81. In that world as in the previous one the Jews are merchants dealing in various goods, especially precious stones which they acquire by ways unknown to me from heaven, where they are plentiful. The reason they trade in precious stones is that they read the Word in its original language, and regard its literal sense as holy; precious stones correspond to the literal sense of the Word. (For this correspondence see THE TEACHING OF THE NEW JERUSALEM ABOUT THE SACRED SCRIPTURE 42-45). They sell them to the heathen who live around them in the northern quarter. They are even able to fake imitations and make people imagine they are real; but those who do so are severely punished by their rulers.