Beryl

the rendering in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew word tarshish , a precious stone; probably so called as being brought from Tarshish. It was one of the stones on the breastplate of the high priest ( Exodus 28:20 ; RSV marg., "chalcedony;" 39:13 ). The colour of the wheels in Ezekiel's vision was as the colour of a beryl stone ( 1:16 ; 10:9 ; RSV, "stone of Tarshish"). It is mentioned in Cant 5:14 ; Daniel 10:6 ; Revelation 21:20 . In Ezekiel 28:13 the LXX. render the word by "chrysolite," which the Jewish historian Josephus regards as its proper translation. This also is the rendering given in the Authorized Version in the margin. That was a gold-coloured gem, the topaz of ancient authors.

A precious stone.

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the BERYL, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. ( Daniel 10:5-6 )

(tarshish ) occurs in ( Exodus 28:20 ) It is generally supposed that the tarshish derives its name from the place so called, in Spain. Beryl is a mineral of great hardness, and, when transparent, of much beauty. By tarshish the modern yellow topaz is probably intended, while in ( Revelation 21:20 ) a different stone is perhaps referred to, probably the mineral now called beryl, which is identical with the emerald except in color, being a light green or bluish-green.

BERYL

ber'-il.

See STONES, PRECIOUS.