EXGR.WING.
1. O'dem, ClX (E.xod. xxviii, 17 ; xxxix, 10), accord- ing to the Sept. and Vulg., the iSardius (compare Rev. xxi, 20), i. e. carnelian, a well-known, mosth'^ flesh-col- ored, semi-transparent gem, akin to the chalcedony, valued for its hardness, which, however, did not ren- der it incapable of being cut. The most beautiful specimens come from Arabia (Niebuhr, Beschr. p. 142). Josephus (^War, v, 5, 7) assigns the above meaning to the word ; but elsewhere (Ant. 1. c.) he calls it the sar- donyx. (For other significations, see Gesenius, Thes. Jh'b. p. 26.) See Sardius.
2. Pitdah', fT^^B (Exod. 1. c. ; Ezek. xxviii, 13; Job xxviii, 19), according to most of the versions, the Topaz, TOirdZiov (.Josephus -oTra^oc), described by tlie Greeks as a gold-3'ellow stone (Strabo, xvi, 770 ; Diod. Siculus, iii, 39), although Pliny (xxvii, 32) assigns it a green color. Hence moderns have regarded the topaz of the ancients as our chrysolite. The passage in Job describes the mineral in question as coming from Cush, and Plinj' (vi, 34) mentions a topaz-island in the Red Sea (comj). Diod. Sic. I. c). The topaz now so called is a transparent, chiefly wine-colored or citron-yellow stone of the silicious species (HofTmann, Mineral, i, 557 sq. ; comp. Pare.ui, Comment, ad Job xxviii, p. 333 sq.). See Top.\.z.
3. Bare'keth, Tp-^a (Exod. xxviii, 17; xxxi.x, 10; Ezek. xxviii, 13), according to the Sept.,Vulg., and Jo- sephus, the Emerald (Rev. xxi, 1 9 ; Tobit xiii, 21, etc.), grass-green, very hard, transparent, with double refrac- ti(m (Pliny, xxxvii, 16 sij.). The Hebrews obtained this stone almost entirely from Egypt (Pliny, /. c. ; comp. Braun, Vcstif. p. 517 sq. ; yet see Theophr. Lapid. xxiv). See Carbuncle.
4. Nu'phelc, -3: (Exod. xxxix, 11 ; Ezek. xxvii, 16 ; xxviii, 13), according to the Sept. and Josephus, the dvipa'i, i. e. Carhnnde. By this name the ancients (Theoplir. Lapid. xviii sq. ; Pliny, xxxvii, 25) mostly designate red (like glowing coals) brilliant stones ("a similitudine ignium appellati," Plinv, /. c), as rubies and garnets. But their most valued carbuncles ap- pear to have been the Oriental or Indian rubies. The}' were engraved (Tlieophr. Lapid. xxi ; comp. Eichhorn, vt sup. p. 12), which is also the case with the rul)y, although the}' had a great degree of hardness — not greater, however, than the sapphire, which was like- wise engraved. See Emerald.
5. Sappir', T^SD (Exod. xxiv, 10; xxviii, 18; xxxix. Hi Ezek. xxviii, 13), (jaTr(piuJoc. Our Saj)-
phire is sky blue (comp. Ezek. i, 26 ; Exod. xxiv, 10), transparent, and harder than the ruby. What the an- cients so named must, according to the description (Pliny, xxxvii, 39 ; Theophr. I^ajnd. xxiii, xxxvii), be the lapds lazuli, azure-stone (Beckmann, Erfind. Ill, i, 182 sq.). This is opaque, often shading into dark blue (violet), and sometimes has gold- colored quartzose spots (Hoffmann, Mineral, ii, 276 sq. ; comp. i, 548). But as this stone is not so costly as to be justly esti- mated, as in Job xxviii, llj, nor possessed of sufficient hardness ("inutile scalptura;," Pliny, I. c.) to corre- spond with its use in Exod. xxviii, it is probable that the Heb. term denotes the true sapphire, which occurs in notices of ancient gems. See Sapphire.
6. Yahalom' ,C''5'n'^ (Exod. xx.xix, 11 ; Ezek. xxviii, 1.3), by which most of the ancient versions and Jose- phus appear (if wc can trace the order of the gems enu- merated, see Bellermann, ut sup. p. 47) to understand the Onyx (Luther, with some of the Rabbins, the Dia- mond', a kind of chalcedony, in resembling the human nail with the flesh showing through. The simply so- called onyx (of the ancients) has milk-white or brown streaks, and is non-transparent, but takes on, when pol- ished, a mirror-like lustre (Pliny, xxxvi, 12; xxxvii, 24). Eichhorn understands the Beryl. See Diamond.
7. Le'shem, D w5 (Exod. xxviii, 19 ; xxxix, 12), Sept., Josephus, Vulg. Xiyrmov (ligure) or XiyKvuiov, I. e. Jacinth (as in Rev. xxi, 20), a transparent, hard, usually hyacinthine stone, but sometimes shading into yellow or brown. In the fire it loses its color. Man}'' ancient cut specimens are still extant. See Ligure.
8. Sheho', iad (Exod. xxviii, 19 ; xxxix, 12), Sept., Vulg., and Josephus Affite (axaTijc), a mi.xed sort of stone, consisting of quartz, chalcedony, carnelian, flint, jasper, and so forth, so that two kinds are usually com- pounded; hence agates have all possible ground-colors, with numerous streaks, spots, and even figures. The Oriental are finer than the European. In high antiq- uity they were very valuable, but later their value sank considerably (see Plinv, xxxvii, 54; Hoft"mann, Mineral, ii, 123 sq.). See Agate.
9. Achlamah', iT^^nX (Exod. xxviii, 19), Sept., Vulg., Amethyst (fiixiivryroQ; comp. Rev. xxi, 20), a transparent, mostly violet-blue stone, usually found in a six-sided crystalline form, but sometimes pebble- shaped. The ancients prized it highly, especially the specimens from India. But Arabia and Syria also af- forded amethysts (Pliny, xxxvii, 40\ As the Greek name points to a superstitious attribute of the stone (dispelling intoxication ; see Harduin, ad Plin. ii, 783), so the Heb. designation refers to another propert}' (q. d. " dream-stone ;" see Simonis, Lex. p. 331). See Amethyst.
10. Tarskish', ^■'d'nn (Exod. xxviii, 20; xxxix, 13; Ezek. i, 16; D.in. x, 6, etc.), according to the Sept. (in the Pentat.) and Josephus (comp. Rev. xxi, 20), the Chrysolite (ypvaoXi'^oc). The stone now so called is generally found crystallized, and is of a pale green color, wholly transparent, with dou1)le refrac- tion. According to Pliny (xxxvii, 42), the ancients appear to have had a yellow stone called the chryso- lite, which would seem to have been our topaz (Imt compare Bellermann, uf sup. p. 62). Bredow {/listor, Unfi-rsuch. p. 295) would take the tarshish to be amher, as the name probably came from the place so called [sec Tarshish], whence the Phcenicians imported it; a not altogether unlikely view, inasmuch as electrum. was well known in earliest antiquity, was highly prized, and bore an excellent polish (Pliny, xxxvii, 11). Nevertheless, the authority of the ancient ver- sions must here prevail ; and when our attention is once directed by the name to Spain, the statement of Pliny (xxxvii, 43) makes it clear that the chrysolite was also produced there. See Beryl.