All references to stones in the bible. Gems. Eleventh breastplate stone

Precious Stones in the Bible . Precious stones are those minerals whose distinguishing features are hardness, transparency, brilliance and pleasant color, and which are used in the preparation of expensive jewelry. Precious stones do not lie in the bowels of the earth in vast and massive layers, but are interspersed or included in various rocks in the form of small grains, veinlets, small fragments of stones. All of them in general have a crystalline structure, otherwise they appear to the observer in the form of polyhedral bodies that have certain geometric shapes. Precious stones are rare and not in all countries, which greatly elevates their value. Since there are relatively few stones with the above features, but the need for them for various decorations has always been great, then, along with precious stones, stones with one or more of the named properties have long been used. These latter are commonly referred to as semi-precious or expensive 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 to each other, they mainly pay attention to their hardness, specific gravity and chemical composition. 1) Of two bodies, the one that draws or cuts the other is harder. To determine the hardness, a number of known bodies (ten in number) are selected, arranged in 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 with No. 1. On weaker ones, the test stone leaves a line. Now, if on good steel, the hardness of which is "6", is not a line from the test stone, then you need to draw with steel on the stone; if a line is obtained on a stone, then the stone has a hardness between five and six (5-6). If the stone does not cut steel and the steel does not cut stone, then their hardness is the same and the hardness of the tested stone is “6”. The hardness of precious and expensive stones mentioned in the Bible fluctuates between 6th and 10th. 2) When determining the specific gravity, the test stone is weighed on a balance; let's say it weighs 30 pieces of gold. Then the same piece of stone is tied on a thread to a cup of scales 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, he loses 10 spools in water. Dividing by this remainder the weight of the stone in the air, i.e. 30 by 10, we get 3. This figure (3) will denote the specific gravity of the stone. A different grade of stone will have a different specific gravity. The specific weight of precious and semi-precious stones named in the Bible is determined by numbers from 2.5 to 4. 3) As for the chemical composition, each stone has its own, only peculiar to it, composition; thus, diamond consists of pure carbon, amethyst is a modification of quartz, beryl contains oxides of two metals: beryllium and aluminum, etc. In the following description of the precious and expensive stones mentioned in the Bible, we will no longer touch, for a few except for their hardness and specific gravity.

Jews from the most ancient times got acquainted with precious and semi-precious stones, have long been accustomed to delight their gaze with their brilliance and play of their colors. Precious stones have never been found in Palestine; therefore, they were received here from other, foreign countries, sometimes in the form of gifts () and spoils of war (), but mainly by purchase, through Arab, especially Phoenician merchants (Ezek. 27, 22). Precious stones in Palestine were directly obtained only under Solomon at a time when the ships of this king went, together with the Phoenician ships, to Ophir and delivered various kinds of rarities from there (.). As objects of high value, precious stones were collected by the Jewish kings and kept in treasuries, along with gold. So, David collected them as material for the future Jerusalem temple (); likewise they were placed in the treasury of King Hezekiah (). Precious stones were used by the Jews for all kinds of decorations. They decorated the liturgical vestments of the high priest (. I.); they were inserted into golden vessels (); Solomon overlaid with “expensive stones for beauty” the inner walls of the temple he built (). Using precious stones for jewelry, the Jews followed the example of neighboring countries, where the named stones could be seen on royal clothes (Ezek. 28, 13.), in royal crowns () and on many other items (.). Then precious stones were used by the Jews for the preparation of seals, and the stones with seals carved on them were set into gold (I.). It should be noted that the art of polishing precious stones, engraving on them and dressing them in gold (inserting into “nests”) was taken out by the Jews from Egypt; at least, when the tabernacle was arranged in the wilderness, among the Jews there were already persons skilled in carving on stones (). The works of ancient Jewish engravers were distinguished by their variety and elegance of forms (I.).

Precious stones are named and listed in the biblical text several times, namely: when describing the “breastplate of judgment”; Ezek. 28, 13, when referring to the extreme luxury in the clothes of the king of Tyre, and, when depicting heavenly Jerusalem, which was contemplated 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, when combined in pieces of agate, do not lose their color, but are located in them in separate, different colors, layers, and they go either in straight, parallel stripes , or broken lines, or take the form of various objects, for example, clouds. Due to the unequal number of multi-colored bands, their different distribution and different shapes in pieces of agate, there are a lot of varieties of the latter - up to twenty. Agate is an opaque, cloudy, jelly-like stone and belongs to the semi-precious stones. Comparatively highly valued are agates with images located inside their mass and resembling figures of animals or plants. Agates of the last variety, that is, containing, as it were, images of small bushes, tree branches, are called dendrites (from δένδρον - tree). Such images, which have a black, brown or reddish color, originated inside agate masses from metallic solutions of iron or manganese, more precisely, from crystals of these solutions. Agate (lat. Ahates) got its name, according to Pliny, from the river Ahates in Sicily, where it was mined in ancient times. Locations of agate: Italy, Germany, Arabia, Syria, Urals, Upper Egypt, Brazil, etc. The Hebrew name for agate is schebo, LXX - ἀχάτης. In the Bible, agate is named among those 12 precious stones with which the "breastplate of judgment" was adorned; 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 in each, with agate taking the second place in the third row. On each of the stones was carved, as on a seal, one name from among those names by which the twelve tribes of Israel were designated ().

Diamond(Heb. jahalom) - the most famous stone, ranking first in the series of precious stones for its extreme hardness and high value. According to its chemical composition, it is the purest carbon and can burn. The appearance of a raw, rough diamond is not attractive. The surface of its crystals extracted from the earth is mostly rough and covered with a fissured translucent bark of 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 valued more than others. In the Russian translation of the Bible, the word “diamond” conveys 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 conveyed by the saying - ἴασπις, and in Ezek. 28, 13 - by the saying σμάραγδος. It follows from this that already in antiquity the exact meaning of the word jahalom ceased to be known. The latter circumstance serves as a reason for modern scholars to assume that jahalom does not mean a diamond, but some other stone that is more convenient for engraving. In the Russian translation of the Bible, the word "diamond" conveys, in addition to "jahalom", another Jewish saying schamir. Ezek. 3, 9. It can be seen from the first quotation that small fragments or crystals of diamond were inserted into metal pens, with the sharp end up, and served as a cutter when engraving; from Ezek. 3, 9 it is clear that the ancient Jews considered the diamond to be the hardest body in nature. The diamond (jahalom) on the "breastplate of the vessel" ranked third in the second row of precious stones (); at Ezekiel Ave. (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. However, the main purple color is found in amethyst crystals with various shades: there are amethysts of light purple, dark purple, reddish-violet, etc.; 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, Daylon, Brazil, etc.; in ancient times it was obtained from India, Arabia and Egypt. – Amethyst is recognized as one of the most beautiful stones and highly valued. It is found in small, with rare exceptions, crystals. The ancients attributed to amethyst the power that protects against drunkenness; hence its Greek name ἀμέθυστος (α - particle of negation, μεθύω - I am drunk). Its Hebrew name is achlamah. In the biblical text, amethyst is named several times, namely:. Ezek. 28, 13 (according to the translation of LXX and Slavic), . On the "breastplate of the vessel" amethyst occupied the third place in the third row.

