Biblical Hebrew Forum

[leonard book <lbook AT 013net.net>]

As a new subscriber to b-hebrew I should like to inform other members a
little bit about myself. I was born in the UK over half a century ago - no
more information available, and at present reside in Jerusalem. I am at
present a post-graduate, researching for a PhD at Manchester University UK.
My subject is one that has been both discussed and avoided without reaching
satisfactory conclusion. I am researching the twelve gemstones of the High
Priest's Breastplate or Breast-piece. Objects that were seen for centuries,
yet their identity cannot be 100% verified as to their names, in my case,
the English language. I have over 116 possibilities yet no certainties. 

 

One of the problems is the fact that many dictionaries/concordances either
state 'origin unknown' or, 'refer to the Septuagint'. The word 'etymology'
or rather 'emet' ology, i.e. to revel the truth of the origin of a word,
does not clarify the situation. I have turned to mono-genesis, as I cannot
accept that when the Torah was written the meaning of these twelve words was
not revealed. So far, by following the majority, I have been able to confirm
less than 50% of the most probable names of the gemstones. 

 

It should be noted that some of the stones, such as Sapphire, were known by
different names, Lapis Lazuli, when one delves into the mists of antiquity
via archeogemmology. I would be interested to learn b-hebrew subscribers
views, especially any known bi-literal or tri-literal roots of the stones as
listed in Exodus, Chapter 28:17-20.

 

Leonard E. Book M. Phil MRHS

Jerusalem