Precious Stones in the Bible
Happy Passover To Our
Customers and Friends
Holiday Good Wishes
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McN ICHOLS
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Sales & Service
13320 W. McNichols
UN 3-0838
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LLOYD'S
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15410-30 Fenkell at Greenfield
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MERRILL
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Kosher Meat and Poultry Market
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15500 Puritan
BR 3-3390
(Corner Greenfield)
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20434 W. 7 Mile
KE 5-8888
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Exclusive Distributor of the
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18050 James Couzens
342-2211
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7741 Lyndon Ave.
UN 4-7530
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The earliest biblical reference to
precious stones occurs in Genesis
II. A river issued from Eden as a
single stream, then divided into
four branches. "The name of the
first is Pishon; that is it which
compasseth the whole land of Havi-
lah, where there is gold; and the
gold of that land is good; and the
bdellium and the onyx stone."
Many scholars identify the land of
Havilah with north-eastern Arabia.
The technique of gem engraving
was known in Mesopotamia as early
as 4,000-3,000 B.C.E. Hence Abra-
ham, the rabbis tell us, wore
around his neck a precious stone
with the power of healing the sick
who gazed upon it. He bestowed
upon Hagar's children huge pearls
"their lustre more brilliant than
the light of the sun." In wooing
Rebekah for his master's son Isaac,
Eliezer gave her "a golden ring of
half a shekel weight, and two
bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold."
A fully developed gem engrav-
ing industry flourished in Egypt
at the time of the Eighteenth
Dynasty (1580-1350 B.C.E.) and
the Israelites despoiled their task-
masters of many precious stones,
a fitting reparation for . genera-
tions of bitter slave labour.
Geological surveys indicate that,
apart from the fabulous King Solo-
mon'.,s mines, Palestine and Syria
are lacking in gem deposits. The
Israelites received most of their
precious stones from other lands
and from other peoples. They were
brought by merchant caravans
travelling from Babylonia to Persia
and to Egypt, from Saba and from
Tyre. The Queen of Sheba gave
King Solomon "a hundred and
twenty talents of gold, and of spices
very great store, and precious
stones." The navy of Hiram
brought to Solomon from Ophir
"plenty of sandal-wood and preci-
ous stones." These were needed for
the adornment of the Temple, and
the throne of King Solomon was
surely one of the wonders of the
ancient world with respect to dec-
ocation.
The sapphire and the emerald can
be readily recognized but many of
the stones named in the Bible can-
not be identified today with any
certainty. Like other ancient peo-
ples the Hebrews did not classify
the precious stones according to
composition. They named them in
accordance with brilliance, colora-
tion, usage or origin. A verse in
First Chroncles (29.2) covers many
categories in its reference to
"stones to be set, glistening stones,
and of divers colours, and all man-
ner of precious stones, and marble
stones in abundance."
Most of the precious stones in
the Bible are listed in connection
with the breastpiece of the High
Priest "the work of the skillful
workman . . . of gold, of blue, and
purple and scarlet and fine twined
linen . . . and thou shalt set in it
settings of stones, four rows of
stones . . . and they shall be in-
closed in gold in their settings. And
the stones shall be according to
the names of the children of Israel,
twelve, according to their names;
like the engravings of a signet,
every one according to his name,
they shall be for the twelve tribes."
The Urim and the Thummim—"The
Lights and the Perfections" — a
medium of Divine communications,
were according to tradition one of
the five objects lacking in the Sec-
ond Temple. Josephus. declares that
"this oracle had been silent for two
hundred years . . . but as to those
stones of which we told you, the
High Priest bore on his shoulders
. . . the stone of them shined out
when God was present at their
sacrifices . . . bright rays darting
out thence; and being seen even by
those that were most remote; which
splendour yet was not before nat-
ural to the stone."
Both ancient and modern trans-
lators and commentators differ
on the identification of the 12
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
44—Friday, April 16, 1965
gems. They were probably beryl,
carnelian, chalcedony, chrysolite,
chrysopras, diamond, emerald,
hyacinth, jasper, Lapis Lazuli,
onyx, sapphire, sardonyx, topaz
and turquoise.
