Stones of Heavens - Shimon Ben Yokhai

(Vere, Stein-Atle. ©2011. “Stones of Heavens: Shimon Ben Yokhai”. brakha.blogspot.com.)



Also Known As
• Rav Shimon Ben Yokhai רַב שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי , Rashbi רשב״י ; Rav: Rabi, Rabbi, Raban, Rabban; Shimon: Simeon, Simon; Bar Yochai בר יוחאי , Son of Yohai, Yoḥai.
• Pesakh פסח , Pesach, Pesah, Pesaḥ, Feast of Passover.
• Shavuot שבועות , Shavuos, Feast of Weeks.
• Lag Ba'Omer לַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר , thirty-third day in the counting of the Omer, 33 in the Omer.
• Khoshen חֹשֶׁן , Choshen, Hoshen, Ḥoshen, chestpouch amulet, breastplate.



Here is the traditional song to celebrate the spiritual teacher, Rav Shimon Ben Yokhai.

The song describes the ancient spiritual teacher ascending the levels of reality, while becoming one with God. At the highest level, at the absolute unity with the infinity of God, the No-End אין סוף , Ben Yokhai wears the Khoshen amulet of the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh that features the twelve gem stones of the heavens and that carries the Urim and Tumim objects to divine the desire of God.

The twelve stones physicalize the infinite.

The kin of Yisrael sing the song especially during his Hilula, his memorial anniversary. It coincides with Lag Ba'Omer, the thirty-third day between the festivals of Pesakh and Shavuot.

Ben Yokhai arises a Tora teacher of the Land of Yisrael, during the Classical Age circa 100 to 160. He is a student of Rabi Akiva, knowing the catastrophe of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, when the Empire of Rome genocides the Yhudim in the region of Yhuda (Judea), especially its capital city, Yrushalayim. Yet Ben Yokhai transmits an undying spiritual heritage that transcends all. The books of Mishna, Talmud, and Midrash mention his sayings frequently.

Altho his own father Yokhai enjoys the favor of the court in Rome, Ben Yokhai criticizes the Roman tyranny. His own student informs the Roman governor, who then orders his execution. Shimon Ben Yokhai and his son Elazar Ben Shimon flee the Roman authorities. The two go into hiding, adapting a hermetic life in a cave in the region of Ha'Galil (Galilee), for thirteen years. They emerge after the Roman Emperor dies.

They spend their time in seclusion studying the Tora together.

They emerge with extraordinary insight. The merit of this doing Tora saves the future of the world.

A thousand years later during the Medieval Age, the book of the Zohar emerges into history. It reports the insights that Rav Shimon Ben Yokhai and his son Rav Elazar Ben Yokhai discover during their study.



In the Modern Age circa 1500s, Shimon Ibn Lavi, a refugee from the Expulsion from Spain, settles in Tunis. He composes the song.

The holy sage, Ben Yokhai, transcends each of the ten levels of reality, becoming one with God.

The level of escape reorients toward life in tune with spirituality.

Moshe sees the acacia tree revealing a blaze of divine light.

Up at the level of war, he battles his own selfish predatory impulse. The victory is reusing ones own selfish needs to remind oneself of the great needs that others also have, thus motivating oneself to passionately fulfill the desires of others. Loving them as one loves ones self.

At the highest level of this world, the lions visualize the majestic and supreme power of compassion חסד . These embody the compassionate reuse of the predatory impulse, conquering and transforming the limitations of selfishness into wise altruism. The male lion being the spiritual light of compassion, and the female lion being the physical compassionate actions, they become one, the leonine. Spirituality and physicality becoming the light of compassionate actions.

Beyond this world, exists the level of the world that is coming, where ones eternal consciousness נשמה transcends space and time.

Wisdom is the infinite light of God − that creates and fulfills infinite desire.

Infinite power conceals within the Tora scroll.



Notice. As Ben Yokhai peers over the edge of reality into infinite light beyond any, he wears the priestly crown of the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh.

And Ben Yokhai wears the Khoshen: this priestly Chestpouch amulet, features the twelve stones of the heavens.

These twelve gems that imprint the names of the twelve tribes of Yisrael, physicalize oneness with infinity.