Beryl there is a modification of the emerald. Its composition includes, among other things, oxides of the metals beryllium and aluminum. It is transparent, except for the lower grades; the latter are cloudy. Beryls are found in a wide variety of colors - from thick asparagus, green, blue, white, golden to dirty pinkish. Sea water colored beryl is called aquamarine. Locations of beryl: Ural, China, India, Egypt, Brazil; the ancients received it chiefly from India. In the Russian biblical text, beryl is named only once: (“viryl”). The Greek name for the stone is Βήρυλλος.

Hyacinth- a brilliant transparent stone. It consists of an oxide of a special metal - zircon (which is why it is also called zircon) and silica. Its color is orange of various shades and brown; also found colorless. Locations: France, Prussia, Daylon, Austindia, Abyssinia, etc.; it is found, for the most part, in small crystals. Hyacinth is mentioned in the Bible once: ; its Greek name is ὑάκινθος.

Emerald- one of the first-class gemstones, brilliant, deep green in color and perfectly transparent. The chemical composition of emerald is similar to that of beryl (see Mendeleev Chemistry, 6th ed., pp. 427–428). Locations: Ural, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, etc. The completely green, unusually eye-pleasing color of the emerald depends on the fact that chromium oxide is mixed with its main components, in small proportions. The Hebrew name for this stone is bareketh, indicating its brilliance (from barak, to shine), Arabic. - tsamarud, Greek. - σμάραγδος (from ἀμαρύσσω - I shine), Slavic. - emerald. - On the “breastplate of the vessel”, the emerald took third place in the first row (); further, an 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 Hebrew; in the books translated from Greek, the Greek name of the emerald σμάραγδος is left without translation and is conveyed by the expression smaragd (. .), with the exception of , where instead of, "σμάραγδος" stands in Russian "emerald".

Carbuncle is one of the types grenade. Pomegranate or venisya there is, in most cases, a transparent stone with a strong vitreous luster. Its composition, among other things, includes silicon, aluminum, manganese, iron in combination with oxygen. Locations: Ural, Ostindia, Ceylon, Ethiopia and some. etc. Pomegranate is found in various colors and, depending on the color, has various names. Yes, the title essonite or brown stone assimilate a brown grenade, grossular- an apple-green pomegranate, then a bluish-red, cherry red, raspberry red pomegranate is called almandine; finally, a blood-red pomegranate with a fiery tint (due to a significant admixture of iron), occupying the first place in beauty among pomegranate varieties, is known under the name or pyrope, or anthrax, or carbuncle. The Hebrew name for the carbuncle is nophekh, for LXX it is ἄνθαξ. The carbuncle occupied the first place in the second row on the “breastplate” (); further this stone is called Ezek. 27, 16. 28, 13. . In the last quote, Greek ἄνθραξ ; left in the Russian text of the Bible without translation: anthrax.

Onyx(Heb. schoham) belongs to the group of agates and is an alternation of layers of pink with white layers, which makes it somewhat similar to a “nail lying on the body”. Hence its Greek name ὄνυξ, which means "nail". Multi-colored layers of real onyx (of which there are more than two) are arranged in rather wide strips that always run straight and parallel. Layers in some types of this stone are also black, as, for example, in Arabian onyx, which is also called black ribbon agate. Locations Arabia, India, Egypt, Brazil and others. The ancient Jews believed that onyxes were mined mainly in the now unknown country of Havila (). Among the offerings for religious purposes from well-meaning givers, Moses ordered to accept, among other things, onyx with other stones for the sacred robes of the high priest (). Then, from onyxes, two stones were approved on the amice of the high priest's 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 amices, on each stone there were six names (). U and Ezek. 28, 13 onyx is mentioned among the jewels and in Job is directly called precious; in the latter case, probably, “Arabian onyx” was meant, which, of all types of onyx, was and is valued especially highly. However, it should be noted that onyx is classified as a semi-precious stone.

Ruby and sapphire. These stones are the essence of modification corundum or the so-called yacht. None of the precious stones has such a variety of colors as corundum. It is found in white, red, blue, green, yellow, and other colors, and it can also be completely colorless. The chemical composition of colorless corundum is pure alumina, but in its colored specimens there are traces of iron, manganese and other impurities, which determine the colors of these stones. Locations of corundum: Africa, India, Ceylon, Orenburg and Perm provinces. and others. Of the colored corundum, red and blue are especially highly valued. The blood-red and carmine-red corundums are called rubies or red yachts and are considered even more expensive than diamonds; blue corundum is known by the name sapphires or blue yachts. - Ruby was first in the first row, sapphire was second in the second row. precious stones on the "breastplate of the judgment" (). Then the ruby ​​and sapphire, as jewels of high value, are called in the following places of the Bible: . Isa. 54, 11. . Ezek. 1, 26. 27, 16. 28, 13. . P. . . . In and at Ezek. 1, 26 you can see an indication of the blue color and brilliance of sapphire. The Hebrew name for the ruby ​​is 'odem, for the sapphire - sarri, in LXX and in Slavyansk. - ruby ​​- σάρδιον, sardium, sapphire - σάπφειρος, sapphire. Greek ἄνθραξ; at I. in Russian. the biblical text corresponds to the word "ruby". – Saying corundum there is a modification of the eastern words corind, corindu (corind, corindou), used in India and China to name some varieties of corundum or yahonta (Shcheglov); the Hebrew 'odem and the Latin root ruby ​​indicate the red color of the stone they designate, Heb. sapir - to blue.

Sardonyx mentioned; it belongs to the group of agates. This stone is nothing but an onyx with white and orange or reddish stripes. In antiquity, sardonyxes, if only the multi-colored layers lay in them correctly, were valued almost equally with sapphires. In ancient times, they were obtained from India and Ethiopia. Sardonite(Greek σαρθόνιξ) - Sardinian onyx, the actual meaning of this name has not been clarified.

Cornelian(Greek σάρδιον) is named. Carnelian - the name of eastern origin (Pylyaev); what exactly it points to is not known with accuracy (see below “Chalcedon”).

Emerald(see "Emerald").

Topaz. Topaz contains clay, silicon and sec in combination with oxygen. Topaz is less hard than diamond, but equal in weight to it; it has a strong vitreous luster; its colors are 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; at present it is found in Siberia (where it is called "heavyweight"), in Saxony, Brazil and some other countries. Topaz is mentioned (on the "breastplate" - the second place of the first row), Ezek. 28, 13. ("Ethiopian topaz"). . The Hebrew name for topaz is pitedah, referring to its yellow color. The origin and meaning of the name "topaz" has not been determined.

Chalcedon. Chalcedons or chalcedony called colored quartz, known since ancient times. “They were formed from quartz dissolved in water, which becomes soluble when the rocks gradually break down under the influence of air.” Chalcedons belong to the group of agates. They are cloudy, like jelly, of various, but not bright colors. On sale, meat-colored or red chalcedons are especially valued ( cornelian or carnelian), apple green ( chrysoprase), with stripes or layers of red and white ( onyx), greyish-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. Locations: Arabia, Ural, etc. Chalcedon belongs to the number of semi-precious stones.

