שְׁבוֹ

# Shebo: An Ancient Gemstone The Hebrew word *shebo* (שְׁבוֹ) refers to agate, a semi-precious stone characterized by banded patterns and varying colors. This term appears only twice in the biblical text, making it a relatively rare lexical item. Its presence in Scripture indicates that agate was known to ancient Hebrew speakers and held enough significance to be specifically named rather than grouped under a general category of stones. The limited occurrences of *shebo* in the biblical record suggest that agate was likely valued as a luxury or ornamental material rather than as an everyday resource. Its rarity in biblical text contrasts with other gemstones that appear more frequently, which may reflect either its relative scarcity in the ancient Near East or its specialized use in particular contexts. Without additional lexical data specifying these contexts, we can only note that the word exists as a distinct term for a recognizable mineral, indicating Hebrew speakers' capacity for precise classification of material goods known to them through trade or craftsmanship.