How are carnelians linked to God's glory? How was this gem used anciently? What powers and healing capabilities were attributed to carnelians?
Description of Gem
Carnelians are part of the family of Chalcedony gemstones. Other Bible stones in this family include agates, the onyx stone, chrysoprase, sardonyx and jaspers.
Carnelians are made from cryptocrystalline quartz. Their color is derived from iron oxide impurities distributed evenly through the stone rather than in bands. This gives them a more uniform glowing color. Carnelians can vary in color from deep red to almost white.
Sources
Carnelians, in modern times, are found in India, Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, Peru, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Iran, Russia (Siberia) and Germany.
How Hard Is it?
Carnelians have a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. It shares the same hardness as other Bible gemstones such as jasper, onyx, chrysolite, chalcedony, chrysoprase and agate.
Biblical Occurrences
Carnelians are not mentioned, by name, in the King James Bible. They are one of several Biblical stones that are hidden due to mistranslations or being mislabeled. The gem called sardius in the Old Testament, and sardius and sardine in the New, were highly likely referring to carnelians.
with Ptolemaic Queen
Sardius is referenced three times in three Old Testament verses. It is found twice in Exodus and once in Ezekiel. In the New Testament the words sardius and sardine are recorded twice total in the book of Revelation.
Carnelians have an incredibly unique use in the Bible. They, along with onyx (sardonyx) and beryls, are the only gemstones not only in the High Priest's breastplate, but also used to beautify Lucifer and one of the gems utilized as a New Jerusalem foundation stone!
Carnelians, additionally, also go further by representing God's glory as seen by the Apostle John in Revelation!
The Breastplate
And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius (Hebrew odem, Strong's Concordance #H124), a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. (Exodus 28:17, KJV throughout, see also 39:10).
Strong's states odem means "redness" or some other red gem and translates it as "sardius." The Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions calls this stone a ruby or carnelian.
Along with the KJV, the NKJV, ESV, ASV and other translations call this stone a sardius. Although a few Bibles label it a ruby, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2nd ed.), the Contemporary English Versions and other Bibles translate this first stone as a carnelian.
According to Gemstones in the Breastplate (pages 13 - 14), the first stone in the High Priest's breastplate was highly likely a carnelian.
Beautifying Lucifer
The sardius (carnelian) stone is also recorded as the first gemstone God used to beautify Lucifer upon his creation.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold . . . (Ezekiel 28:13).
A Vision of God
God, in vision, looked like both a jasper and a sardine (carnelian) gemstone when the apostle John saw him.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine (Greek sardinos, Strong's #G4555) stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3, KJV).
The sardine (sardius) stone is highly likely another reference to the carnelian according to several Biblical referencing works (Tyndale Bible Dictionary, People's Dictionary of the Bible, etc.). Several translations agree with this assessment as well (HCSB, NIV, ESV, etc.).
A Foundation Stone
The sixth foundation stone in the New Jerusalem to be built by God will be made from the sardius stone. Most translations, like in Revelation 4:3, call this gemstone a carnelian.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius (Greek sardios, Strong's #G4556); . . . (Revelation 21:19 - 20).
Other Uses
Jewelers made and engraved personal seals that were used to secure and authenticate documents. While the poor could only afford seals made from terracotta, the rich had beautiful seals made from carnelians, agates, jaspers, rock crystals and other stones (Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible, jewelry section).
Ancient Egyptians used carnelians extensively in jewelry, scarabs and amulets, associating it with vitality and life force. This also used them in their burials as seen in King Tutankhamun's funerary mask.
This gem was also widely used in ancient Mesopotamia, Rome, and the Islamic world for signet rings and seals, since it takes engraving well and doesn't stick to wax.
Link to Abraham
The Mesopotamian city of Ur (also known as Ur of the Chaldees) was the patriarch Abraham's hometown. He lived in the city for seventy years, from 1960 to 1890 B.C., until God told him to leave in order to inherit the Promised Land (land of Canaan).
The ancient tombs of Ur were discovered in 1922 by Leonard Woolley who was the head archaeologist on the site. His work uncovered a cache of skeletons dating back at least to the time of Abraham. Among the skeletons were found headdresses made of carnelian and lazuli stones (Bible Lands: An Illustrated Guide to Scriptural Places, pg. 12).
Facts and Folklore
Precious and semi-precious gemstones like carnelians were commonly used for jewelry that included bead work.
"Beads, commonly made of rock crystal, amber, shells, and agates of two or three colors, were widely owned and used by women.
"They could also be more handsomely put together of more expensive semiprecious stones, such as lapis lazuli . . . carnelian, onyx, and jasper. Amethyst beads would be very luxurious." (Harper's Encyclopedia of Bible Life, section on jewelry).
Tradition states that Muhammad (founder of Islam) wore on his right hand's little finger an engraved ring containing carnelians that he used as a seal (Curious Lore of Precious Stones, pages 62 - 64).
Carnelians were traditionally associated with courage, confidence, vitality, creativity, and motivation.
Carnelians were frequently used in amulets and as a talisman. They were thought, like jasper, to have the ability to stop the hemorrhaging of blood. This gemstone was also thought to bring good luck and to keep the wearer safe from injury from falling houses or walls. This, and other red stones, were additionally worn for their perceived benefit in making the wearer a better and bolder speaker.
The grinding up and injesting of carnelians was once considered a remedy for various ailments.
"Precious stones were often employed as amulets, and some, not content to wear them externally, adopted the means of reducing them to powder, and taking them as internal remedies . . .
"Corneolus (cornelian or carnelian) mitigateth the heate of the minde and qualifieth malice, it stancheth bloodie fluxes" (On Superstitions Connected with the History and Practice of Medicine and Surgery, page 69 - 70).