo stone. The works of the famous shemmologist of the early 20th century J. Kunz tell that the name of the last son of the patriarch and the second from his wife Rachel, Benjamin, was engraved on the gem.
The ninth stone of the thimble.
Ahlama. This stone raises the least questions in its definition, and all authors unanimously attribute it to amethyst. The translation of the Hebrew name "Ahlama" tells that our ancestors endowed him with the magical property of instilling visions and immersing in dreams. And the Greek name "amethystos" speaks of such a property of the stone as a talisman against intoxication. There is no doubt about his presence in the bag of the high priest. Filled with the beauty of a lilac color, a rare magical violet, the mineral is rich in a respectful history of use. According to Epiphanius of Cyprus, the name Issachar was inscribed on the Ahlama. Other versions sound the names Gad or Dan.
The tenth stone of the thimble.
Tarshish. In almost all languages, this Hebrew name is translated as "chrysolite", which means "goldstone". "Chrysos" - gold, "cast" - stone. Otherwise, the mineral was also called Tarsis, which means "sea foam colored stone." Tarshish was the name of the city, which is found many times in the pages of the Bible. Apparently it was from there that this gem was brought. There is also a version that the tenth stone of the thimble was a yellow mineral, which was famous at the time of the Exodus. Jasper and yellow quartz (citrine) can equally be referred to such stones.
There is reason to believe that after the Babylonian captivity, a new thimble was created, based on other stones, and the tenth stone was gold topaz. The main version says that the name of Jacob's tenth son - Zebulun was reflected on the tarshish. But there are also versions that speak of the names Ashef and Naphtali.
The eleventh stone of the thimble.
Shoham. This gem was also used in ephod fasteners and translates as "onyx". But Epiphanius of Cyprus, following the Septuagint, designates beryl under the eleventh stone. There is also a version that the stone with a blue color, at the time of the life of Epiphanius, was aquamarine. He could also adorn the thimble, which was worn by the High Priest of the Second Jerusalem Temple before its destruction in 70. During the existence of the first thimble, the gem was hardly known to people. The stones that the Jews had in Ancient Egypt at that time can be identified by excavations and their discovery in the tomb of Tutankhamun, whose reign was close to the time of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. There is also a version that at that time, beryl was understood as gems similar in color to aquamarine. These stones can be malachite and turquoise. If we start from the Hebrew name, then the eleventh stone in the thimble should have been onyx. Due to its color, which is permeated with ornate stripes, translated from the ancient Greek mineral means "nail".
In ancient times, onyx was called banded chalcedony, which in ancient Greece was used because of its beauty and strength to create cameos. The stone was engraved with the name Gad.
The twelfth stone of a thimble.
Yashfe. Translated from Hebrew, it has the name "green" and, in theory, should have been in the sixth nest of the thimble. According to the writings of Epiphanius of Cyprus and the Septuagint, the twelfth stone was onyx, and the Vulgate defines it as beryl. It is difficult to determine which of the stones is more suitable for this role. It can be marble onyx, green jasper, turquoise, and malachite. In the twelfth nest there was a stone on which was inscribed the name of the last son of Jacob - Benjamin, in other scriptures - Asher.
As can be seen from the research, it is quite difficult to identify the authenticity of the stones that adorn the thimble. More reliable for authenticity of the twelve mentioned: carnelian (first), lapis lazuli (fifth), agate (eighth) and amethyst (ninth). And only one stone can be accurately identified - this is carnelian.
The Bible is a multifaceted and profound book. Scientists and researchers are constantly working with its content, and each time they make more and more new discoveries. The sacred book is imbued with the wisdom of different cultures and the power of God's revelation. It contains many scenes from the past, which are closely intertwined and permeate the eventfulness of the modern world. A separate place in it is reserved for gems that accompanied the people of those times on their difficult life path.
The synoidal translation says that the Bible describes 32 stones and another two dozen are encrypted under the texts. This gives a huge scope for the study of gemology, the science of precious and semi-precious stones. As history and scriptures show, stones have been known to people since ancient times. In addition to simple stone formations in the form of pebbles and pieces of various rocks, at least 20 minerals were known at that time. Among them, rock crystal, jade, quartz, obsidian, jasper, flint, hornfels. A little later, civilizations such as the Sumerian, Babylonian and Egyptian learned and used 18 more gems in their lives. Among them were such minerals as amethyst, turquoise, pearls, malachite, coral. By the end of antiquity, the world was already familiar with 77 minerals and 27 forges. Ruby, sapphire, topaz, opal, diamond appeared on the arena. By the beginning of the Middle Ages, the world approached with the knowledge of 40 types of precious and colored stones. In modern times, the scale of knowledge has increased to four thousand minerals, and every year 20-30 are added to them.
Each mineral has its own historical, commercial and regional name. For example, rock crystal has almost 50 trade names and the most famous of them is diamond. Agate has about 50 names, ruby has 30 names. The most remarkable thing is that all the stones that are touched in the Bible bear the same names that are used in our time.
Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. And they were inscribed on two stone slabs.
When Moses came down from the mountain, a picture appeared before his eyes that the people again fell into idolatry. In anger then he broke the tablets. And God commanded to cut out new tablets and inscribe on them the ten commandments. The tablets were placed first in the Ark of the Covenant, and then, when the Jerusalem Temple was erected, they were transferred to the Holy of Holies.
Archaeological excavations reveal that interesting fact that the tablets were made of a stone very similar to sapphire, which was 143 by 145 centimeters in size. Indeed, in many sources about stones, when describing lapis lazuli, it is noted that the tablets were made from it. Another version says that Moses carved tablets on a meteorite from Mount Sinai.
In the 6th century, the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and since then the history of the tablets is unknown. But until now, scientists do not lose hope of finding it. Thus, the historian G. Hancock spent a long time searching for the Ark of the Covenant. The florid path of events of that time led him to the Christians of Ethiopia, where the Ark of the Covenant is possibly kept.
Scripture also tells us about the so-called insignias. Insignias are signs of a higher power. For example, a scepter, a diadem made of gold, an ivory chair. The royal throne of Solomon was carved from ivory and covered with gold from Ophir, as well as decorated with pearls, onyx, opals, topaz, emeralds, carbuncles and other gems of white, green and red shades.
At that time, crowns and tiaras were the main adornments of people of high castes. The king's crown was made of gold and decorated with natural stones. And for the high priest, the headdress was a turban with a gold hoop and the majestic inscription "The Shrine of the Lord." Also, one of the main attributes of the royal people was a belt, which was decorated with gold and precious stones. The book "Genesis" also tells about the royal ring with a seal (gem). The ritual of wearing a gold ring with a gem on right hand the Jews, apparently, took over from the Egyptians.
Jewelry was an adornment not only among wealthy Jews, but also had value and was worn among the common class. There were no deposits of gold and gems in Palestine, but this did not prevent the people of Israel from having jewelry made of them. Something was alienated during the wars, something was acquired from foreign traders, for example, during the exodus of their Egypt. According to the Bible, the Israelite people, leaving Egypt, possessed an suggestible "gold reserve." Only the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and other religious paraphernalia took about 100 kilograms of gold. This turned out to be a trifle for the Israelites in comparison with the erection of the Temple of Solomon, which took 250 thousand pounds of gold and 10 times more silver, not counting a large number of gems.
After the times of the Egyptian captivity, the Israelites began to wear body jewelry. In their writings of the 3rd century (in the "Haggadah"), at the head of the "Forefathers", the Jews wrote down a legend that tells that Abraham wore a precious stone that heals people. Looking at him, a person could recover from weakness. And after the death of Abraham, God inserted this stone into the solar disk. In memory of this, the Jews have preserved a saying: "The sun will rise - the patient will rise as well."
The biblical book "Exodus" tells that in everyday life Jews found necklaces, pendants, rings on belts and arms, chains on legs, wrist and anklets, rings on hands, ears and nose, vessels with perfume and "magic pendants". The lower class wore jewelry made of colored glass and cheap stones.
In the New Testament, we find mention of stones in the book "The Revelation of John the Theologian" ("Apocalypse"). Their number is also twelve, but their description is reflected already in the story about the walls of "Heavenly Jerusalem". There are already minor differences in the set of stones, rather than in their composition, as reflected in the Old Testament. Here, instead of diamond, carbuncle, agate and onyx, chrysolite, chalcedony, sardonyx, chrysoprase and iakinth (hyacinth) appear.
Gospel, Apocalylsis (Revelation of John Bogolov), chapter 21:
21. 19. The foundations of the city wall were adorned with all sorts of precious stones: the first base is yaskis, the second sapphire, the third chalcedon, the fourth smaragd.
21. 20. Fifth sardonyx, sixth carnelian, seventh chrysolite, eighth virill, ninth topaz, tenth chrysoprase, eleventh hyacinth, twelfth amethyst.
21. 21. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl. The city street is pure gold, like transparent glass.
The gems are most richly reflected in the last book of Holy Scripture - "Apocalypse". It describes not only the legend of The last judgment but also the story of the eternal future life. In it, John the Theologian mentions 18 types of stones 24 times. Most of them are mentioned in the text about the decoration of the Heavenly Jerusalem, while others emphasize the perfection of the heavenly powers.
The foundation of Heavenly Jerusalem is decorated with stones on which the names of the 12 apostles are inscribed:
Jasper (today this stone is called jade) - the Apostle Peter.
Sapphire (lapis lazuli) - Paul.
Chalcedon (red garnet, possibly a ruby) - Andrew.
Smaragd (emerald) - John.
Sardrniks - Jacob Zebedee.
Sardius (carnelian) - Philip.
Chrysolith (chrysolite) - Bartholomew.
Virill (beryl) - Thomas.
