Topaz

Topaz (Hebrew pitdah) was a precious stone prized in the ancient world for its golden-yellow or greenish translucence. It appears in three significant biblical settings: as the second stone of the first row in the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:17; 39:10), symbolizing one of the twelve tribes of Israel; in Ezekiel's lament over the king of Tyre, who is said to have been "in Eden the garden of God" adorned with every precious stone including topaz (Ezekiel 28:13); and as one of the twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:20. Job 28:19 refers to "the topaz of Ethiopia" as something that cannot compare with wisdom, indicating the gem was imported from Nubia. The precise identification of biblical pitdah with modern topaz is not certain; some scholars identify it with a yellow peridot or chrysolite.