a
sombre darkness which came over the Stones when the anger of the Lord
was kindled. [One account tells that it was a special stone among the
twelve—the Sapphire— which was the sensitive agent of this adverse
manifestation. But when the Lord was graciously at peace with His
people, the light of Heaven shone brightly on the stones of the sacred
Ephod.
The
Jews had a tradition that when, on the Day of Atonement, the High
Priest asked forgiveness by the Almighty for the sins of the whole
nation, then if such forgiveness was granted, the stones in the Urim
and Thummim shone forth most brightly; but if forgiveness was withheld,
then the Precious Stones became black of colour. By reason of these
occult phenomena the Magi of the East, believing that remarkable
virtues must have been inherent in the contexture of Precious Stones
which formed the Breastplate of the High Priest, adopted a research
into this occult knowledge of Gems as a branch of their magical system.
From that remote date even down to the present time Precious Stones
worn as jewels have been believed to indicate the state of health of
their possessor, or of the donors thereof. If the stones turned dull,
their owners were conjectured to be ill, or in danger; and when
becoming actually opaque or colourless, they gave rise to the most
dismal forebodings.
Camillus Leonardus, a Physician of Pisaro, in Italy, wrote (1502) The Mirror of Stones, as
dedicated to Csesar Borgia, his patron. Treating therein about the
virtues of jewels, he said, " Whatever can be thought of as beneficial
to mankind may be confirmed to them by the virtues of Stones." " Yet
this is to be noted, that in Precious Stones there is sometimes one
virtue, sometimes
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