Jasper

Jasper is a precious stone with a long arc through scripture: set in the high priest's breastplate, named among the stones that covered the figure in Eden, used to picture the appearance of the one on the heavenly throne, and finally built into the wall and foundation of the New Jerusalem. UPDV spells the word "jasper" at most occurrences and "jaspar" at Ex 39:13.

On the Breastplate of Judgment

The first appearances place jasper on the high priest's breastplate. The construction-instructions describe a breastplate of judgment foursquare, "a span will be its length, and a span its width" (Ex 28:16), bearing four rows of stones. Jasper closes the fourth row: "and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they will be enclosed in gold in their settings" (Ex 28:20). The twelve stones together carry the names of Israel: "And the stones will be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they will be for the twelve tribes" (Ex 28:21). The execution account in Exodus 39 reproduces the row exactly, with a UPDV spelling variant: "and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jaspar: they were enclosed in enclosings of gold in their settings" (Ex 39:13).

In the Eden Covering

In Ezekiel's lament addressed to the king of Tyre, jasper appears among the stones covering the figure placed in Eden. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was in you; in the day that you were created they were prepared" (Ezek 28:13). The list overlaps the breastplate stones — jasper among them — but here covers a single created figure rather than twelve tribal names.

On the Heavenly Throne

In John's vision of the open door in heaven, the one seated on the throne is described under the comparison of stones: "and he who sat [was] to look at like a jasper stone and a sardius: and [there was] a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at" (Rev 4:3). Jasper here is the leading term in a likeness that pairs it with sardius and surrounds it with emerald-colored rainbow.

In the New Jerusalem

The final occurrences gather the holy city under jasper's image. The descending city is introduced as "having the glory of God: her light was like a most precious stone, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal" (Rev 21:11). Its construction is then specified: "And the building of her wall was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like pure glass" (Rev 21:18). The list of foundations begins where the breastplate row ended — "The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald" (Rev 21:19). Jasper closes the priestly row at Sinai and opens the foundation course of the city in the consummation.