Passover Greetings
COBURN STUDIO
INTERIOR DECORATORS
Draperies—Furniture
Re-Upholstering—Slip Covers
3143 W. McNichols Road
UN 1-7100
The Prophet Ezekiel in Chapter
28 laments over the Prince of Tyre
who lived "in Eden the garden of
Season's
God every precious stone was thy
Most Cordial Greetings
covering, the carnelian, the topaz,
and the emerald, the beryl, the on-
DETROIT MILL
yx, and the jasper, the sapphire,
the carbuncle, and the smaragd,
SUPPLY CO.
and gold; the workmanship of thy
1595 Alger
settings and of thy sockets was in
871-6011
thee, in the day that thou wast cre-
Mr. and -Mrs. Abe Weisnutn
ated- they were prepared." His robe
was adorned with nine precious
stones identical with those set in LQ.sutszizszstssits.suss.
three of the four rows on the High
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Priest's breastplate.
It is clear that the Hebrews en-
CONSUMERS
dorsed the aphorism of Pliny that
PAPER CO.
"Gems are the concentrated beauty
of the world."
5170 Vermont
Rabbi Sheshet, in such a case,
would drag logs, saying: "Great is
labor, it warms up the laborer."
— Sabbath
TY 7-1287
0111 ■ 041111.11.0.111 ■ 0 ∎ 0.M.11011M01111011.11•M ■ 041111110.0 ∎ 04 ∎ 0
HOLIDAY GOOD CHEER
Happy Passover to Our
Friends and Patrons
CHARLES M.
CLAPSADDLE
CONTI N ENTAL
HAIR FASHIONS
33 Vernier Road
Grosse Pointe Shores
TU 4-3980
19191 Livernois
UN 1-1900
Passover Greetings
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Edith Eckstat, R.E.
Davison Auto Parts
Albert Wolgin, R.E.
4238 E. Davison
TW 2-0100
and
Hair Removed Forever
WO 3 - 3047
WO 3 - 0922
1309 David Broderick Tower
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COCOANUT
GROVE CAFE
Specializing in Cantonese Food
Take-Out Service
Happy Passover
Dr. McArthur Colton
1111 Griswold, over Kinsel's
WO 2-1779
7638 Woodward
TR 5 - 3191
1 Block from New Center Bldg.
GREETINGS
Greetings on Passover
CURTIS DRUGS
CHRISTINA'S
DINING ROOM
18201 Wyoming corner Curtis
WE DELIVER
5007 Woodward
TE 2-8537
DI 1-2450
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Happy Passover to
Our Relatives and Friends
Best Wishes for a
Happy Passover
EIDELMAN BROS.
INC.
DAVIS IRON
WORKS, Inc.
Wholesale Floor Covering
5875 Concord
WA 5-4181
Happy Passover To All
LOUIS COHEN
AND SON
KOSHER MEATS
12939 West 7 Mile Rd.
DI 1-1607
We wish, to take this
opportunity to extend to our
friends and patrons our
greetings and best wishes for a
very Happy Passover.
CAPITOL WASTE
PAPER CO., Inc.
Hy. Lipsitz—Ted Wise
Harold Lipsitz—Lee Horwitz
Best Wishes For A Happy Passover
NATIONAL REPRODUCTIONS CORPORATION
Microfilming Services & Systems
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Duplicating & Offset Printing
Blue Printing & Photographic Reproductions
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318 Penobscot
429 E. Jefferson
UN 3-0210
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WO 1-5252
27900 Groesbeck — PR 2-4530
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Rosenberg and Family
Wish Their Friends and Customers a Happy Passover
CLEAN - RITE INC.
ROSENBERG VACUUM SERVICE
Specializing in Hoover
Servicing All Makes of Vacuums
20443 W. 7 Mile Rd.
KE 5-7772 - EL 6-8671