| "> | | | | Breastplate? |
| Peridot Etymology: The True Identity Of The | | | | According to the Old Testament, after the |
| Pitdah | | | | exodus in 1444B.C., Aaron's original breastplate |
| In 300B.C., the Septuagint rabbis translated the | | | | made its way to Jerusalem. It was here, along |
| ancient Hebrew gem 'Pitdah' featured in Aaron's | | | | with the Urim and Thummim, the Ark of the |
| breastplate as the Greek 'Topazion,' this was the | | | | Covenant and the Ten Commandments that the |
| word for Peridot. However, after considering that | | | | breastplate was housed in Solomon's Temple: also |
| the 'Pitdah' denoted a gem in existence at the | | | | known as Jerusalem's 'First Temple'. The temple |
| time of the exodus in 1444B.C., and that the | | | | was destroyed and plundered by the Babylonian |
| Peridot was unknown prior to 300B.C., there can | | | | King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., and its relics lost |
| be little doubt that the Septuagint rabbis' | | | | to history. |
| identification of the 'Pitdah' as 'Topazion,' (Peridot), | | | | Later in the 5th Century B.C. the 'Second Temple', |
| was mistaken. | | | | a reconstruction of the first, was built in |
| Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and subsequent | | | | Jerusalem. Sometime after that a second |
| modern language strains such as French and | | | | breastplate was also made, and it is believed that |
| English all share the same etymological roots | | | | the gems included in this were of far greater |
| coming from the first language: | | | | value and durability than those of the original |
| Proto-Indo-European (P.I.E.). This precursory | | | | breastplate made at the time of the exodus. |
| language, dating back to the Neolithic Era circa | | | | In 70 A.D., 600 years after the creation of the |
| 3,500 B.C., was the root of all languages from | | | | 'Second Temple,' the Romans like the Babylonians |
| Europe to India. Aside from the European and | | | | before them destroyed Jerusalem after quelling |
| western Asian languages, P.I.E. influenced the | | | | the Jewish revolt. The Romans, led by Titus and |
| Indian language of Sanskrit. Sanskrit existed at | | | | Vespasian, plundered the 'Second Temple', taking |
| the same time as the Hebrew and Aramaic | | | | its treasures including the second breastplate back |
| languages from which the Septuagint translated | | | | to Rome. This fact is attested to in the writings |
| the Old Testament. | | | | of one of the Jewish leaders of the revolt taken |
| The ancient Hebrew word 'Pitdah', the second | | | | prisoner by the Romans: the historian Josephus. |
| gemstone appropriated to the Israelite tribe of | | | | Josephus was a 1st century Jewish historian of |
| Simeon in Aaron's breastplate, shares the same | | | | some rank, descended from a line of high priests, |
| (P.I.E.) roots as the Sanskrit word 'Pita': which | | | | who in 90 A.D. attests to seeing 'Topazion' in the |
| means 'Yellow'. From this common denominator, | | | | Second Temple's breastplate, which he saw |
| the Tiffany mineralogist G.F.Kunz surmises that | | | | housed at the Temple of Concord built by |
| the Septuagint's translation of the original 'Pitdah' in | | | | Vespasian. |
| the breastplate being 'Topazion' (Peridot) was | | | | At the same time of Josephus there lived a |
| inaccurate. Kunz, in his book on precious gems, | | | | Roman scholar called Pliny. Pliny was the author of |
| states that the 'Pitdah' of Aaron's original | | | | the world's first encyclopedia entitled 'Natural |
| breastplate was probably a yellow or light green | | | | History.' In his encyclopedia (Book 37 Chapter 32) |
| serpentine, a gem in common usage in ancient | | | | Pliny describes the gem 'Topazion' as seen by |
| Egypt at the time of the exodus called 'Meh'. In | | | | Josephus: "Topazion is a stone that is still held in |
| his book, the 'Curious Lore Of Precious Stones' | | | | very high estimation for its green tints: indeed, |
| written in 1913, Kunz proffers a more credible | | | | when it was first discovered, it was preferred to |
| translation of all 12 gems of the breastplate based | | | | every other kind of precious stone." In the |
| on their occurence in Egypt at the time of the | | | | passage, Pliny clearly states the 'Topazion' as |
| exodus: | | | | being green, and not yellow. |
| 12 Gems Of The Breastplate In Existence In | | | | In the same passage, Pliny makes a key |
| Egypt Circa 1444 B.C. | | | | statement relating to 'Topazion': "...When it was |
| -------Gems In-----Gems In-----Kunz's Translation | | | | first discovered..." This, as we shall see is the key: |
| -------Hebrew------Egyptian-----Of The 12 Gems | | | | Firstly to giving almost conclusive proof that the |
| 1). Odem-------Chenem--------Red Jasper | | | | Septuagints' 300 B.C. translation of 'Pitdah' as |
| 2).*Pitdah-----*Meh-------*Yellow Sepentine 3). | | | | 'Topazion' was mistaken, and secondly to giving |
| Bareketh------Uat----------Green Feldspar 4). | | | | the real identity of the 'Topazion' gemstone. |
| Nophak------Nophek-------Almandine Garnet 5). | | | | Read Peridot Sterling Silver Jewelry Etymology |
| Sappir-------Chesbet-------Lapis Lazuli 6). | | | | Part I - In the Beginning |
| Yahalom------******--------Onyx 7). | | | | Read Peridot Sterling Silver Jewelry Etymology |
| Leshem------Neshem-------Brown Agate 8). | | | | Part III - The Topazion In The Second Temples |
| Shebo-------*******--------Banded Agate 9). | | | | Breastplate |
| Ahlamah-----Hemeg--------Amethyst 10). | | | | Read Peridot Sterling Silver Jewelry Etymology |
| Tarshish----Thehen------Yellow Jasper 11). | | | | Part IV - The Origins Of The Word Peridot |
| Shoham-----Mafek--------Malachite 12). | | | | Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All |
| Yashpheh---Yashpu-------Green Jasper | | | | Rights Reserved. |
| So When Did Peridot First Appear In The | | | | |