Chrysolite(χρυσός - gold, λίθος - stone) - a transparent stone of yellowish-green or pure yellow color with a strong luster. It contains magnesium and silicon. Locations: Egypt, Deilon, 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 the Russian translators rendered this Hebrew word with the word "topaz".

Chrysopras mention . The Greek name χρυσόπρασος (from χρισός - gold πράσον, - leek - plant) indicates the color of the stone (see "Chalcedon": column 218 -).

Jaspis(Hebrew jaschpheh, Greek ἴασπις): jasper or jasper quartz. Jasper is completely opaque, does not shine through even at the edges. According to the flowers and the arrangement of flowers, the types of jasper are extremely diverse. In addition to the single-color jasper of yellow, brown, red and green, there are still many varieties of multi-colored jasper, which are: brown with light irregularly located (crooked) stripes, red with yellow veins, white with thin veins of red-carmine color, etc. Jasper accepts pretty shiny finish. In ancient times, jasper was found convenient for engraving. Locations: 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 "breastplate" - the first place of the third row). The word "yahont" in the original Hebrew text corresponds to the saying leschem (from lascham - to attract), in LXX - λιγύριον, Vulg. - ligurius (originating, obtained from Liguria). Yakhont there is a collective name used to designate varieties of corundum, which are usually recognized as separate stones and have special names (see "Ruby and Sapphire": st. 216 -). It may very well be that in the places cited in the book. Exodus, of course, some beautiful variety of corundum not named elsewhere in the Bible, for example, oriental girazole, translucent, milky-colored stone, similar to a noble disgrace emitting reddish, or yellowish, or bluish rays. The name "yahont" is probably of eastern origin: "yagut" or "yakut" is the Persian name for the ruby.

Pearl. When listing and describing the precious stones mentioned in the Bible, it is appropriate to provide information about pearls. True, pearls do not belong to minerals, they are a substance of organic, animal origin; but the Bible calls it, along with precious stones, as an object of high dignity, serving, like stones, for ornaments of various kinds. Pearl is the product of those animals that are called soft-bodied, otherwise slugs or shellfish (Mollusca), belong to the class laminabranchial or bivalves (Lamellibranchiata siya Vivaliae), to the detachment of heteromuscular (Heteromya), to the family pearl oysters (Avicuacca), to the mind pearl oysters (Maleagrina margaritifera). The headless mollusk of the barley pearl oyster is enclosed in a bivalve shell, the lateral valves of which, right and left, appear, in appearance, the same - rounded-four-sided, having a leafy structure, greenish-brown in color with longitudinal white stripes. These flaps in the upper, dorsal, part are interconnected by means of a special elastic mass, the so-called ligament, and consist of three layers of different structures, and in pearl pearl oysters, the inner mother-of-pearl layer is the most thickened. The outer part of the body of the mollusk, called the mantle or epanche, consists of two lobes connected at the back and representing a thickening of the skin, especially when connected. 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 lobes of epancha with their upper mucous layer directly adjoin the shell valves and are attached to them by closing, unequally developed muscles that run from one valve to another across the body of the mollusk and serve to bring the valves closer to each other by free lower edges.

The ancients considered pearls a jewel of the highest dignity and loved to adorn them, which is especially true of the Romans. Wealthy Roman women adorned their heads with pearls, wore pearl earrings, necklaces, rings, and even shoes studded with pearls. Roman women were not left without imitators in other areas of the empire (). Pearls were undoubtedly known to the 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, then there were merchants among the Palestinian Jews who were exclusively engaged in the trade in pearls, 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. references to pearls). It can also be assumed with certainty that pearls were also used by the 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 Testament. Bible, namely in the book. Proverbs (8, 10. 20, 15. 31, 10) in a word pearl Hebrew saying peninim. But under this saying, scholars of the Hebrew text of the Bible (for example, Delitzsch) tend to understand rather coral, than pearl. It is possible, however, that the ancient Hebrews, by the word peninim, denoted both coral and pearls, taking into account their identical, marine origin; but where exactly in the original old-fashioned. In the text peninim means pearl, it is impossible to determine: here only guesses are possible, always unfounded, hesitant, and therefore having no positive value. Russian (synod.) translators also discovered a similar vacillation in this case. They didn't translate everywhere pearl Jewish peninim. So, for example, peninim(at the end of the verse) they conveyed by the expression rubies, and the word pearl(at the beginning of the same verse) put instead of Heb. gabisch, which means ( Gesenins, Delitzsch) crystal (Schenkel, Richm, Guthë,Perlen").

Russian name pearl correspond: Arabic - zenchug, Greek - margarite (μαργαρίτης), German - Perlen. The old Russian name for large pearls is Burmic grain, small - kafim grain, i.e., grain brought from the city of Kafa (now Feodosia); old Russian expression pitched pearl means - pearls are round, rolling, i.e. the best pearls ( Pylyaev, Gems, pp. 3 231–233).

Prot. P. Olivet

The first decorations that reached us on the pages of literary works are biblical stones. They are mentioned in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. The oldest original scripture can be attributed to 1500 BC. It is there that it is told that the High Priest, who was a follower of Jehovah and brought worship, had in his everyday life a breastplate, which was a bag made of linen. The bag was framed with precious stones. Their number was twelve. It is these gemstones that are called biblical stones. They were of the most varied shape and color, and were executed in gold frames.

In the Bible in Exodus 28:17-21 it says: "And insert the set stones into it in four rows. Near: ruby, topaz, emerald - this is the first row. Second row: carbuncle, sapphire and diamond. Third row: yahont, agate and amethyst. Fourth row: chrysolite, onyx and jasper. They should be set in golden sockets. These stones should 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 should be carved.

The thimble had various names and was referred to as a thimble, breastplate or hoshen - in Hebrew. It was attached to the priest's apron, called an ephod, with gold chains and blue cords. Sometimes in the scriptures a bag was called a confidant, which, like a pectoral, was worn around the neck. The breastplate on the front side was decorated with 12 stones, which symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel and were fastened in a certain order: three stones in four rows.

High Priest's Breastplate
1st row - ruby, topaz and emerald;
2nd row - carbuncle, sapphire and diamond;
3rd row - yahont, agate and amethyst;
4th row - chrysolite, onyx and jasper.

The cuma was made of colored wool with gold thread. The breastplate was intended for wearing the Urim (light) and Thumim (perfection), which were symbols by which the hierarch consulted with the Almighty on the life of the people of Israel. They were tools of divination, a kind of yes or no answer.

The Bible says that God, who told the people the laws and commandments, urged Moses to make a tabernacle at 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 offering bread, the lamp - the menorah. It was then that it was ordered to make clothes for the high priest Aaron, which included the famous scrip.

