iv. We now turn to the question of colour. The breastplate woirid apparently have stood thus —
3 White quartz 2 Yellow gerpentine 1 Red jasper
6 Green jasper 6 Blue lazuli 4 Red garnet
9 Purjtie amethyst 8 Red carnelian 7 Yellow ajjate
12 White and black 11 Green felspar 10 Yellow jasper
onyx
Here there is good contrast maintained except in the right column, where there are two reds together and two yellows ; but none of these are in serious doubt, and if any change is suggested it would be by transposing two of these. Tlie first entry seema well fixed in the lists ; and the fourth cannot change with the seventh without bringing red garnet and carnelian together. If, however, the
STONES, PRECIOUS
STORK
62\
fourth and tenth interchanged, then tlie opaque yellow jasper would be next to the opa<]ue lazuli and in line with oj)a<iue green jasper, which would be harmonious. Should this bo acce|)ted, then the red garnet, anthrax, would be tarshish (K.) ; and the yellow jasper, chrysolithos, would be nophekh.
There now remains the question of the relation of the stones in Rev. to those in the OT. They have evidently some connexion ; but sometimes in the object order, sometimes in the verbal order, the Heb. reckoning running contrary to Greek. Thus there is —
Ex. LXX 6 laspis Rev. 1 laspis
Ex. Rev.
Ex.
Rev.
8 Smara<^do0 4 Smura''cio9
6 Sappheiros
5 Sappheiros
2 Topazion
6 Sardonyx
1 Sardion 6 Sardion
11 Bcrvllion 8 Berjilos
12 Onychion 9 Topazion
8 Achates 9 Amethystos
11 Hvakinthofl 12 Amethvstos
10 Chrysolilho* 7 ChrysohthoB
Ex. 7 Lijurion
Rev. 10 Chrysoprasos
Here topnziun and sardonijx ajijiear to have changed places ; as, if so, the topaziun would agree in both, and the oni/c/iion compare with the *«/•- donyx. The c/iri/xoprasos may well be a later name of the liguriun. There is, in any case, a strong influence of the LXX lists on the \iev. list ; but yet it seems much like the ap])arent relation by memory of the Ezek. list with the Ex. list in the Hebrew.
A few stones occur in Rev. that are not in LXX. (3) Chalkedon was a green stone according to I'liny, from the copper mines near Chakedon. Aa it was only found in very small pieces, the sugges- tion that it was dwpta.ic (silicate of copper) seeins not unlikely, as that is in small crystals. (5) S'irdoiii/x is doubtless the red and white onyx. (7) Chnj.mlilhos in the Roman age was the present topaz ; while (9) topnziun was the present chrysol- ite ^/'iciWo^ (10) Chrijso]trn3os w&a probably the green chalcedony,or the plasma. (II) Hyakmthvs ^^ as the i)resent sapphire, according to the account of it by Solinus. Of the.se stones in Rev. there is far less doubt than of those in OT, as the writers on gems are nearly contemporary with Rev., and describe the gems in detail.
The shdmir of Ezk 3" 'harder than flint' is evidently connected with the Egj'ptian a.fmer and the Greek i-miris, both of which mean corundum or emery. The hardness of that stone aj-'reeing with the description in Ezek., leaves no douut that it is the s/tdmlr.
Finally, we may here summarize the results —
Ueb. Greek (LXX). Early. Late.
Odcin Sardion Red jasper Sard
'Ahlumch Amtttiysto* Amethyst
Bareketh Sinaragdo* Quartz crysuxl Emerald
Lcshem Li^irion Yellow a^te
Nophekh Anthrax Oatnet = CarhuncIe
(or Chrj'soUthOB? Yellow jasper Topaz)
Pitdab Topazion Yellow - grreeo Peridot
serpentine Sappir Sappheiroc Lazuli
^hiimir Sniiris Corundum
SbobA Achates A^teT Islack and
Red camellant wliite
and felspar? a;;at6
Shdham Berj'llion Green felspar Beryl
Tarshish Chrysolitho« Yellow jas])er To]>az
(or Anthrax Garnet=CorbunoIe)
Y&shCpheh laspia Dark green jasper
YahAlom Onvcbion Onyx? Onyx
Auo in iiev.
Hyakinthoa Sapjihire
ChalkedSn Dioptasef
Chrysoprasoa Green cbal.
cedony or plasma Sardonyx Red and
white onyx
The lists of stones anciently used in pro-Greek times are from the writer's own observation. For the greater part of the information on Greek names Uid gems, King's Antique Gems has been the
source here used. But for corroborations and modihcations of the general views, the results of Prof. Ridgeway's private studies have been most generously communicated, especially in points marked (it.) ; and it must be remembered that the details of the reasons for some of the identilications cannot be fullj- stated or discussed in a brief out- line like the present.
See, furtlier, the separate artt. on the EV names of the precious stones mentioned in the liilile.
W. M. FLINDEK.S I'KTRIE.
STONING. — See Crimes and Punishments, vol. i. p. 527".
STONY.— 1. In the Preface to AV the word
' stony ' is used with the meaning ' made of stone ' : 'Although they build, yet if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stony wall.'* Cf. Shaks. Jul. Ccesar, I. iii. 93, ' Nor stonv tower, nor walls of beaten brass.' 2. In Mt 13'- -», Mk 4=- '« ' stony ' means 'rocky' (to veTptiSr), AV 'stony places,' RV ' rocky places '). This is the meaning also in Hs 141' ' When their judges are overthrown in stony places ' (vS? n-j, RV ' by the sides of the rock '). Cf. Raleigh, Guiana, 69, ' The inaine banks being for the most part st<mie and high.' So ' stone ' is used for ' rock ' in Peres the Plutigh- mans Credo, 8U6 —