Home›Open Questions›Which stone does the Hebrew leshem, rendered ligure in the King James Version, actually name?Open QuestionsWhich stone does the Hebrew leshem, rendered ligure in the King James Version, actually name?Citation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextDivinity Atlas. "Which stone does the Hebrew leshem, rendered ligure in the King James Version, actually name?." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/open-questions-index/which-stone-does-the-hebrew-leshem-rendered-ligure-in-the-king-james-version-actually-name.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextDivinity Atlas. (n.d.). Which stone does the Hebrew leshem, rendered ligure in the King James Version, actually name?. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/open-questions-index/which-stone-does-the-hebrew-leshem-rendered-ligure-in-the-king-james-version-actually-nameCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{divinityatlas-which-stone-does-the-hebrew-leshem-rende, author = {Divinity Atlas}, title = {Which stone does the Hebrew leshem, rendered ligure in the King James Version, actually name?}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/open-questions-index/which-stone-does-the-hebrew-leshem-rendered-ligure-in-the-king-james-version-actually-name}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXOpen QuestionCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)Open QuestionNo securely dated ancient Hebrew source uses leshem outside the Exodus breastplate list in a context that fixes what stone it names, so every proposed identification, jacinth, amber, tourmaline or opal, rests on inference rather than direct attestation. The Septuagint, the Vulgate and the later translation tradition do not agree on a referent for this ninth breastplate stone either, which is the visible symptom of the unsettled identification.What would resolve this An independently attested, securely dated use of leshem in a non-biblical ancient Hebrew or closely related Northwest Semitic inscription or document, ideally alongside a described or surviving physical object, would let philologists cross-check the word against a known referent. A securely provenanced, labeled exemplar from a Second Temple period priestly context would serve the same purpose.OpenNorthwest Semitic philology, biblical archaeology and historical mineralogyAnonymous (multiple authors), The Holy BibleCross-Tradition ConnectionsQuestion OnLigure, Gemstones Well-attested Source The Holy BibleAnonymous (multiple authors)tier 1SourcesThe Holy Bibletier 1Anonymous (multiple authors), Robert Barker, 1611View the SourceAntiquities of the Jewstier 1Flavius Josephus, W. Bowyer (for the author), 1737View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year