one of the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest ( Exodus 28:19 ; 39:12 ), and in the foundation of the New Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:20 ). The ancients thought that this stone had the power of dispelling drunkenness in all who wore or touched it, and hence its Greek name formed from a_, "privative," and _methuo , "to get drunk." Its Jewish name, ahlamah' , was derived by the rabbins from the Hebrew word halam , "to dream," from its supposed power of causing the wearer to dream.
It is a pale-blue crystallized quartz, varying to a dark purple blue. It is found in Persia and India, also in different parts of Europe.
(Heb. achlamah ) a subspecies of quartz of a bluish-violet color. Mention is made of this precious stone, which formed the third in the third row of the high priestly breastplate, in ( Exodus 28:19 ; 39:12 ) It occurs also in ( Revelation 21:20 )
AMETHYST
am'-e-thist. See STONES, PRECIOUS.
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