Fragments on the Twelve Gems

1Concerning the holy Epiphanius and the twelve stones placed in the priest's treasury. The Sardius, called the Babylonian, is fiery and blood-colored, and it is produced in Babylon in the land toward the Assyrians. It is transparent and possesses a healing power, which physicians use for swellings and for wounds caused by iron.

The Topaz is a stone redder than coal, and it is produced in the city of Topaz in India. When rubbed with a medical pestle, it does not yield a juice red in color, but rather a milky one. It fills vessels and many quantities as much as the one rubbing desires, and it is not diminished in weight or in circumference. The juice rubbed from it is useful for ailments of the eyes, and for those suffering from hydrophobia when drunk, and for those wasted by sea-grapes.

The Emerald is green, and the barbarians mining it in the Indian mountains cut it. Its power is for the reflection of faces. The Anthrax is sharp-shining in appearance, and it is produced in Carthage of Libya, which is called Africa. They say that it is found not in the day, but in the night; for from a distance, like the light of a torch or a sparkling coal, it rests for an hour. Those seeking this, recognizing what it is, go toward its light and find it. When it is carried, whatever garments it is wrapped in, its light shines through the barrier.

The Sapphire is purplish, and it is produced in Ethiopia and India. When rubbed, it heals growths and boils with...

2Being smeared with milk upon the drawn places. And the law given to Moses on the mountain is said to have appeared upon a sapphire stone. Jasper is emerald-colored, and is found near the mouth of the Marmodotus river, and near Amathus in Cyprus; It helps with seizures. Hyacinth is sub-fiery, and is found in the inner Barbarian lands of Scythia.

The ancients have been accustomed to call Scythia the whole northern climate, where the Goths and Danes are. There, therefore, within the wilderness of Great Scythia, there is a most deep gorge, impassable to men, surrounded here and there by rocky mountains, so that one peering down from the heights of the mountains, as if from walls, is unable to see the ground of the gorge, but from the depth it is darkened like a chaos. In this gorge, those sent from the kings raging there are convicts and are being forced. Having sacrificed rams and having skinned them, they throw them down from the rocks into the chaos of the gorge, and the stones stick in those meats. Eagles, therefore, dwelling above in the rocks, descend toward the smell of the meats, and carry up the rams with the stones attached. In the eating of the meats, the stones remain in the sharp parts of the mountains. And the convicts, having looked to see where they were carried up...

3Eagles carry away meat, and in this way they carry stones. They possess such a power: for when they are thrown upon coals of fire, they themselves are not harmed, but they extinguish the coals. Not only this happens, but if a man takes a stone and having enclosed it in a pane, places it upon coals, while he holds it, it is ignited by the fire, yet the pane remains unharmed.

It is also said to be useful to women in childbirth for the sake of fruitfulness. Agate is sub-shining, and this is also found around those Scythian lands. When rubbed upon the forehead, it prevents the pain of the bite of scorpions and vipers. Amethyst is deeply glowing, and is found in the mountains of Libya near the shores of the sea.

Chrysolith is golden-colored, and is found in the Aphraite rock, near the edge of Achaemenid Babylon. For they call Babylon and that pit of the Achaemenid rock there. When rubbed, it serves as a physician for contemplative (and colicky) and abdominal ailments. Beryl is blue-glancing, and is found near the seeds of the mountain called Taurus. Onyx is yellow, and this is also found in the same mountain.

The mountain was called Semir, and the things resembling it, from a single son of Semir.

4Regarding the Canaanites, before Abraham arrived in the land. When the guardians arrived, they were called Samaritans, that is, guardians. These were guardians not only of the land, but also of the law; for they were guarding the Pentateuch alone, which they had received from the king through Ezra, so that by this the seed of Abraham might be distinguished.

But they did not guard the law completely; for this reason the Scripture says, 'They remained doing the law of God, and worshiping idols.' Since the law commands that idols must not be worshiped, how can it still be fulfilled? The hypothesis provides this method: for the wicked of the four nations, knowing that Ezra had settled and detesting idols according to the law of God, hurried to hide the idols in a cave on Mount Gerizim, and turned the hearts of the Samaritans toward the mountain to pray.

Consequently, wherever they may be, those turning from east to west, and from west to east, and from north toward the south, they pray while facing the northern mountain, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, 'They remained doing the law of God, and worshiping their idols.' For even if they themselves are ignorant that the idols lie there, it is not possible to make the divine Scripture a liar.