Giorgi Alibegashvili

Jacinth-Ruby
(Hyacintus)

    This precious stone had the name of Jacob's fourth son, Judah, encrusted on it. According to St. Epiphanies of Cyprus, the colour of jacinth can be compared to the brilliance of burning fire and its glow is like that of the ember. The same author describes the mystical features of jacinth: if it is rubbed on one's skin or if someone drinks the dust produced by grinding it, a true word shall be born in this person and his judgment will become honest and just.
   According to Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, jacinth is the same as iagund. It correlates also with carbuncle. As it appears all red gemstones  rubies, spinels or others were called carbuncles, but most probably it was garnet that adored the gown of the chief priest Aaron, since garnet is a gem which can be engraved easily. The word “carbuncle” originates from Latin carbunculus, meaning a sparkly, a fiery particle. Pliny the Elder explains: “This precious stone has been given its name because it resembles fire, though fire cannot do it any harm. That is why some people have termed it “unburnable”.'
   Compared with his older brothers (Reuben, Simon and Levi), Jacob's fourth son Judah was endowed with a much greater divine gift: Judah's branch gave birth to David the Psalmist and Jesus who was born to the Virgin Mary, the daughter of David's tribe. In Georgian hymnography jacinth is regarded as gem decorating the Virgin.
   Hyacintus is a Greek word, whereas the Georgian iagund comes from Arabic yaqint  which is  borrowed from Greek. According to H. Smith, the oriental hyacintus is reddish-brownish or pink corundum.
   There is a belief associated with jacinth which says that the gem protects from hallucinations, perfidy and evil forces. Of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, Thaddaeus corresponds to jacinth (ruby) and he is considered the apostle of the Aquarius (January 20 - February 18), the sign of the zodiac protecting nuns and men of arts (Z. Kokrashvili).
  Jacinth protects its owner from the evil eye; it has a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system, alleviates mental disorders, depression and epilepsy, relieves heartache, it is good for the cardiovascular system, eases pain in the joints, and helps to cure skin diseases and all types of chronic ailment.

Sapphire
(Sapphirus)

   St. Epiphanies of Cyprus considers sapphire to be a royal gem. In the Bible this precious stone is encountered in the following context: As Moses, Aaron, Nadab and seventy of the elders of Israel approached the Lord's Mount, “They saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness” (Exodus 24.10). According to historical annals, the Egyptian high priest was wearing a sapphire on his breast with the image of the Goddess of Truth depicted on it. During the pagan mysteries, the high priest was clothed in a sky blue robe, decorated with stars and girded by a yellow belt. Aaron dressed in the same manner, which signified the possession of eternal truth. The sky-blue colour is also the symbol of the soul, which strives for eternity.
   According to eastern tradition, sapphire is included in the corundum family and is one of the varieties of this stone: the corundum proper, the blue corundum or sapphire, the yellow corundum or topaz and the red corundum or ruby. Some include leicosapphire or the white corundum - an oriental amethyst - to this family as well. The green-coloured corundum - an oriental emerald - is also a fairly rare stone.
   Among the sapphires of different colours, the so-called “royal sapphire” of a deep blue colour is considered the “real” sapphire. This gem endows its owner with loyalty, nobility and contemplation of spiritual matters. It is for this reason that the sapphire is sometimes called “the gem of nuns”. This precious stone cools down passions and preserves chastity. According to St. Epiphanies of Cyprus, if sapphire powder is mixed with milk and then applied to a wound, an ulcer or a pimple, the malady is cured.
   The name of Jacob's fifth son, Dan, was inscribed on the sapphire. “Dan” means “a judge”. The Bible gives an account of the strength of his descendants and their martial spirit. Samson, one of the most renowned persons from Dan's branch, was indeed distinguished by his intelligence, craft and strength. According to Christian exegesis, Antichrist should will be born of Dan's descendants. The words of Patriarch Jacob are an indication of this: “Dan shall be a serpent on the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward” (Genesis 49.17).
   In the Book of Revelation we find the name Manasses (Jacob's eleventh son) instead of Dan among the servants sealed by the ring of God in their foreheads (Apocalypses 7.6).
   The most other precious stones, sapphire protects its owner from the evil eye. It also retards ageing, helps cure bronchial asthma, the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, rheumatism, endocrinal and infectious diseases, diabetes and other ailments. Sapphire is the main gem of Taurus (April 21- May 21) and Matthew is the apostle who corresponds to it.

