In Revelation 21:19-20, would the foundation stones be visible?:
Rev 21:19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, Rev 21:20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth and the twelfth amethyst.
My understanding is that foundation stones would be buried, hence the reference here to the foundation stones being "unearthed":
Mic 1:6 "So I will turn Samaria into a mound of dirt in a field, a place to plant vineyards. And I will dump her building stones into the valley, uncovering her foundation.
I notice a reference to "costly stones" in the laying of the foundation for Solomon's temple but in context it appears to just refer to how huge they were:
ISV
1Ki 5:17 The king specified that large, expensive stones be quarried so the foundation of the Temple could be laid with cut stones.
That verse is absent from the LXX!
Questions:
Is 1 Kings 5:17 spurious?
Were the stones of the foundation of Solomon's temple made of gems?
Are the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem to be exposed? or buried?
Why was it important to Abraham (whether or not he was consciously anticipating) that the city have foundations?:
Heb_11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
When Herod's temple was burned in 70CE, were there foundation stones and if so, were they left in place? Do they remain to this day? I would think that if they were made of gems then they would have been taken.
Is this passage suggesting that Jerusalem would be reduced to ruins? Is it about 70CE? Would the foundations of the city be destroyed, misplaced or simply made devoid of structures? When will the Jews be called "repairers" and "restorers"?:
Isa 58:12 And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; You'll raise up the age-old foundations, and people will call you 'Repairer of Broken Walls,' 'Restorer of Streets to Live In.'