According to the legends in the Targumin, Noah lit up the Ark with a stone of marvellous brilliancy; this is considered by some students to denote the Sun at noonday, by others it is called a Carbuncle. The Manna of the wilderness, it is said, fell from Heaven accompanied by a rain of the most precious and beautiful stones: this is merely an allegorical expression of the “opening of the Heavens,” although some more material writers indicate a fall of meteorites. Meteorites were held in especial reverence and were termed BETHEL or House of God by the old Jews, and Baetylus by the Greeks and Romans. They were assumed to carry all glorious influences from the Heavenly spheres and to bear the blessings of God. Pliny mentions a curious stone which he terms AMIANTHUS and which is not affected by the action of fire. This substance, he says, effectually counteracts all noxious spells, especially those wrought by magicians. It was considered a bad mistake to barter for a talismanic gem, that being in itself a crystallization of the sublime forces, and being holy does not admit of barter. Pliny tells of Ismenius the great fluteplayer of his time, who loved to display numbers of gems: he set his heart on obtaining a beautiful emerald—his talismanic gem—on which was engraved a figure of Amymone (one of the Danaides), the gem being offered for sale in Cyprus for six golden denarii; he sent his messenger to purchase it for him, and this man on his return informed Ismenius that the jeweller had agreed to take two golden denarii less than was originally asked; on learning this the musician exclaimed: “By Hercules, he has done me a bad turn in this, for the merit of the stone has been greatly impaired by this reduction in price.” The seven precious minerals of the Buddhists are stated by Sir Moiner-Williams K. C. I. E. to be: 1. Gold. 2. Silver. 3. Pearls. 4. Sapphires or Rubies. 5. Catseyes. 6. Diamonds. 7. Corals. The list varies and Lapis Lazuli is given instead of pearls by some authors. There are also seven royal treasures amongst which is the jewel stone NORBU which throws its rays for several miles on the darkest nights. Apollonius of Tyana, described by Barrett as one of the most extraordinary persons that ever appeared in the world, received during his travels in India from the sage Iarchus seven rings each of which contained a jewel symbolical of one of the planets. One of these he wore every day, according to the planetary order of the days of the week, and to the virtue of these gems—which Iarchus is stated to have received from Heaven—Philostratus, the biographer of Apollonius, attributes his long life, his strength and his attractions. The following were the gems inset in the rings which Apollonius wore, one on each day of the week: Sunday Day of the Sun Diamond (In a ring of gold) Monday Day of the Moon Cloudy Crystal (? Moonstone) (In a ring of silver)