Ben Yokhai Translated by Stein Atle Vere. ©2011. brakha.blogspot.com.	בר יוחאי Shimon Ibn Lavi. Modern Age circa 1500s, today Tunisia.
Ben Yokhai, you were anointed. Fortunate ‹are› you!   The oil of joy ‹is› from your companions.	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, ‹by› the oil of the anointing of holiness,   You were anointed, from the measure of the holiness.   You carried ‹up› the bud ‹of the inscription› of the ‹priestly› diadem of the holiness.   Your adornment ‹is› donned on your head.	בַּר יוֹחַאי שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ  נִמְשַׁחְתָּ מִמִּדַּת הַקֹּדֶשׁ  נָשָׂאתָ צִיץ נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ  חָבוּשׁ עַל רֹאשְׁךָ פְּאֵרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, you inhabited a good inhabitance.   A day you fled ‹is› a day that you escaped.   In the cave of cliffrocks, that there you stood,   You acquired your glory and your opulence.	בַּר יוֹחַאי מוֹשַׁב טוֹב יָשַׁבְתָּ  יוֹם נַסְתָּ יוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרַחְתָּ  בִּמְעָרַת צוּרִים שֶׁעָמַדְתָּ  שָׁם קָנִיתָ הוֹדְךָ וַהֲדָרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, the woods of acacias stand.   They are studying the teachings of God.   The light made wondrous ‹is› the light of the blaze. They are blazing.   Is it not, your instructors will instruct you?	בַּר יוֹחַאי עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עוֹמְדִים  לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ הֵם לוֹמְדִים  אוֹר מֻפְלֶא אוֹר הַיְקוֹד הֵם יוֹקְדִים  הֲלֹא הֵמָּה יוֹרוּךָ מוֹרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, and you went up the field of apples   To glean from the balms in it.   The mystery of Tora ‹is› as buds and flowers.   “We will do Humanity”, was said in your behalf.	בַּר יוֹחַאי וְלִשְׂדֵה תַפּוּחִים  עָלִיתָ לִלְקוֹט בּוֹ מֶרְקָחִים  סוֹד תּוֹרָה כְּצִיצִים וּפְרָחִים  נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם נֶאֱמַר בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, you were strapped in ‹the belt of› overpowering.   And in the war of fire of rite, toward the gate.   And you brought out a sword from its scabbard.   You brandished ‹it› counter to your distressors.	בַּר יוֹחַאי נֶאֱזַרְתָּ בִּגְבוּרָה  וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת אֵשׁ דַּת הַשַּׁעְרָה  וְחֶרֶב הוֹצֵאתָ מִתַּעְרָהּ  שָׁלַפְתָּ נֶגֶד צוֹרְרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, to the place of the stones of calcite ‹of pure white marble›,   You arrived before a lion of leonine,   Also, the knob of the crowning on a she-lion.   You will watch me. And who will watch you?	בַּר יוֹחַאי לִמְקוֹם אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ  הִגַּעְתָּ לִפְנֵי אַרְיֵה לַיִשׁ  גַּם גֻּלַּת כּוֹתֶרֶת עַל עַיִשׁ  תָּשׁוּרִי וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, in the Holiness of the Holinesses,   The line of green makes months new.   Seven Shabatot ‹are› the mystery of the Fifty.   You connected the connections of ‹the letter› Shin ‹as› your connections.	בַּר יוֹחַאי בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים  קַו יָרוֹק מְחַדֵּשׁ חֳדָשִׁים  שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת סוֹד חֲמִשִּׁים  קָשַׁרְתָּ קִשְׁרֵי שִׁי"ן קְשָׁרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, ‹the letter› Yod ‹is› primal Wisdom.   You peered into its interior honor.   ‹The heart is› 32 paths of the Firstpart of donation.   You ‹Wisdom› are the ‹angelic› Kruv of the anointing place. Refulgence ‹is› your light.	בַּר יוֹחַאי יוּ"ד חָכְמָה קְדוּמָה  הִשְׁקַפְתָּ לִכְבוֹדוֹ פְּנִימָה  לֵב (שְׁלשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם) נְתִיבוֹת רֵאשִׁית תְּרוּמָה  אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח זִיו אוֹרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, the light made wonderous ‹is in› loftiness above.   You dreaded from ‹going› to look, as ‹reason that› massive   Concealed ‹mystery› ‹belongs› to it. And ‹Wisdom is› calling ‹the name› for it, No-Thing.   You made oracle: “Eye will not watch you”.	בַּר יוֹחַאי אוֹר מֻפְלֶא רוּם מַעְלָה  יָרֵאתָ מִלְהַבִּיט כִּי רַב לָהּ  תַּעֲלוּמָה וְאַיִן קוֹרָא לָהּ  נַמְתָּ עַיִן לֹא תְשׁוּרֶךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai, fortunate ‹is› the one birthing you!   Fortunate ‹are› the kin! They are your studying ones.   And fortunate ‹are› the ones standing on your mystery,   Clothed ‹in› the Khoshen of your Tumim and your Urim.	בַּר יוֹחַאי אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ  אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם הֵם לוֹמְדֶךָ  וְאַשְׁרֵי הָעוֹמְדִים עַל סוֹדֶךָ  לְבוּשֵׁי חשֶׁן תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ
Ben Yokhai ...	בַּר יוֹחַאי נִמְשַׁחְתָּ אַשְׁרֶיךָ  שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ

Image
• (Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Woods of Acacias Are Studying”. brakha.blogspot.com. Source of derivation: freeisraelphoto.com. Creative commons 2011. Site: http://www.freeisraelphotos.com/index.html, 2011. Image: http://www.freeisraelphotos.com/photo/83. - check out this amazing site!)

