──────────────────┬──────────────────┬───────────────────── Name Engraved on │ Colour │ Approximate Date of Stone │ │Sun’s Entry into the │ │ Zodiacal Signs ──────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────────── 1. Reuben │Red │March 21st 2. Simeon │Green │April 21st 3. Levi │White │May 22nd 4. Judah │Green │June 22nd 5. Zebulun │Red │July 23rd 6. Issacher │Mixed │August 24th 7. Dan │White and Purple │September 24th 8. Gad │Brown │October 24th 9. Asher │Purple │November 23rd 10. Naphtali │Sea colour │December 20th 11. Joseph │Blue │January 20th 12. Benjamin │Glistening White │February 19th ──────────────────┴──────────────────┴───────────────────── The Baraita of Samuel deals with astronomical and astrological philosophies, and in the 6th Chapter there is a detailed account of the instruction of scholars of Egypt on the original places of the planets and the zodiacal divisions. This Samuel was a physician and astrologer, and his remarks on the administration of medicines, the times for operations, etc., are much the same as those given in the best astrological treatises of today. He considers the last four days of the moon as an especially risky period for important operations. This Baraita of Samuel is a work of the 8th Century. Talmudic writers say that besides the twelve tribal names, those of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were at the top of the Breastplate, and at the end the words, “The tribes of Jeshurun.” Others say that the final words were “The tribes of Israel;” Maimonides says, “The tribes of God.” The reason given for these additions was that it was necessary for the entire alphabet to be employed so that the officiating High Priest could construct words from the letters, names and colours of the stones of the Breastplate, and reply in this way to all questions asked. Some of the Rabbis say that six letters were on each stone, made up of the tribal names, the names Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the words “Tribes of Jeshurun.” Thus the whole of the stones contained 72 letters—the number of Shem Ha Meforash. The number 72 is employed in the mysteries, and is given in “Numbers, their Magic and Meaning” as the number of the Angels and of Mercy. In verses 19-21 of 14th Chapter of Exodus the names of the 72 Angels of the name of God are concealed. It is a martial talismanic number, lightly cloaking the waxing and waning of the Moon. CHAPTER VII OLD LEGENDS