There is an opinion that the gems symbolized the spiritual unity of the people of Israel. In his Antiquities of the Jews, Flavius ​​Josephus makes two remarkable remarks about stones. In the sanctuary, in the presence of God, the sardonyx "began to sparkle especially strongly with such a bright light, which is usually not characteristic of it, and the 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 their thoughts, regarding the clothes of the high priest, is in that the sardonyxes that adorned the clasps are comparable to the Sun and the Moon, and the stones on it with the 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 that bordered the breastplate was very great. One of the writings described the order of the Jews in the desert during the Exodus from Egypt. A string of "up to six hundred thousand foot men, except children" was strictly located in clans "with their banner and signs of families" headed by the patriarch, each of whom had his own special banner, the color of which strictly corresponded to the shade of the stone on the breastplate that bore his name.

The history of the breastplate after the collapse of the empire of Rome 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 warlike Persians.

The sacred writings indicate the ancient names of the stones. Let's look at their modern terminology:
- Viryll - beryl of a greenish-yellow hue.
- Iakinf - hyacinth (zircon, its precious variety).
- Karbupkul - red garnet (pyrope or almandine).
- Sardonyx - dark red onyx or in other words chalcedony.
- Chalcedon - chalcedony.
- Jasper - red jasper (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 of different types were hidden under one name, at the same time, stones of the same mineral were attributed to different names.

Odem
Translated from Hebrew, its name tells that the stone had a red tint. In such writings as the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, in the treatises of Josephus Flavius ​​and Epiphanius of Cyprus, carnelian was designated as the first stone of the breastplate. Later, in already rewritten editions of the Bible, they pointed out that the first stone was a ruby. However, this could hardly be, since history says that the ruby ​​appeared in the territories of the ancient Jews much later from the time of their Exodus from Egypt. But carnelian just had a wide distribution and use 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 female energy and the beginning of beginnings. Similarly, in the ancient Jewish civilization, the “odem” stone has the status of a female stone. The name Reuben was engraved on it.

Pitda
Knowledgeable interpreters of the Tanakh translate "pitda" from the Sanskrit "pita", which means fire, flame, yellow. In almost all translations of the Bible, this stone is called topaz. Now it is difficult to say whether that stone was really a topaz. It is not excluded that the gem had a different shade and that the word "pitda" generally has this translation. For example, in the writings of the historian of Ancient Greece Strabo and the scientist-encyclopedist of Ancient Rome Pliny the Elder, under the name "topaz", a green-colored mineral glimmers. 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 yellowish-green minerals were found, which in modern science belong to chrysolites. This island was correlated with the one that Strabo and Pliny spoke about in their writings, according to its natural structure, features and color of the deposits of gemstones found there. Therefore, with regard to the second stone of the breastplate, there is variability in its definition and attribution to one or another type. The name of Jacob's son, Simeon, was inscribed on that stone.

Emerald
As linguists believe, the roots of this word go back to the Sanskrit word "marakat", which means "green". According to the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the stone also has the name "smaragd" and today it is interpreted as the ancient name of the emerald. The name "emerald" we meet just in the Sinoidal translation of the Bible. The gem deposit, which is located in Egypt, is called Cleopatra's Mines and is one of the most famous ancient developments of precious stones. But in all likelihood, at the time of the creation of the breastplate, the name "smaragd" included many green stones.

amazonite stone
According to scientists, the third stone in the breastplate was a green field twine, which today is called amazonite. It is often found during excavations of ancient Egypt in many decorations and religious ceremonies. The name Levi was carved on it.
The fourth stone of the breastplate.

pomegranate stone
Nuofek. This is the Hebrew name, which is translated by the Septuagint as "anthrax", and by the Vulgate as "carbuncle". This name reflects the interesting color of the mineral and is translated from Greek and Latin as "coal". In the famous work of the ancient Greek scientist Theophrastus "On Stones" it is clearly stated that in the 4th-3rd centuries BC this name referred to the pomegranate. It was used in carving seals, "its color is red, and exposed to the sun, it is similar in color to burning coal."

turquoise stone
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 socket of the breastplate. The shade of this stone is sky blue. Its 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. Interestingly, 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 breastplate. It is worth noting that in the rabbinical commentary on the Torah, the fact that the shade of the mineral should be the same as the color of the banner of the tribe whose name is reflected on it is noted. The name of Judas is engraved on the fourth stone of the breastplate, and it is believed that its color is sky blue.

lapis lazuli stone
Shappir. Translated from Hebrew - "sapphire". Theophrastus in his writings gives an accurate description of this mineral, pointing to its subtle individuality - the presence of "golden points". Scientists of the ancient era, by their description of saprif, unambiguously identified it as lapis glaze. Lapis lazuli is distinguished by its opacity and fullness of dark blue color, and its best grades are 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 the fifth son of Jacob, Dan, was engraved on the stone. Other sources say that the name of the fifth son of Jacob, the ninth in order of birth, Issachar, was carved on it.

jade stone
Yahalom. Usually the translation of this name is derived from such verbs as "hit" or "destroy". And it is no coincidence. In rare translations, for example, in the sinoidal, the stone is called a diamond. It was he who was not known to the ancient Jews and, accordingly, could not decorate the sacred clothes of the high priests. According to the Septuagint and the Vulgate, the sixth stone in the magic breastplate was "iaspice", similar to "yashfu", the twelfth stone of suma. Its name extends its root to the Persian word "jasper", which means "strong, colorful stones." According to Theophrastus, yahal was a green stone, which is similar in color to emeralds. Most likely, it was jade or jadeite, but green jasper should not be ignored either.

green jasper stone
There are two ways to correlate this mineral with one of the tribes of Israel: in one version it is Naphtali, the sixth son of Jacob by birth, and in the other, Zebulun is the sixth son and tenth in order of birth.
The seventh stone of the confidant.

Mineral amber
Ligurion. This gem is very difficult to identify and correlate with any mineral. Translated from ancient Greek, it stands for "lynx urine". Theophrastus describes a yellow-colored stone under it, which serves as a material for making seals.

Opal stone
There is another property that is described in ancient works - "it is cold and very transparent." And in this regard, there are many versions for the translation of 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 confidant.

agate stone
Shebo. The name of this stone comes from the distorted name of the ancient city, located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. In a modern interpretation, it is called Yemen-Saba (Sheba). In ancient translations, this name means "agate". This was a particularly revered stone at that time, which, of course, earned its place in the confidant collection. Difficulties arise only with the correlation of this mineral with one of the sons of Israel. According to the writings of Epiphanius of Kirp, the eighth stone bears the name Asher, the son of the eighth in seniority, Jacob. But according to the writings of the Tanakh-Midrash Rabbah, the name Naphtali was inscribed on the Shebo stone. The works of the famous shemmologist of the early 20th century, J. Kunz, say that the name of the last son of the patriarch and the second from his wife Rakhilia, Benjamin, was engraved on the gem.

amethyst stone
Ahlam. 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 it with the magical property of inspiring 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 purple, a rare magical violet, the mineral is rich in a careful history of use. According to Epiphanius of Cyprus, the name Issachar was inscribed on the akhlama. Other versions sound the names Gad or Dan.
The tenth stone of the confidant.