Truer Color Chart

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Stones of Heavens: Truer Color Chart”. brakha.blogspot.com.)



To describe the colors of ancient gems, I create this easy to understand color chart.

These colors optimize the true colors as close as possible, given the limitations of digital screens.

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Color Chart”. brakha.blogspot.com.)
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple.

The Color Chart above illustrates the primary colors according to pigments for paints, dyes, and other materials - Red, Yellow, Blue.




I determine these colors carefully.

Most online charts determine their colors mechanically. Example: RGB digital “Orange” equals “75% Red, 25% Green”. But such digital Orange is quite reddish, and not true orange. By contrast, the Color Chart Orange strives to display the pure orange.

The Color Chart determines each color according to the way a person experiences the color. As pure as possible.



Of course, each digital screen displays the Color Chart slightly differently (unless calibrating), but its colors should be close to the truer color that the screen can display.

Current technology limits the range of colors that digital screens can display. Therefore, the Color Chart tries to work with the typical limitations to optimize for truer colors.

• The digital Yellow of the screen is true enough. It is the mix of the light from red and green pixels. The yellow may display especially true if the screen is “RGBy” with extra yellow pixels to enhance yellow.

• The digital Red is orangish. It can be virtually identical to the orange-red color of the pigment, vermilion. So the Color Chart Red displays the truest red possible (reducing the orange by adding digital Blue to neutralize the hint of digital yellow). Within the brilliant hues of red, relatively speaking, the Color Chart Red finds the threshhold between the orangish salmon-pink and the purplish magenta. It never quite hits the true red, but it does find the “gray” compromise, whose dusky red is neither so orange nor so purple.

• Similarly, the digital Green is very yellowish. Therefore, the Color Chart Green finds the “gray” compromise at the threshhold between the yellowish green and bluish green. The resulting color is very pale, but it is the truest green that the digital screen can do.

• The digital Blue is actually on the threshhold of purple-blue. It is a brilliant deep color, but it has a slight hint of red. By contrast, the Color Chart Blue is a solid blue between green-blue and purple-blue.

• These colors − Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue − then anchor the other colors, that space equadistant between them − not mechanically, but subjectively as a mind perceives them. Example, the Color Chart Purple approximates the visual experience in between Red and Blue, being at the threshhold in purple that is least Reddish and least Bluish, and so on for the other colors.

Enjoy the colors.

 

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Color Chart: Color Series”. brakha.blogspot.com.)

The Color Green

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Comment: The Color Green”. brakha.blogspot.com.)



See Also
• True Color Chart



When was the last time I saw green?

The deep brilliant glow of true green?

The emerald from the realm of ideas?

Search among the dusky yellow-green of plants, the muddy “grayed-out” cyan of magazines or food packages, the garish yellowish green becoming cyan pallor on the computer screen ...

Few ever see green.



Computers would have one believe brilliant true green is either grass green or else baby blue.

 (©2011. York University. http://www.yorku.ca/eye/spectrum.gif, 2011.)

See the picture of a spectrum above, yellowy limes and smoggy skies. But true green is the color that you cant see.

(Hank Wang. Public domain 2006. Gamut. wikipedia.com, 2011.)

A chart of the visible spectrum that can track the primary colors of light: Red, Green, and Blue. These mix to form White (or gray if the illumination is dim). The shaded area is all the colors that are missing from a typical computer screen. Notice how almost all the greens are missing, and how yellowish the green is that a screen can show. Even the red is closer to orange than true red, and appears as the same color as the orange-red 'vermilion' pigment.

Because the screen green is quite yellow, its yellowness neutralizes (“grays out” or whitens) the blue. Thus instead of producing brilliant greens it creates pale blue (“cyan”) and gray instead of true green.





See Also
• True Color Chart


.

Stones of Heavens - To Seal Clay

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Stones of Heavens: To Seal Clay”. brakha.blogspot.com.)

