And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an
amethyst.
] The first of these stones, the ligure or lyncurius, is said to
be so called from the congealed urine of the lynx F14, but
rather from the spots of that creature; for, according to Danaeus
F15, it is the same stone with that
called "stellina", from having many specks like stars spread
about in it. Braunius F16 takes the "jacinth" stone to be
here meant, and so does Ainsworth; see ( Revelation
21:20 ) , the second stone, the agate, is well known; and
though now of little account, was formerly in great esteem, as
Pliny F17 asserts, and therefore may well be
thought to have a place among these stones. Pyrrhus king of
Epirus had a very famous one, in which, not by art, but by
nature, were seen the nine Muses, and Apollo holding an harp; the
word for it here is "shebo", which comes from a word which
signifies to captivate; because, as De Dieu observes, this stone
is easily captivated under the hand of the artificer; there being
no stone which so easily admits of engravings as this. The last
of this row is the "amethyst"; which stone has its name either
from its being of the colour of wine; or, as others, from its
being a preservative from drunkenness: the Hebrew word "achlamah"
seems to come from a word which signifies to dream; and this
stone is supposed to cause persons to dream, as Aben Ezra, from
one of their wise men, relates. On these three stones, according
to the Jerusalem Targum, were written the names of the tribes of
Dan, Naphtali, and Gad; but, according to the Targum of Jonathan,
Gad, Asher, and Issachar, which is much better, for a reason
before given.
F14 Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 3.
F15 Apud De Dieu in loc.
F16 Ut supra, (De Vestitu Sacerd. Heb. l. 2.) c. 14. sect. 9. p. 699.
F17 Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 10.