Chrysolite stone
Tarshish. In almost all languages, this Hebrew name is translated as "chrysolite", which means "gold stone". "Chrysos" - gold, "cast" - stone. Otherwise, the mineral was also called Farsi, which means "stone of the color of sea foam." Tarshish - this is the name of the city, which is found many times on 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 breastplate was a yellow mineral, which was famous at the time of the Exodus. Jasper and yellow quartz (citrine) can equally belong to such stones.

There is reason to believe that after the Babylonian captivity, a new breastplate was created, which was based on other stones, and the tenth stone was golden topaz. The main version says that the name of the tenth son of Jacob, Zebulun, was reflected on the tarshish. But there are also versions that speak of the names Ashef and Naphtali.

onyx stone
Shoham. This gem was also used in ephod clasps and translates as "onyx". But Epiphanius of Cyprus, following the Septuagint, designates beryl under the eleventh stone. There is also a version that aquamarine was a blue-colored stone during the life of Epiphanius. He could also decorate the breastplate, which was worn by the High Priesthood of the Second Jerusalem Temple before its destruction in 70 AD. During the existence of the first confidant, the gem was hardly known to people. Those stones that the Jews had at that time in Ancient Egypt 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. Such stones can be malachite and turquoise. If we start from the Hebrew name, then the eleventh stone in the breastplate should have been onyx. Due to its color, which is penetrated by ornate stripes, in translation from ancient Greek, the mineral means "nail".
onyx pattern
In ancient times, onyx was called banded chalcedony, which in ancient Greece was used due to its beauty and strength to create cameos. The stone was engraved with the name Gad.

mineral onyx
Yashfe. Translated from Hebrew, it has the name "green" and, in theory, should have been in the sixth nest of the breastplate. According to the writings of Epiphanius of Cyprus and the Septuagint, the twelfth stone was onyx, and the Vulgate defines it as beryl. Which of the stones is more suitable for this role is difficult to determine. It can be marble onyx, and green jasper, and 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 writings - Asher.

As can be seen from the research, it is quite difficult to identify the authenticity of the stones that adorn the breastplate. 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 every 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 given to gemstones that accompanied the people of those times on their difficult life path.

Gemstones

The Sinoidal translation says that 32 stones are described in the Bible and another two dozen are encrypted under the texts. What gives a huge scope for the study of gemology, the science of precious and ornamental 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, such civilizations 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 the era of antiquity, the world was already familiar with 77 minerals and 27 rocks. Ruby, sapphire, topaz, opal, diamond appeared on the arena. By the beginning of the Middle Ages, the world came up 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 pieces are added to them.

Rhinestone
Each mineral has its own historical, trade 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 mentioned in the Bible have such 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 descended from the mountain, a picture appeared before his eyes that the people had again fallen into idolatry. In anger then he broke the tablets. And God commanded that new tablets be cut out and the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. The tablets were first placed 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 the 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 the 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 has been looking for the Ark of the Covenant for a long time. The ornate paths of the development of events of that time led him to the Christians of Ethiopia, where the Ark of the Covenant is probably stored.

Holy Scripture also tells us about the so-called insignia. Insignia 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, and also decorated with pearls, onyx, opals, topazes, emeralds, carbuncles and other gems of white, green and red shades.

At that time, crowns and diadems were the main decoration for people of high castes. The king's crown was made of gold and decorated with natural stones. And the high priest's headdress was a turban with a gold hoop and a majestic inscription "Holy to the Lord." Also, one of the main attributes of royal persons was a belt, which was decorated with gold and precious stones. The book "Genesis" also tells about the royal ring with a signet (gemma). The ritual of wearing a gold ring with a gem on the right hand, the Jews, apparently, adopted from the Egyptians.

Jewelry was an adornment not only for wealthy Jews, but also had value and was worn by the simple class. In Palestine, there were no deposits of gold and gems, but this did not prevent the people of Israel from having jewelry from 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 people of Israel, leaving Egypt, had a 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 Israelis compared to the erection of Solomon's temple, which took 250 thousand pounds of gold and 10 times more silver, not counting a large number of gems.

After the time 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 recorded a legend that tells that Abraham carried a precious stone that heals people. By looking at him, a person could recover from infirmity. And after the death of Abraham, God inserted this stone into the solar disc. In memory of this, the Jews preserved the saying: "The sun will rise - the sick will rise."

The biblical book "Exodus" tells that in everyday life the Jews met necklaces, pendants, rings on their belts and hands, chains on their legs, wrist and ankle bracelets, wrist rings, rings on their hands, ears and nose, vessels with spirits and "magic pendants". The lower class wore jewelry made of colored glass and cheap pebbles.

In the New Testament, we meet the mention of stones in the book "The Revelation of John the Theologian" ("Apocalypse"). Their number is also twelve, but their description is already reflected in the story about the walls of "Heavenly Jerusalem". There are already slight differences in the set of stones than in their composition reflected in the Old Testament. Here, instead of diamond, carbuncle, agate and onyx, chrysolite, chalcedony, sardonyx, chrysoprase and iacinth (hyacinth) appear.

Gospel, Apocalypse - Revelation of John Bogoolov, chapter 21:19-21"The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all sorts of precious stones: the first foundation was jasquis, the second sapphire, the third chalcedon, the fourth emerald. The fifth was sardonyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, the eighth was virill, the ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was hyacinth, the twelfth was amethyst. And the twelve gates "twelve pearls: each gate was made of one pearl. The street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass."

Gems are most richly reflected in the last book of the 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 decorations of Heavenly Jerusalem, while others set off the perfection of the heavenly forces.

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) - Apostle Peter.
Sapphire - lapis lazuli - Pavel.
Chalcedon - red garnet, possibly, and ruby ​​- Andrew.
Smaragd - emerald - John.
Sardnix - James Zebedee.
Sardium - carnelian - Philip.
Chrysolif - chrysolite - Bartholomew.
Viril - beryl - Thomas.
Topahziy - topaz - Matthew, publican.
As - chrysoprase - Thaddeus.
Iakinf - hyacinth - Simon.
Amethyst - Evangelist Matthew.

Holy Heavenly Jerusalem, decorated with gems, was designated as God's abode and the place of residence of the souls of orthodox Christians. It was designated for the first time already in the New Testament in the 1st century. Andrew of Caesarea - 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 the domed temples with a drum (the throne of the Lord and heavenly powers), and below the sky with heavenly Jerusalem is indicated for "those written with Christ in the book of life." The lower part of the walls and the ground correspond to the twelve bases with the names of the apostles, which symbolize the earthly realities and the Christian peoples, who are destined for places in the holy City.

There are many versions of the foundations of Heavenly Jerusalem. But the most important of them are the apostles, on whom the Christian church relies.

Mention of earthly Jerusalem - the place where Christianity originated, from where Christ left for 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, ciphers and symbols, and it is not easy for a modern person to recognize the true eventfulness of that time. The decorations of the twelve foundations of the City of Heaven can mean all Christians: those who lived, those who live 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 time measure of the earthly existence of people. Later, these minerals will become known as amulets of people born in the corresponding months of the year.

