Jacinth

{{Short description|Yellow-red to red-brown gem-quality variety of zircon}}

{{about|the gemstone|the racehorse|Jacinth (horse)}}

File:Zircon-49506.jpg, Pakistan]]

Jacinth ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|æ|s|ɪ|n|θ}},{{cite OED|jacinth}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|eɪ|s|ɪ|n|θ}}){{cite Dictionary.com|jacinth}} or hyacinth ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aɪ|.|ə|s|ɪ|n|θ}}){{cite OED|hyacinth}} is a yellow-red to red-brown variety of zircon used as a gemstone.{{cite web |url=https://www.gemdat.org/gem-6649.html |title=Hyacinth |publisher=Gemdat.org |accessdate=4 September 2021}}

In Exodus 28:19, one of the precious stones set into the hoshen (the breastplate worn by the High Priest of Israel) is called, in Hebrew, leshem, which is often translated into English as "jacinth".[https://biblehub.com/parallel/exodus/28-19.htm Exodus 28:19 – Parallel Translations]. Bible Hub. Retrieved 4 September 2021. The true identity of this stone has been a source of confusion since at least the first century; the modern identification of leshem with jacinth seems to have been popularised by Martin Luther, who may in turn have been following a fourth-century tradition.{{cite journal |last=Walton |first=Steven A. |date=2001 |title=Theophrastus on Lyngurium: Medieval and Early Modern Lore from the Classical Lapidary Tradition |journal=Annals of Science |volume=58 |issue=4 |at=p. 371 |doi=10.1080/000337900110041371|pmid=11724065 }}

In Revelation 21:20, one of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem is hyacinth (Greek: hyakinthos).[https://biblehub.com/text/revelation/21-20.htm "Revelation 20:21 – Greek Text Analysis"]. Bible Hub. Retrieved 4 September 2021. However, Strong's Concordance and Thayer's Greek Lexicon describe this as a stone of the colour of the hyacinth plant, i.e. dark blue.[https://biblehub.com/greek/5192.htm "5192. huakinthos"]. Bible Hub. Retrieved 4 September 2021. The stone intended may be the sapphire.{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Hyacinth (mineral)}} In Revelation 9:17, the word appears in adjective form (hyakinthinous, "hyacinthine");[https://biblehub.com/text/revelation/9-17.htm Revelation 9:17 – Greek Text Analysis"]. Bible Hub. Retrieved 4 September 2021. this, again, is thought to be descriptive of a blue or purple colour, with no reference to the modern jacinth stone.{{cite book |last=Smith |first=William |date=1872 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a5YHeIOJGP4C&pg=PA1192 |title=Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. II |publisher=MacDonald Publishing Company |page=1192}} The primary issue with the idea that jacinth (hyakinthinous, "hyacinthine") could have been referring to the sapphire, is the conflict that we see in Revelation 21:19-20, which lists both sapphire ("sapphiros") and jacinth (hyakinthinous, "hyacinthine") as completely different stones.{{Cite web |title=Revelation 21:19 Greek Text Analysis |url=https://biblehub.com/text/revelation/21-19.htm |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=biblehub.com}}