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Bronze Age circa −2000: amethyst gem engraving, scarab from Middle Kingdom”. brakha.blogspot.com.
Source of derivation. Cristie’s. ©2011. christies.com.)

The stones of heavens are twelve.

These are gems that the Tora uses to physicalize humanity in the presence of the infinite God. The Tora תורה is the five books that begin the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible.

During the Bronze Age, after the twelve Tribes of Yisrael (Israel) ישראל leave the Land of Mitsrayim (Egypt) to return to their ancestral Land of Yisrael, God instructs them to anoint a head priest, the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh (“Priest the Anointed”) and to fashion clothing for him. He wears this to enter the “Holy Place of the Holy Places” קדש הקדשים, to stand in the presence of the Shkhina שכינה (the “Residing” of God).

One of the items is a holy amulet, the Khoshen חשן , a “Chestpouch”. Of linen, folding into a pouch, it contains two objects. Their names are Urim and Tumim אורים ותמים (“Firelights and Entireties”). This Kohen uses them for divination, tools to discern the desire of God.

The fabric amulet hangs across his chest from two shoulder straps of an Efod אפוד , a kind of apron, whose embroidery weaves wiring of gold and threads of precious dyes. Similarly the Khoshen is more ornate, and a cubit (half-meter) square in size. Twelve gems decorate its front.

Each gem is an official seal.

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Bronze Age circa −1560: steatite gem engraving, scarab seal of Pharaoh Apepi”. brakha.blogspot.com.)

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Iron Age circa −700: clay imprint, seal of courtier of Khizkiyahu King of Yhuda”. brakha.blogspot.com.
Note part of name: חזקיהו .)

In bevels of gold, each gem forms an intaglio, an “engraving” (Pituakh פתוח ) of the name of one of the twelve tribes. Similar to the wax seal of the later Classical Age, this intaglio is the kind that embosses wet clay to officially seal string tying pottery lids, money-pouches, or other containers. By their twelve seals, the twelve tribes authorize the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh to physicalize them in the presence of God.

In the Khoshen, four rows feature three seals of gem-engravings each.





Images
• (Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Bronze Age circa −2000: amethyst engraving, scarab from Mid Kingdom”. brakha.blogspot.com. Source of derivation. “An Amethyst Scarab”. Cristie’s. ©2011. www.christies.com. http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=1758860, 2011.)
• (Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Bronze Age seal: steatite gem engraving, scarab of Pharaoh Apepi”. brakha.blogspot.com. Note: This engravement is roughly contemporary with the return of the Tribes of Yisrael from Mitsrayim back to Yisrael. Source of derivation. “Scarab bearing name of Hyksos, Apophis [Apepi]”. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photo by Keith Schengili-Roberts. Share alike 2007. wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ScarabBearingNameOfApophis_MuseumOfFineArtsBoston.png.)
• (Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Iron Age circa −700: broken clay imprint, courtier of Khizkiyahu King of Yhuda”. brakha.blogspot.com. Note part of name: חז|קיהו . Otherside has impression of cord that seal enclosed. Source of derivation. Redontdo Beach collection. Public domain 2006. wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stamped-bulla_seal-side.jpg, 2011.)

Stones of Heavens - Iosephus & Plinius

(Vere, Stein Atle. ©2011. “Stones of Heavens: Iosephus & Plinius”. brakha.blogspot.com.)



The Tora − the first five books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) − names the twelve stones that decorate the Khoshen (the “Chestpouch” amulet) of the Kohen Ha'Mashiakh (“Priest the Anointed”).

The Tora lists the gemstones in Hebrew in the Book of Shmot (Exodus 28:17-20). The identity of some gems is certain, and some gems less certain. Happily, the ongoing Tora tradition preserves enough information to identify these “valuable stones” אבנים יקרות of the heavens.

• The gems originate from the Land of Mitsrayim, during the Bronze Age.

• Their names probably preserve the Hebrew forms from the Iron Age.

• During the Classical Age (circa −200s), the Septuagint (Greek Bible) translates this Hebrew list into Greek.

• Later during Classical Age (circa 93), the Yhudi (Judean) historian Yosef Ben Matitya יוסף בן מתתיה − who adopts the Latin name Titus Flavia Iosephus (Josephus) − independently translates the Hebrew gem list into Greek, in his book Ioudaike Arkhaiologia ιουδαικη αρχαιολογια (“Judean Ancient Sayings”, aka, Antiquities of the Jews 3:138). Iosephus himself is one of the Kohanim. He is an eyewitness of the gems that adorn the Khoshen of his Kohen Ha'Mashiakh. Moreover in his autobiographical book, Iosepou Bios ιοσηπου βιος (“Life of Josephus”), he boasts an extensive education, especially in the ongoing Tora. He focuses on his studies as a Kohen. Iosephus knows these twelve gems firsthand.

