Birthstones and the Ancient Alien Theory
How would birthstones and the ancient alien theory even mix? Good question, so let’s start with a brief definition. An ancient alien theory implies that human life on Earth was artificially created by alien beings from other planets, and those miracles described in the old texts are simply misunderstood technologies. In other words, according to the theory, interstellar aliens that came to our planet were so much more advanced that for humans their technology seemed like magic.
What have birthstones got to do with the ancient alien theory? Let’s take a look at the origins of the birthstone beliefs and how it would be interpreted by the ancient alien theory.
The most respected author on the birthstone theme is George Frederick Kunz, a world-renowned mineralogist, a curator of Museum of Natural History in New York, and a famous expert who was working for Tiffany & Co. According to Kunz, and no one seems to argue with him, the first known written associations of gemstones to birth months and zodiac signs belong to Flavius Josephus and St Jerome.
Flavius Josephus, an interested character who started as Israelite’s general who surrendered to the Romans and became a renowned Roman Empire historian, was arguably the first one to write about the connection between natal stones and birth months and zodiac signs. He wrote in the 1st century AD “And for the twelve stones, whether we understand by them the months; or whether we understand the like number of the signs of that circle which the Greeks call the Zodiack”. 5th century AD latter to Fabiola by St Jerome, who was one of the most voluminous writers of the early Roma Christianity, set the foundations of the custom of wearing birthstones, though people actually started wearing natal stones around the 18th century.
Aaron’s breastplate set with the 12 stones. This is a page from the “VESTITUS SACERDOTUM HEBRÆORUM” book by Johann Braun printed in 1680
Both St Jerome and Flavius Josephus comment on the 12 stones set into the ephod of the biblical high priest Aaron, and it is fair to say that the majority of birthstone lists are based on that high priest breast plate arrangement. The description of the 12 gemstones in Aaron’s ephod is provided in the book of Exodus. The gems were set into a golden breastplate in 4 rows with 3 crystals in each row. Flavius Josephus wrote about the ephod “For God declared before-hand by those twelve stones which the High Priest bare on his breast, and which were inserted into his breast-plate, when they should be victorious in battel. For so great a spendor shone forth from them before the army began to march, that all the people were sensible of God’s being present for their assistance. Whence it came to pass that those Greeks who had a veneration for our laws, because they could not possibly contradict this, called that breast-plate the Oracle. Now this breast-plate, and this Sardonyx left off shining two hundred years before I composed this Book”
So how would the ancient alien theory interpret Aaron’s breastplate which is the foundation of the majority of the birthstone lists? Well, it would be simply viewed as some sort of a technological device that had several functions including being a ‘mobile phone that could call the ‘gods’’. In a way, high priest breastplate can be compared to the device mounted onto the breast of Darth Vader.
Centuries after Flavius Josephus and St Jerome, a smaller number of birthstone lists was created and based on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem described in the Revelation of St John. Why were these lists created later? The book of Revelation was not popular in the early days of Christianity, and theologists started interpreting it a bit later. The 12 precious stones were laid into the walls of the New Jerusalem. King James bible version describes it as follows “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.”
I do not think there is a unified interpretation of the foundation stones and the New Jerusalem in general by the ancient alien theory. The foundation stones can be viewed as some sort of devices, and the New Jerusalem itself can even be a space craft similar to vimanas in the Indian ancient texts. What do you guys think?
We intentionally went to the source of the birthstone tradition in order to understand the ancient alien theory position on it. In general, as per the ancient alien theory, wearing birthstones is just a custom based on some old beliefs and theological interpretation of the bible, as well as a commercial project of the jewelry industry similar to St Valentine’s day.
At birthstone.guide we aim to stay truthful and look at different opinions and angles of view. We make sure we provide all the information in order for our readers to make up their mind as opposed to enforcing a certain opinion. We hope you enjoyed this article. Happy reading! Please feel free to comment below.