Topakhziy (topaz) - Matthew (tax collector).
As (chrysoprase) - Thaddeus.
Iakinth (hyacinth) - Simon.
Amethyst is the Evangelist Matthew.
Holy Heavenly Jerusalem, adorned with gems, was designated as God's abode and the dwelling place of the souls of faithful Christians. It was designated for the first time already in the New Testament in the 1st century. Andrew of Caesarea is the archbishop, the first who noticed the similarity of the temples with the heavenly city, which is described in the Bible. Their similarity is indicated in domed temples with a drum (the throne of the Lord and heavenly powers), and below is indicated heaven with heavenly Jerusalem for "those written in Christ's book of life." The lower part of the walls and the ground correspond to twelve foundations with the names of the apostles, which symbolize earthly realities and Christian peoples, which are destined for places in the sacred City.
There are many versions of the foundations of Heavenly Jerusalem. These are the apostles on whom the Christian church relies.
Or is it a mention of earthly Jerusalem - the place where Christianity originated, from where Christ went into eternal life. They also say about the existence at that time of a pyramid with twelve steps of precious stones, which are crowned with the Holy City. That life of people is covered with secrets, allegories, codes and symbols, and it is not easy for a modern person to recognize the true eventfulness of that time. The adornments of the twelve foundations of the City of Heaven can mean all Christians: living, living now and those who will be born in the future. And 12 gems here are the symbolism of the months of the year as an allegory of the measure of the time of the earthly existence of people. Later, these minerals will become known as amulets for people born in the corresponding months of the year.
January - hyacinth.
February is amethyst.
March is jasper.
April is a sapphire.
May is chalcedon.
June is smaragd.
July - sardonyx.
August is a sardolic.
September - chrysolite.
October - virill.
November - topaz.
December - chrysoprase.
As noted earlier, many stones have since changed their names. But there are also those who keep the sounds of those times. For example, amethyst. Its name comes from the Greek "meti" - honey, honey drink, and "a-meti" - non-intoxicating, non-intoxicating. The gem has a shade of red wine diluted with water. For Christians, amethyst is a desirable stone. They have long been used to decorate bindings of sacred books, icons, crosses, mitres. In the spiritual world, it is called the "bishop's stone". Wearing it means a kind of reminder of a strict vow.
Almost every gem mentioned in the Bible can be studied and told a lot. The gems truly indicate once again the sacredness of this book. The Bible contains four lists of stones and its composition is confirmed each time by archaeological finds.
A well-known biblical expression is "scatter stones."
The ancient sacred book gave the world a famous catch phrase: "Time to throw stones." In the Bible, chapter 3 of the book of Ecclesiastes says:
“There is a time for everything, and a time for every thing under the sky: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck out what was planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to destroy and a time to build; a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to scatter stones, and a time to collect stones; a time to embrace, and a time to avoid embracing; time to seek, and time to waste; time to save, and time to give up; a time to rip, and a time to stitch; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. "
A modern person can only guess what the meaning was originally laid down in this text. It can be interpreted in different ways. Someone puts a philosophical essence into it, and someone only clings to the concepts embedded in words. Everything has its own term, as the scriptures say. Indeed, this expression can be very deeply understood. But still, it becomes not entirely clear why to scatter stones in order to collect them later. One of the versions says that this phrase includes a meaning that incorporates one of the types of peasant labor. The fact is that the lands where the people of Israel lived were not fertile. They were rocky and before cultivating the field, it had to be cleared of stones first. This is what the peasants did, that is, they collected stones. But they did not scatter them, but they collected hedges from them. And as is the case with the translation of sacred scriptures, they were translated by people who were far from peasant life. More precisely, the quote could be translated as "time to collect and time to lay stones."
The Bible also shows that stones were used during wars as a formidable weapon. For example, David struck Goliath with only one stone:
“And David put his hand into his bag, and took it there a stone, and threw it out of a sling, and smote the Philistine in the forehead, so that the stone pierced his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground” (1 Samuel 17:49).
In another case, it was told about Israeli soldiers wielding a sling:
“Of all this people, there were seven hundred chosen men, who were left-handed, and all these, they threw stones into their hair with sling, they did not throw them by” (Judges 20:16).
Such people could strike the enemy without engaging in open defeat, but only acting at a distance. The stones were used both in the defense of the city and in the capture of it. An interesting fact is that in order to hit the target completely, not every stone was suitable for this. It had to be of a certain shape. These were the stones that David took for himself:
“… And chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them… in a bag” (1 Kings 17:40).
Each soldier knew what shape, size and weight the stone should have. David chose from among the multitude precisely those that he was accustomed to throwing. It took time to pick up the stones. Smooth stones are not always found in nature, and in the stream it was not always possible to find a large number of stones for the entire army, so the stones were hewn, giving them the desired shape and size.
V modern world in the phrase "time to throw stones" put different semantic load. There are at least three of them:
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