• Likewise in the Classical Age, the Roman Emperor Vespasian adopts this Iosephus into the imperial family, whence his family name Flavia. The courtiers of imperial Rome pursue gems, passionately. Iosephus consults the new encyclopedia of that Age, Naturalis Historia (“Natural History”), that Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the Elder) recently completes. Altho Plinius dies earlier (79), he is a fellow member of the court, and Iosephus probably knows him personally, even as a fellow writer and researcher. In any case, Iosephus benefits from the systematic research and identification of gems by Plinius. (Naturalis Historia book 37.) He also benefits from consultation with the imperial lapidaries (jewelers) who specialize in the gems of the Roman international traderoutes for the rich and famous of Rome.

The evidence proves remarkable. An informed witness identifies the twelve gems in Greek, and his fellow courtier describes them in detail in Latin. They use the same terminology and the same Greek-Latin equivalences. When these Greek and Latin sources allow us to identify a stone, and archeology demonstrates it exists in the Land of Mitsrayim during the Bronze Age,

We can secure identity of the stone.



The Septuagint (Greek Bible), while translating the Tanakh, seems to list the Greek gem names in the same order, word-for-word, as the Hebrew. As one might expect. Iosephus seems to corroborate the Septuagint sequence.

When Iosephus describes the twelve gems of the Khoshen amulet, his order differs from the one in the Tora. But here, his variance seems to confirm the Septuagint. For one thing, he doesnt copy the Septuagint verbatim, but consults an independent source, apparently his firsthand knowledge. The Tora and thus the Septuagint list the gems, three at a time, per “row”. Helpfully, Iosephus does too. In comparison, he switches the order of the gems in each of the last three rows. Nevertheless, each triad that he lists has the same three gems as the corresponding triad that the Septuagint lists.

Thus, Iosephus supports the correctness of at least the triads in the Septuagint and, by implication, corroborates the Septuagint follows each gem name in the Hebrew list verbatim, in the same order.



Interestingly, the stone that Hebrew calls Yashfe ישפה is in the last triad, whereas the stone that Greek calls Iaspis ιασπις is in the second triad. It seems these are two different stones in two different locations, despite their related names. This resembles the situation where the stone that ancient Hebrew calls Sapir (lazurite) and the stone that modern English calls Sapphire (non-red corundum) are different stones despite their same name.



Here I provide a table to summarize the ancient gem names.

The Hebrew of the Tora lists the twelve stones in the Book of Shmot (Exodus 28:17-20). Then the Greek of the Septuagint translates this. The Greek of Iosephus (Ioudaike Arkhailogia 3:138) confirms the Septuagint account. Finally, Plinius describes these gems, referring to them by their Latin names (Naturalis Historia 37).

For now, I only give the English names for those gems whose identity is secure. I am reasonably confident about the identity of the other gems (except for the tantalizing Tarshish stone), but I intend to describe these in more detail later. For the Sapir stone, check it out here and its name here.

Twelve stones of heavens.

Hebrew		Greek			Latin	English
Tanakh	Translit	Septuagint	Iosephus	Translit	Plinius	Vere
אֹדֶם	Odem	σάρδιον	σαρδόνυξ	Sardonuks	Sardonyches	carnelian
פִּטְדָה	Pitda	τοπάζιον	τόπαζος	Topazdos	Topazus	forsterite
בָּרֶקֶת	Bareket	σμάραγδος	σμάραγδος	Smaragdos	Smaragdus	emerald
נֹפֶךְ	Nofekh	ἄνθραξ	ἄνθραξ	Anthraks	Anthracitis
סַפִּיר	Sapir	σάπφειρος	σάπφειρος	Sappheiros	Sappirus	lazurite
יָהֲלֹֽם	Yahalom	ἴασπις	ἴασπις	Iaspis	Iaspis
לֶשֶׁם	Leshem	λιγύριον	λίγυρος	Liguros	Lyncurium
שְׁבוֹ	Shvo	ἀχάτης	ἀχάτης	Akhatės	Achates	agate
אַחְלָֽמָה	Akhlama	ἀμέθυστος	ἀμέθυσος	Amethustos	Amethystus	amethyst
תַּרְשִׁישׁ	Tarshish	χρυσόλιθος	χρυσόλιθος	Khrusolithos	Chrysolithos
שֹׁהַם	Shoham	βηρύλλιον	βήρυλλος	Bėrullos	Berullos	beryl
יָשְׁפֵה	Yashfe	ὀνύχιον	ὄνυξ	Onuks	Onyches	onyx