Amethyst: One of the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest
(Exodus 28:19; 39:12) and in the foundation of the New Jerusalem
(Revelation 21:20) The ancients thought that this stone had the power of
dispelling drunkenness in all who wore or touched it, and hence its
Greek name formed from a, "privative," and methuo, "to get
drunk." Its Jewish name, ahlamah, was derived by the rabbins from
the Hebrew word halam, "to dream," from its supposed power of
causing the wearer to dream. It is a pale-blue crystallized quartz,
varying to a dark purple blue. It is found in Persia and India, also
in different parts of Europe.