As noted earlier, many stones have since changed their names. But there are 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. Since ancient times, they have been used to decorate the bindings of sacred books, icons, crosses, and mitres. In the spiritual world, it is called "bishop's stone". Wearing it means a kind of reminder of a strict vow.

Almost every gem that is 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.

Christmas is coming and I wanted to remember some beautiful and entertaining biblical legend, full of secrets and mysteries. For example, talk about precious stones mentioned in the Bible. Many authors who studied the properties of stones in antiquity referred to the information contained in the Bible. Without exaggeration, these stones can be called legendary and the most valuable in terms of their qualities. In the well-known painting by Titian "The Entry of the Virgin Mary into the Temple", written in 1539 and stored in the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, on the chest of the High Priest, one can see a pectoral or pectoral with 12 precious stones - this is a gold plate that was worn on the chest with the help of a gold chains.

A tall old man with a gray beard in golden-green clothes with a golden crescent on his cap greets the God-chosen child with a blessing gesture.

Vvedensky churches in Russia are dedicated to this famous church holiday, which is celebrated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. But now I'm interested in a different line of events.

The breastplate (or breastplate, bib, in Hebrew - hoshen) was attached to the ephod (an element of the priest's clothing, similar to an apron) with the help of gold chains and blue cords. Sometimes it is described as a bag, sometimes as a pectoral worn around the neck. The 12 stones symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel. There is a lot of controversy about what 12 gems were included in this ancient cult jewelry, since the names of the stones in the Bible do not correspond to modern names and there are quite a few versions, interpretations and translations. This question is of interest to historians, mineralogists, and jewelers, as well as, as we shall see, writers and their readers.

The legend is this. The stones for the breastplate of the High Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem were brought as a gift to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. By the way, there is confusion with the temples in the painting by Titian, because if you follow the chronology from the birth of Christ - by the time Mary was a little girl, Solomon's temple had long been destroyed, and the second Jerusalem temple had not yet been built. And the breastplate, if there was one in Solomon's time, must have survived the earlier destruction of Solomon's temple. Considering that King Solomon lived in the X century. BC. this artifact should have been about 3,000 years old now. Did and could such a shrine really exist? Theoretically, of course, it could. But could such an artifact survive to this day?

High Priest Aaron. Icon 1822, from the Church of Nikolai Elagin Palace (Petersburg), since 1930 - in the Russian Museum

According to legend, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the soldiers of Titus in 70 AD. e. napersia did not fall into the hands of the Romans. He was saved by a man named Leviticus, who was then killed by his friend who helped him. For svtotay punishment was due, which he was not afraid of, but, nevertheless, he was afraid to leave the entire pectoral - he pulled out only the most valuable stones with which he fled to Rome. The pectoral, already without these stones, was found by a woman who fled with him to Egypt, then the artifact ends up in Venice, where, again, according to legend, it has been kept for many centuries in the Jewish quarter in Venice. This, as it were, explains the fact that Titian knew what the shrine looked like. And the picture allegedly depicts Judas Levi Abrabael (Abravanel), an intellectual and, according to legend, the keeper of the pectoral, a contemporary of Titian. The breastplate (khoshen) was depicted by another Italian artist - Romanelli (in the Vatican).

I will refer to ... a ladies' novel with detective elements, which, of course, will shock true historians. I am not a fan of ladies' novels and, probably, I would never have read "The Lame from Warsaw" by Juliette Benzoni, if I had not found at the heart of this 4-volume book (!) - a detective story about the search for stones missing from the pectoral in the spirit of Dan Brown. My excuse can be 2 points - firstly, I secretly read detective stories, which, in fact, I love and adore, and secondly, the author and her character are connoisseurs and fanatics of precious stones and, of course, I was very curious what she dug up. Since the traditional versions, in general, are known and are set out in the same Wikipedia.

According to the plot, the action of which develops on the eve of World War II, a certain Simon Aaron, who is the keeper of the sacred pectoral, tells about the legend that if you find the remaining 4 precious stones and restore the decoration, the power of the stones will play a decisive role in uniting the Jewish people and gaining their state on lands that once belonged to them. The Italian aristocrat and famous antiquary Morosini helps him with this. He acts in the novel as Sherlock Holmes, who is worn throughout Europe in search of a star sapphire (which was later considered Visigothic and was kept in his family for many centuries), the York diamond, the Sissi opal - Empress Elizabeth, the wife of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph and the ruby ​​of the Spanish Habsburgs . All stones carry a curse and a detective follows their bloody footprints. These famous stones did not bring happiness to their owners, as always happens with stolen shrines.

In Benzoni, the pectoral is described as follows: a large and massive rectangular plate 30 cm long, on which 12 golden rosettes are arranged in 4 rows with large cabochons of precious stones inserted into them, completely different from the usual stones. They were placed sardonyx, topaz, dark red ruby, agate, amethyst, beryl, malachite and turquoise - the stones are perfectly matched in size and superbly polished. Lacked sapphire, diamond, opal and ruby. The ruby ​​was repeated at Benzoni, I can't say why. Maybe a typo or translation error. Emerald and jasper, which are present in all versions, are not mentioned at all. It seems to me that in place of malachite there should be an emerald, but I will not go into it now. A chain attached on both sides made it possible to wear a pectoral around the neck. On the reverse side of each stone is engraved a very small image of the star of Solomon. True, according to a more common version, the names of the tribes of Israel (the sons of Jacob) are carved on the stones. The letters of these names made up the complete alphabet of ancient Hebrew, and when interacting with the Urim and Thummim, the letters began to flicker, forming words and sentences. True, the ancient author Flavius ​​in the book "Antiquities of the Jews" noted that the stones ceased to radiate radiance 200 years before he wrote these lines (1 in AD)

Brief information- 12 stones are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. The first contains a description of the breastplate as an "instruction" for the robe of a priest, I would say. The breastplate contained the Urim and Thummim. Front row: ruby, topaz, emerald. In the second: carbuncle, sapphire, diamond. In the third: yahont, agate and amethyst. In the fourth: chrysolite, onyx and jasper. (Exodus, chapter 28). In the New Testament, in the book "Revelations of John the Theologian" (Apocalypse), stones are mentioned when describing the walls of "Heavenly Jerusalem" - instead of diamond, carbuncle, agate and onyx, chrysolite, chalcedony, sardonyx, chrysoprase and iacinth (hyacinth) are mentioned. The twelve gates are the twelve pearls, the streets of gold. (There is a city of gold...) There is still debate about the order of the stones - horizontally or vertically, some suggest that the true order is the perimeter - in accordance with the walls of the temple. There is a version about 12 precious stones at the base of the heavenly temple, on each of which the name of one of the apostles is written.

Kaifa - Gaft, Pontius Pilate - Kirill Lavrov in the film Bortko.

I can assume that the rules regarding stones were strict, but certain assumptions could exist. At least the stone could be more or less valuable, that is, it was possible to replace one stone with another. The basis was 12 stones known and available in Palestine. The Confidant of the High Priest is a unique shrine. Historians find many parallels between this artifact and the pectoral decorations of the Egyptians, in whom they were especially common and elevated to a cult. Symbolism and purpose are associated with the name of the Egyptian goddess of Truth, and an object with a similar purpose (U Rome and Thummim ) was worn by a judge in Egypt. There are also theories about the correspondence of 12 hoshen stones to 12 months - that is, each stone in this case will correspond to one of the signs of the zodiac. By the way, there is a modern type of ring "tabaat hoshen", which includes 12 small stones, repeating the location of the stones in the breastplate-hoshen.

