Description of Gems
Green. They say the power of the stone, namely the emerald, is in reflecting the face. The myth-makers also say it is prophetic.
1.4 Stone: coal. This kind has a sharp, reddish tint. It is produced in Carthage of Libya, which is called Africa. Others say this stone is found in this way: it is not sought during the day, but at night, like a torch from a distance or a sparkling coal; and as it appears from afar, those searching for it recognize it and find it easily. But when carried, it is impossible to hide, for whatever garments might cover it, its radiance appears from outside the fold, whence it is called coal. The fulgurite stone is near to this, because it is found in the same place.
1.5 Stone: sapphire, purpling, like the appearance of black Tyrian purple. Many kinds of this exist; for there is the royal kind and the gold-streaked kind, but this one is not so much to be marveled at as the purpling diopside. This too is said to be in India and Ethiopia. Therefore, they say among the Indians there is a temple of Dionysus having steps made of sapphire stone, even if it is unbelievable to the many. But the stone is wonderful, well-formed, and graceful. Therefore, they also set this in rings and armlets, especially kings. It is a wound-remover; for being rubbed and becoming moist and fumigating, it heals wounds when applied to the affected places with milk. It has also been written in the Law that the vision seen by Moses on the mountain, and the law given, is said to have been on sapphire stone.
1.6 Stone: jasper. This is emerald-like in appearance; it is found near the banks of the Thermodon river and around Amathus in Cyprus. It is also much called 'amathusian.' The appearance of the stone is such: it is turning emerald-green, but is sharper and more dim; and from within the body it is green, resembling copper having four-lined veins. As we heard, this is a fantasy, as the mythologists say. There is another kind, more blue-grey like the sea, deeper in bloom and in dye; and another in the caves, in the mountain of Ida in Phrygia, resembling the cochineal from blood, being more translucent.
Greek
πράσινος. Ἡ δὲ δύναμις, φασί, τοῦ λίθου, δηλαδὴ τοῦ σμαράγδου πρὸς τὸ ἐνοπτρίζεσθαι πρόσωπον. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς μυθοποιοῖς προγνωστικὸς εἶναι. 1.4 Λίθος ἄνθραξ. Οὗτος εἶδος ὀξὺ φοινίσσον ἔχει. Γίνεται δὲ ἐν Καρχηδόνι τῆς Λιβύης, ἥτις Ἀφρικὴ καλεῖται. Ἕτεροι δέ φασι τὸν λίθον τοῦτον οὕτως εὑρίσκεσθαι,οὐκ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κατοπτευόμενον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν νύκτα πόρρωθεν δίκην λαμπάδος, ἢ ἄνθρακος σπινθηρίζοντος, καὶ ὡς μακρόθεν φαίνοντος, κἀκ τούτου ἐπιγινώσκοντες οἱ τοῦτον ἀνερευνῶντες ῥαδίως εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτόν· βασταζόμενον δὲ ἀδύνατον διαλαθεῖν, ὁποίοις γὰρ ἂν ἱματίοις κατακρυβῇ ἡ ἀνταύγεια αὐτοῦ ἔξωθεν τῆς περιβολῆς φαίνεται, ὅθεν καὶ ἄνθραξ κέκληται. Ὀλίγον δὲ ὁ κεραύνιος λίθος παραπλήσιος τούτῳ, ὅτι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τόπου εὑρίσκεται. 1.5 Λίθος σάπφειρος πορφυρίζων, ὡς βλάττης πορφύρας τῆς μελαίνης τὸ εἶδος. Πολλὰ δὲ γένη τούτου ὑπάρχουσιν· ἔστι γὰρ ὁ βασιλικός, χρυσοστιγής· οὐ πάνυ δὲ οὗτος θαυμαζόμενος ὡς ὁ διόλου πορφυρίζων. Καὶ οὗτος δὲ λέγεται εἶναι ἐν τῇ Ἰνδίᾳ καὶ Αἰθιοπείᾳ. ∆ιὸ τὸ τέμενος παρὰ Ἰνδοῖς φασιν εἶναι τοῦ ∆ιονύσου τξεʹ ἀναβαθμοὺς ἔχον ἐκ σαπφείρου λίθου, εἰ καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑπάρχει ἄπιστον. Ἔστι δὲ θαυμαστὸς ὁ λίθος καὶ εὐειδέστατος καὶ χαριέστατος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν τοῖς χλιδῶσι καὶ ὁρμίσκοις κατατιθέασι τοῦτον, μάλιστα οἱ βασιλεῖς. Ἀλεξίπονος δέ ἐστι· τριβόμενος γὰρ καὶ ψυδράκων καὶ φυμάτων γινομένας πληγὰς σὺν γάλακτι ἰᾶται χριόμενος τοῖς ἡλκωμένοις τόποις. Γέγραπται δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ Νόμῳ τὴν τῷ Μωϋσεῖ ὀφθεῖσαν ὀπτασίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει, καὶ δοθεῖσαν νομοθεσίαν ἐπὶ λίθου σαπφείρου πεφυκέναι λέγεται. 1.6 Λίθος ἴασπις. Οὗτός ἐστι τῷ εἴδει σμαραγδίζων· παρὰ δὲ τὰ χείλη τοῦ Θερμόδωντος ποταμοῦ εὑρίσκεται, καὶ περὶ Ἀμαθοῦντα τὴν ἐν Κύπρῳ. Ἀλλ' ἔστιγένος πολὺ καλούμενον ἀμαθούσιον· τὸ εἶδος τοιόνδε ἐστὶ τοῦ λίθου, κατὰ τὴν σμάραγδόν ἐστι χλωρίζουσα, ἀλλὰ ἀμβλυτέρα καὶ ἀμαυροτέρα· καὶ ἔνδοθεν χλωρὸν ἔχει τὸ σῶμα, ἐοικυῖα ἰῷ χαλκοῦ ἔχοντι φλέβας τετραστίχους. Ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἠκούσαμεν εἶναι φαντασίας, ὡς οἱ μυθολόγοι λέγουσιν. Ἄλλη δέ ἐστι γλαυκοτέρα θαλάσσης, βαθυτέρα τῷ ἄνθει καὶ τῇ βαφῇ· ἄλλη δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις, ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῆς Ἴδης ἐν τῇ Φρυγίᾳ, ὁμοιάζουσα τῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος κόχλου, διαυγεστέρα μᾶλλον,
About this text
A bishop explains the twelve gems of the high priest's breastplate, stone by stone.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 41–43 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.