Carbuncle (gemstone) used by the Greek to translate the Hebrew נֹפֶךְ ("nōphek") in two of its four occurrences in the Old Testament. The etymology of the Hebrew term is uncertain, though Koehler-Baumgartner suggests a connection to פּוּךְ ("phook"), used in the Old Testament as a term for eye makeup, and probably implying a colored powder most likely made from a crushed mineral. For נֹפֶךְ ("nōphek") itself they suggest the gloss "semi-precious stone" (of uncertain color). Carbuncle (gemstone) A carbuncle is any red gemstone, most often a red garnet. The word occurs in four places in many English translations of the Bible. The
Garnet pitta Garnet pitta The garnet pitta ("Erythropitta granatina") is a species of bird in the Pittidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. The form occurring in the Malaysian state of Sabah has been split as the black-crowned pitta ("Erythropitta ussheri"). The garnet pitta is an insectivore, feeding mainly on ants, wood grubs, cockroaches, and beetles. The Garnet pitta is about 17 cm long. The bird has a black head with a bright blue stripe at the eyebrows and a