Easter procession

The most interesting fact associated with the hoshen confidant, in my opinion, is that it contained the Urim and Thummim - divination tools, a kind of lot, "yes" and "no". Of course, the precious stones used in the decoration could not be simple decorations and even just symbols of the 12 tribes of Israel. They were supposed to play a role in ritual divination. There are versions that the Urim and Thummim were also stones, according to the radiance or fog around them, the divine will was determined. Undoubtedly, such a ritual has a more ancient origin, prophecies and predictions are characteristic of pagan cults, the echo of which is described in ancient biblical texts. Perhaps the existence of a breastplate can be considered evidence that jewelry made of stones, both ritual and personal, originally had a religious significance and connected a person with higher powers. Most likely, ancient people were convinced of this. Isn't this the secret of our love for beautiful stones? And has not this mysterious breastplate from the Temple of Jerusalem been preserved, contrary to all the laws of probability? And Juliette Benzoni did not compose this story at all, but simply retold it in a fascinating way?

The custom of using precious stones to decorate, increase wealth and add splendor to solemn ceremonies dates back to the distant past. Just as now, jewels were highly valued in those days; kings and other rulers hoarded precious stones not only to wear them as a confirmation of their own power, but also to replenish the treasury with treasures, to cover the costs of government and provide military resources. Since the jewels are durable and take up little space, it is not surprising that they have been used in Palestine since ancient times, where they were imported mainly from Tyre, since no precious stones were mined in Palestine itself.

It is known from the Bible that the breastplate of the High Priest, in which he worshiped Jehovah, was adorned with expensive stones. By the way, the very name "confidante" is somewhat inaccurate, since we perceive it in the meaning of a part of the weapon, which, before the era of firearms, served to protect the body during the battle; in the Bible, the word "confidant" means a ritual object. It was a linen bag containing the mysterious Urim and Tumim, with whose help the High Priest explained Jehovah's commands concerning deeds for the benefit of the children of Israel. The sum was adorned with precious stones; there were twelve in all, probably flat and oval, set in filigree gold frames; the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved on the stones. Gemstones of the breastplate are described in the Bible

Exodus, chapter 28:.

17. And set stones into it in four rows. Next: ruby, topaz, emerald - this is the first row.

18. Second row: carbuncle, sapphire and diamond.

Third row: yahont, agate and amethyst.

Fourth row: chrysolite, onyx and jasper. They should be inserted into golden nests.

These stones should 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 should be carved.

In addition to this description (the original Hebrew dates back to about 1500 BC), four more have come down to our time: in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Bible, made in Alexandria in the first half of the 3rd century. Don. e., in the Vulgate, a Latin translation by Saint Jerome

around 400 AD. e., in two books of Josephus Flavius

: in the book "Jewish Wars", written in Hebrew about 75 AD. BC, shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem, and then translated into Greek, and in the book "Antiquities of the Jews", written in Greek, probably in 93 AD. e.

The list of precious stones and the description of their location on the breastplate are given in the following table, according to the descriptions in the five sources listed above, with the equivalent meanings used in the translation of the last four sources into English:

The following description from The Wars of the Jews is less accurate than the descriptions in other sources.

nikah, but earlier it was believed that the order of the stones in the text corresponds to their location on the breastplate:

“And on the other side twelve stones were fixed, three in a row, four rows in total: sard, topaz, emerald, carbuncle, jasper, sapphire, agate, amethyst, ligur, onyx, beryl, chrysolite” (Book V, chapter 5, part 7).

If you do not pay attention to the order of the stones, you can see that in different versions of the Bible the same types of precious stones are mentioned, but there are two exceptions: in the English translation of 1611, a diamond appears instead of the chrysolite mentioned in other versions, and in the Jewish antiquities” instead of sard, sardonyx appears. It is clear that the diamond in the English version is not at all the stone that we know by this name today, since at that time it would have been very difficult to carve the name of one of the tribes of Israel on a diamond because of its hardness; among other things, diamonds suitable for a breastplate are extremely rare, and it is generally doubtful that such a diamond was known much earlier than 1000 AD. e. At the same time, the name "sardonyx" may be quite correct if the stone was banded, and therefore can be considered as one of the names of sard.

One should not be surprised at the incomplete coincidence in the names and order of the gems in various versions of the Bible. If we recall that before the invention of the printing press, and even more so before the mechanical method of copying manuscripts, all editions were painstakingly copied by hand, then we can consider the correspondence of the translations to be quite good. It should also be remembered that ancient Eastern texts are read from right to left, that is, in the opposite direction compared to Western texts, and the difference in the arrangement of the gems of the third row in the two descriptions by Josephus could arise precisely for this reason. Another explanation of discrepancies in different versions is also possible, if we assume that they do not refer to the same subject. History says that until the final destruction in 70 AD. e. Jerusalem was repeatedly subjected to cruel raids, and such an invaluable and famous thing as a breastplate, if it was not securely hidden, could not but become the prey of the conquerors. If this really happened, then the breastplate should have been replaced by another, since it is an integral part of Jewish religious ceremonies; however, it is practically impossible to prove that exactly the same stones were used in the manufacture of the new breastplate as on the stolen breastplate. The assumption that such a replacement could have been made is also confirmed by the fact that different versions of the Bible mention different stones that served as fasteners for the sacred garment - the ephod (stones set in gold were located on the shoulders of the ephod, and the breastplate was attached to these with linen ribbons). "buttons"). In the English version, these stones are called onyxes.

Exodus, chapter 28:.

And take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:

Six of their names on one stone, and six names of the rest on another stone, in the order of their birth.

Exodus, chapter 39:.

And they fashioned onyx stones, setting them in golden sockets, and engraving on them the names of the children of Israel, as they are carved on a seal.

And he laid them on the armours of the ephod, in remembrance of the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

According to the Septuagint, these two stones are emeralds, and Josephus Flavius ​​calls them sardonyx. Since these two types of stones are very different in color, they must have been different stones.

Ezekiel's vision seems to refer to the stones of the breastplate when describing the magnificence of the king of Tyre, since all nine names of stones mentioned can be found in the description of the breastplate, although in a different order.

Ezekiel, chapter 28:.

13. You were in Eden, in the garden of God; your clothes were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: ruby, topaz and diamond, chrysolite, onico and jasper, sapphire, carbuncle and emerald, and gold,.,.

The Vulgate also gives the names of nine stones, only chrysolite is mentioned instead of diamond and the stones are listed in a different order: sard, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, onyx, beryl, sapphire, carbuncle, emerald. At the same time, the Septuagint mentions all twelve breastplate stones along with the precious metals of the settings; in both books they are listed in the same order: sard, topaz, emerald, carbuncle, sapphire, jasper, silver, gold, ligur, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, beryl

Thus, in the English version and the Vulgate, the names of three stones of the third row are omitted: "ligur", "agate" and "amethyst", which probably happened during correspondence.

