ONYX Gen 2:12, Ex 28:20, Job 28:16, Ezek 28:13 Onyx is chalcedony that has even, banded layers of various color (most typically black and white). The Greek word for onyx is onux literally “the nail of a finger” which implies the banding of color for which the stone is known. Onyx has been very popular through the ages as the stone used for engraving cameos. The carving of cameos came into great popularity with Alexander the Great. His handsome features and classic profile became a favorite subject of engravers. Prior to this time onyx was used extensively for carving seal rings. These seal rings were most often cut as intaglios where the design is cut down into the stone, so that when it is pressed into the seal material (clay or wax) the impression leaves a raised design. The Hebrew word shoham is most often translated as onyx and is the second stone in the 4th row of Aaron’s breastpiece. There has been a lot of question about whether the shoham stone is indeed the onyx, however, Josephus (Jewish historian AD 37-100) who had personal access to the breastpiece in his time, clearly identifies the shoham stone as the onyx.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:57:57 +0000
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