פִּטְדָה

# Pittdah (פִּטְדָה): An Ancient Precious Stone The Hebrew word *pittdah* designates topaz, a precious gemstone valued in biblical times. Based on its four occurrences in the biblical text, this term represents a specific mineral substance recognized and named within ancient Israelite culture, indicating that topaz was a known and named commodity in the ancient Near East. The limited frequency of *pittdah*—appearing only four times across the entire biblical corpus—suggests it was not a common everyday object but rather something associated with wealth, ornamentation, or ritual significance. The rarity of the word's occurrence likely reflects the scarcity and value of the stone itself in ancient society. Without additional lexical data provided, the precise contexts of these four appearances would determine whether topaz held primarily decorative, economic, or ceremonial importance in biblical practice. The existence of a dedicated Hebrew term for topaz demonstrates that ancient Israelites possessed sufficient familiarity with precious stones to classify and name them distinctly. This lexical precision points to active engagement with gemstones, whether through trade, ornamentation of religious objects, or other cultural practices that brought topaz within the sphere of biblical-era experience.