Another set of twelve stones is mentioned in the description of the walls of Heavenly Jerusalem. These stones differ from the stones that adorned the breastplate of the High Priest: instead of diamond, carbuncle, ligur, agate and onyx, chrysolite, chalcedony, sardonyx, chrysoprase and iacinth (hyacinth) appear here.

The foundations of the city wall were adorned with all sorts of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedon, the fourth emerald.

The fifth is sardonyx, the sixth is sardolic, the seventh is chrysolite, the eighth is viril, the ninth is topaz, the tenth is chrysoprase, the eleventh is hyacinth, the twelfth is amethyst.

And the twelve gates are twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl. City street -> pure gold, like transparent glass.

Although almost all the stones mentioned in the Bible have names that are used in our time, it does not at all follow that they refer to the minerals corresponding to these names today, and it is obvious that in many cases the name was transferred from one type of stone to another who is completely different from him. Before the method of cutting stones was developed, they were simply given a primitive shape and polished; stones were then valued for color and texture, and not for transparency; In those days, completely different stones were considered precious. Since the breastplate of the High Priest, captured by the Romans after the destruction of Jerusalem, disappeared, and two other sets of stones appear in the legends, we have almost no data to prove the identity of stones with different names. It is possible that in some cases the root of the corresponding Hebrew word may serve as a clue. In other words, we can only state with certainty that the sard, emerald, and sapphire on the breastplate of the High Priest were red, green, and blue, respectively. To find out the meaning of various names, it is necessary to refer to the authors of the mineral descriptions of that era. The most ancient of the works that have come down to us is a book.

about stones, written in Greek by Theophrastus

Died shortly before the Greek translation of the Bible, the Septuagint, was begun. The most extensive work in Latin was the treatise "Natural History" by Pliny the Elder, published in 77 AD. e.

All the names of the stones given in the 1611 English translation are taken from the original Greek translated into Latin, as no suitable English meanings were available. The Greek and Latin forms of the names of minerals are very close; the exception is the word "carbuncle", which comes from a diminutive form of the Latin carbo (spark); the equivalent Greek word is avBpag. Since in ancient times stones differed mainly in color and, to a lesser extent, in hardness, stones belonging to different mineral species were often meant under the same name; at the same time, stones that are varieties of one mineral were considered different. Some names of the stones apparently correspond to modern names; these are amethyst, emerald, beryl, sard, onyx and sardonyx. Other names do not match modern ones. Thus, what is described by Pliny as sapphire, we call lapis lazuli. Topaz was a green stone, possibly the current olivine, chrysolite - a yellow stone, iacinth - blue, chrysoprase - green, jasper - also a green stone, that is, at that time they used names that were opposite to modern ones. Apparently, all red stones were called carbuncles - ruby, spinel and garnet, but it is most likely that the last of the listed red stones - garnet, was most likely on the breastplate of the High Priest, since it is quite malleable for engraving. Chalcedony was considered a green stone, and definitely this name did not mean the cryptocrystalline form of quartz known in our time. One of the names - ligur - now does not occur at all; apparently, it was an extremely hard yellowish stone, most likely zircon.

The first section of the Bible mentions a stone that puzzles us.

Genesis chapter 2:.

12. And the gold of that land is good; there bdelium and onyx stone.

The name "bdelium" appears in the next section, but does not appear again in the Bible:.

Numbers, chapter 11:.

7. The manna was like a coriander seed, looking like bdolach.

Here lies some clue to the meaning of the word bdelium, which is the Latin form of the Greek |3Se?Jaov. Manna is probably a lichen (Lecanora esculenta), which is now eaten in North Africa and is a small grayish or whitish lumps. However, it is possible that the bdelium is a lump of resin or even a pearl of this appearance.

Biblical alabaster is a marble-like onyx (calcite), and not a type of gypsum, as is believed in our time. “Crystal”, “amber”, “coral” and “pearl” - these names both in antiquity and in our time are used to refer to the same stones, however, in some sections of the English version, instead of the word “crystal”, one should it would be written "glass", and instead of the word "pearl" - "crystal".

12 bible stones

The first decorations that reached us on the pages of literary works are biblical stones. They are mentioned in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. The oldest original scripture can be attributed to 1500 BC. It is there that it is told that the High Priest, who was a follower of Jehovah and brought worship, had in his everyday life a breastplate, which was a bag made of linen. The bag was framed with precious stones. Their number was twelve. It is these gemstones that are called biblical stones. They were of the most varied shape and color, and were executed in gold frames.

The Bible (Exodus, chapter 28) says:
28.17. And set stones in it in four rows. Next: ruby, topaz, emerald - this is the first row.
28. 18. Second row: carbuncle, sapphire and diamond.
28. 19. Third row: yahont, agate and amethyst.
28. 20. Fourth row: chrysolite, onyx and jasper. They should be inserted into golden nests.
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 should be carved.

The thimble had various names and was referred to as a thimble, breastplate or hoshen in Hebrew. It was attached to the priest's apron, called an ephod, with gold chains and blue cords. Sometimes in the scriptures a bag was called a confidant, which, like a pectoral, was worn around the neck. The breastplate on the front side 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 - yahont, agate and amethyst;
4th row - chrysolite, onyx and jasper.

The cuma was made of colored wool with gold thread. The breastplate was intended for wearing the Urim (light) and Thumim (perfection), which were symbols by which the hierarch consulted with the Almighty on the life of the people of Israel. They were tools of divination, a kind of yes or no answer.

The Bible says that God, who told the people the laws and commandments, urged Moses to make a tabernacle at 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 offering bread, the lamp - the menorah. It was then that it was ordered to make clothes for the high priest Aaron, which included the famous scrip.

There is an opinion that the gems symbolized the spiritual unity of the people of Israel. In his Antiquities of the Jews, Flavius ​​Josephus makes two remarkable remarks about stones. In the sanctuary, in the presence of God, the sardonyx "began to sparkle especially strongly with such a bright light, which is usually not characteristic of it, and the 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 my thoughts, with regards to the clothes of the high priest, is that the sardonyx that decorated the clasps is 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 that bordered the breastplate was very great. One of the writings described the order of the Jews in the desert during the Exodus from Egypt. A string of “up to six hundred thousand foot men, except children” was strictly located in clans “with their banner and signs of families” headed by the patriarch, each of whom had his own special banner, the color of which strictly corresponded to the shade of the stone on the breastplate that bore his name.

The history of the breastplate after the collapse of the empire of Rome 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 warlike Persians.
The sacred writings indicate the ancient names of the stones. Let's look at their modern terminology:

Viryll is a greenish-yellow beryl.
- Iakinf - hyacinth (zircon, its precious variety).
- Karbupkul - red garnet (pyrope or almandine).
- Sardonyx - dark red onyx or in other words chalcedony.
- Chalcedon - chalcedony.
- Jasper - red jasper (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 of different types were hidden under one name, at the same time, stones of the same mineral were attributed to different names.