responding to the different months, and also to the twelve. Jewish tribes, are the following:
January.................Hyacinth................Dan.
February................Amethyst................Gad.
March___,..............Jasper...................Benjamin.
April....................Sapphire................Issaehar.
May.....................Agate...................Naphtali.
June.................. ..Emerald.................Levi.
July....................Onyx....................Zebnlon.
August..................Carnelian................Keuben.
September...............Chrysolite...............Asher.
October..................Beryl...................Joseph.
November...............Topaz...................Simeon.
December...............Ruby...................Judah.
Artists
hare made certain changes in some of the gems corresponding to the
months, and the tribes represented in the Urim and Thummim ; they
consider May to be represented by emerald:
June................by Chalcedony, Onyx, or Agate;
July................. Carnelian;
August.............. Sardonyx;*
October.............. Aquamarine ;
December............ Chrysoprase, Turquoise, or Malachite.
In
the early ages' similar views were entertained in the East, and many of
them are yet prevalent. The Persians believe that spinelle affords joy,
and protects them against bad dreams. The Indians believe in the
efficacy of large diamonds to bring them back to their families. (The
Rajah of Mattan, a district of Western Borneo, possessed a. diamond of
367 carats.) The ruby is esteemed, in the East, as a talisman, which is
never shown willingly to friends ; it is considered ominous if it
contains any black spots. The Chinese, on the contrary, present the
same stone as a testimony of friendship. The Peruvians adore the
emerald as