Jasper
(Jaspis)

   Jasper, the sixth precious stone on Aaron's gown, corresponds to Jacob's sixth son Naphtalim and his tribe. According to St. Epiphanies of Cyprus, green, dotted reddish and striped green are the colors of jasper. The latter is considered to be of particular value.
   In Chinese literature jasper is often associated with female beauty. Jasper stairs have become the symbol of a palace and royal life. A thin translucent (i.e. thereby expressive of its inherent meaning) disc of jasper with an opening in the middle was considered an emblem of nobility and even imperial dignity in ancient China. This scepter, made of two hemispheres exactly fitting each other, used to symbolize the sky, its infinity and power.
   It is believed that the mystical properties of jasper endow a person with wisdom, foresight and perseverance in times of hardship. These are the features of the cold-colored jasper. The red-coloured stone helps to stop bleeding.
   In the Apocalypse, heavenly Jerusalem is garnished with jasper. According to the Christian exegesis, the colour of jasper in this context is that of burning coals. This colour defies words and is all-inclusive like the sun-light, embodying in itself all the colours of the rainbow in their inseparable entirety.
   Contemporary biomedical studies demonstrate that jasper guards its owner from the evil eye, helps strengthen the nervous system and cure various female diseases, epilepsy, stuttering, infertility, infectious illnesses, cardiovascular and other health problems. Jasper is the gem of Aries (March 21 -  April 20) and Philip is considered the apostle of this zodiac sign.

Lingurius
(Lincurius)

   Lingurius is the precious stone that corresponds to Jacob's seventh son, Gad. According to St. Epiphanies of Cyprus, this stone is found in Egypt, in Tebeh. The gem has expressly visible green veins and has honey or garnet coloured shading.  The same author notes that wild cows, the so-called Ligviroses, were found in the country of Egypt. The tips of the tails of these animals gave off a bright green light and it was due to the semblance with this colour that the gem was given its name. It was believed that the mystical properties of the stone endowed expectant mothers with patience during delivery and helped relieve the pains of childbirth.
   Lingurius is considered a lost stone. To be more precise, it is still not fully clear specifically which precious stone was meant by the name “Lingurius”.  St. Epiphanies of Cyprus believed this gem belonged to the jacinth family. In contemporary mineralogy, it is described as a yellow-coloured precious stone of particular firmness, most probably, a zircon. By other explanations, based on ancient Hebrew texts, lingurius is a yellow-reddish variety of amber.
   In Christian exegesis, according to the description contained in the Apocalypse of the steps of the heavenly Jerusalem, chrysoprasus seems to be the stone that corresponds to lingurius. Chrysoprasus is translated as “of golden-green” colour and closely resembles the description of lingurius provided by St. Epiphanies. This does not imply, however, that lingurius and chrysoprasus are identical gems. It may be that on the basis of the semblance of their mystical and curative properties, lingurius was simply substituted with chrysoprasus.
   Chrysoprasus protects from the evil eye, envy and slander. It also endows man with resilience and fortitude. It should be worn as a bracelet. At the same time this gem is good for the nervous system, diseases of the eye, improves sight, stops bleeding, cures heartaches, gynecological diseases and, like lingurius, when fastened to a thigh eases delivery.
   Of the twelve apostles chrysoprasus corresponds to Jacob  the brother of the Lord. Jacob is the apostle of Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) and, therefore, chrysoprasus is the gem of the zodiac sign of Capricorn.

Agate
(Achates)

 This noble stone is associated with Jacob's eighth son, Asher. Ancient authors refer to agate as a multi-coloured gem. In particular, St. Epiphanies of Cyprus describes it as an ivory-colored stone or a precious stone having the colour of a lion. According to Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani the colour of agate is blue, and Ioane Bagrationi described it is a semi-transparent gem with veins; it is also referred to as a stone of pink colour or the colour of moss.
   In St. Epiphanies' “Gems” it is noted that if the dust of an agate is mixed in water and then applied to the wounds and bites of wild animals, venomous snakes or stings of scorpions, the person will be cured.
   The description of heavenly Jerusalem in the New Testament does not contain references to agate. It seems that it was substituted with chalcedony, as in contemporary mineralogy agate is considered a decorative stone and one of the major varieties of chalcedony. Lines of different thickness and colour may characterize a stripe-like structure typical of agate.
   Of Christ's twelve disciples chalcedony correlates with Thomas, the apostle of Twins (May 22 -  June 21). This precious stone protects its owner from the evil eye. It also favourably affects the nervous system, if fastened to the chest helps lactation, stops bleeding, cures eye diseases and depression enhances sight, eases delivery, helps achieve sexual harmony and treat infertility. As for the agate, it has similar properties and in addition improves memory, regulates the pulse, cures impotency and different types of chronic diseases, including rheumatism and others.
 

Medieval miniatures kept at K. Kekelidze Institute of Manuscripts
are reprinted from Z. Kokrashvili's
On Biblical Precious Stones and signs of Zodiac, Tbilisi, 2001.