Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. IX, 1952 Sacred Scripture

Onyx

ONICE

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ONYX (Lat. Onyx). — A term that in the Vulgate denotes both a perfume and a precious stone.

In Ex. 30:34 it is the perfume of the fragrant nail (blatta byzantina; Heb. lēhēlētō), which is found as the operculum of certain mollusks or shells; together with other substances, it served for the sacred thymiama.

In Ex. 38:13 it translates the Heb. lēhēm, elsewhere rendered as sardonyx, sardius, beryllus, chrysoprasus. It is a red gem set in the ephod and in the breastpiece of the high priest (cf. Ex. 25:7; 28:9 etc.). In Gen. 2:12 it is said that the region of Havilah was rich in such precious stones, whose high value can be seen in the comparison with wisdom (Job 28:16).

Angelo Penna

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By Angelo Penna

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Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX (1952), col. 133.

More by Angelo Penna: Obed (Hebrew 'Ōbhedh, "Servant") · Osanna · Osorio, Girolamo · Octateuch · Oza (Heb. 'Uzzā')

Cite this article

Chicago

Penna, Angelo. “Onice (Lat. Onyx).” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, col. 133. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/onice-lat-onyx.

MLA

Penna, Angelo. “Onice (Lat. Onyx).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, col. 133. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/onice-lat-onyx.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec9_onice_lat_onyx,
  author    = {Penna, Angelo},
  title     = {Onice (Lat. Onyx)},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {IX},
  pages     = {133},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1952},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/onice-lat-onyx}
}

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