taries
their learned men have written upon this subject, and the fact that the
well-to-do among the chosen people have always carried with them in
their wanderings many precious stones, all this seems to make it likely
that to the Jews should be attributed the fashion of wearing natal
stones.
However,
whether this conjecture be correct or erro-.neous, the fashion once
started became soon quite general and has as many votaries to-day as
ever before. There can be no doubt that the owner of a ring or
ornament set with a natal stone is impressed with the idea of
possessing something more intimately associated with his or her
personality than any other stone, however beautiful or costly it may
be. If it be objected that this is nothing but imagination due to
sentiment, we must bear in mind that imagination is one of the most
potent factors in our life ; indeed, the great Napoleon is quoted as
saying that it ruled the world.
Probably
the very earliest text we have in which the stones of the breastplate
are positively associated with the months of the year is to be found in
the "Antiquities of the Jews, "by Flavius Josephus.2 This runs as follows :
Moreover,
the vestments of the high-priest being made of linen signifies the
earth, the blue denotes· the sky, being like lightning in its
pomegranates, and resembling thunder in the noise of the bells. And as
for the ephod, it showed that God had made the universe of four
elements, and as for the gold interwoven in it, I suppose it related
to the splendor by which all things are to be enlightened. He also
appointed the breastplate to be placed in the middle of the ephod to
resemble the earth, for that occupies the middle place in the world;
and the girdle,
