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On Ominous and Luminous Stones: Benjamin

The glories of Emperor Manuel's (ca. 1120-1180) throne are celebrated by the Hebrew traveller Benjamin of Tudela, who visited Constantinople in 1161 A.D. This splendid throne was of gold studded with precious stones and, suspended from the canopy by gold chains, hung a magnificent golden crown set with jewels of incalculable value and so bright and sparkling that their glitter rendered needless any other illumination at night. ("Die Reisebeschreibung des R. Benjamin von Tudela," ed. by L. Grunhut and Marcus N. Adler, Jerusalem, 1903, pt. ii, trans.) When Henry II of France (1519-1559) made his solemn entry into the city of Boulogne, a stranger from India presented to the sovereign a luminous stone. It was rather soft, had a fiery brilliance, and could not be touched with impunity. According to De Thou, this story was vouched for by J. Pipin, who saw the stone himself and described it in a letter to Antoine Mizauld, a writer on occult themes, well known in his day. (Beckmann, "History of Inventions," English trans., London, 1846.) Although Garcias ab Orta did not believe in the tales current in his time regarding luminous rubies, he relates a story of such a stone told to him by a gem-dealer. This man stated that he had purchased a number of fine but small rubies from Ceylon, and had spread them out over a table. When he gathered them up again, one of the stones remained hidden in a fold of the table-cloth. In the night he remarked something like a flame emanating from the table. Lighting a candle, he approached the table and found there the small ruby; when this was removed and the candle extinguished, the light was no longer visible. Garcias admits that the gem-dealers were fond of telling good stories, but he concludes with the dictum, "we must trust in them nevertheless." (Garcias ab Orta, "Aromatum historia" (Lat. version by Clusius), Antverpiae, 579.) Not only the ruby, but the emerald also had the reputation of being a luminous stone, for, besides the shining "emerald" pillar in the temple of Melkart at Tyre, Pliny records the tale of a marble lion, with eyes of gleaming emeralds, which was set over the tomb of "a petty king called Hermias." This tomb was on the coast, and the flashing light from the emerald eyes frightened away the tunny-fish, to the great loss of the fishermen." (Plinii, "Naturalis historia,".) Whether the eyes of the magnificent chryselephantine statue of Athene by Phidias were supposed to be luminous we do not know, but they were incrusted with precious stones. (Platonis, "Hippias major," ed. Didot.) The collection of works by the English alchemists, published by Elias Ashmole, contains the tale of a worthy parson who lived in a little town near London, and who wished to immortalize himself by building across the Thames a bridge which would always be lighted at night. After relating several expedients which suggested themselves to him, the poet continues: At the laste he thought to make the light, For the Bridge to shine by nighte, With Carbuncle Stones, to make men wonder, With double reflexion above and under: Then new thought troubled his Minde Carbuncle Stones how he might finde; And where to find wise men and trewe, Which would for his interest pursue, In seeking all the Worlde about, Plenty of Carbuncles to find out; For this he took so mickle thought, That his satt flesh wasted nigh to naught." (Norton's "Ordinall"; in Ashmole "Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum," London, 1652.) It is scarcely necessary to add that the poor parson never realized his dream, but the story shows how popular was the belief that carbuncles or rubies shone with their own light.