4/20/22 Report - Higher Surf Today. Good Tides. 1715 Fleet Gold Prayer Rings.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Finally, a change!  After weeks of one- and two-foot surf, we finally have some higher water.  I hope to get out to check some of the beaches today.  We have some decent tides to go along with the higher surf.  Unfortunately, the north winds we had yesterday have shifted too.

Tides Today For Fort Pierce Area.

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One exceptionally interesting 1715 Fleet items for sale in the current Sedwick auction is a ring bearing

Lot 1366 In The Current Sedwick Auction.

Here is the lot description.

Gold ring engraved inside with Prayer of Saint Zacharias, approx. 20K, size 7-1/2, ex-1715 Fleet. 2.84 grams. Among the many jewels recovered from the 1715 Fleet (both by salvors and on the beach) were three gold rings plus one gold bracelet that all bore mysterious engraved crosses and letters, which we have deciphered to be what is known as the Prayer of Saint Zacharias, a divine intercession against the Black Death, from a collection of prayers against plague recorded by Saint Zacharias (d. 116 AD), preserved by Spanish monks, and approved by the Council of Trent in 1546. In our own time (even used to ward off COVID-19!) more typically we see the abbreviated prayer on double-armed crosses. The inscription inside this ring reads +Z+DIA+BIZ+SAB+Z+HG+F+BFS (see below for full text of this prayer). This ring, like the others found, is fairly large for the period and bears a little crease where the thin band was fused after engraving, but in fact it is pristine and as bright in gold as the day it was lost, all the various letters and crosses very sharp and clear. The outside bears no engraving nor ornamentation. XRF: 85% gold, 7% silver. From the 1715 Fleet.

+ O Cross of Christ, save me.

Z. May zeal for your house free me.

+ The Cross conquers; the Cross reigns; the Cross rules; by the sign of the Cross free me, O Lord, from this plague.

D. God, my God, drive this plague away from me, and from this place, and free me.

I. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit, my heart, and my body.

A. Before heaven and earth, God was; and God is able to liberate me from this plague.

+ The Cross of Christ is able to expel the plague from this place and from my body.

B. It is good to wait for the help of God in silence, that he may drive away this plague from me.

I. I will incline my heart to performing your just deeds, and I will not be confounded, for I have called upon you.

Z. I had zeal on occasion of the wicked; seeing the peace of sinners, I have hoped in you.

+ The Cross of Christ puts demons and corrupt air† to flight and drives away the plague.

S. I am your salvation, says the Lord; cry out to me, and I will hear you, and I will liberate you from this plague.

A. Abyss calls to abyss, and you have expelled demons by your voice; liberate me from this plague.

B. Blessed the man who hopes in the Lord, and does not look upon vanities, and false extravagances.

+ May the Cross of Christ, which was once the cause of scandal and indignity, and is now in glory and nobility, be for my salvation, and expel from this place the demon, and corrupt air†, and plague from my body.

Z. May zeal for the honor of God convert me before I die, and in your name, save me from this plague.

+ May the sign of the Cross free the people of God, and those who trust in him, from the plague.

H. Will this foolish people return to the Lord? Make good on your vows, offering a sacrifice of praise and faith to him, because he is able to liberate this place and me, from this plague; for whoever trusts in him will not be confounded.

G. If I will not praise you, let my tongue stick to my throat and to my jaws; free those who hope in you; in you I trust; liberate me and this place, O God, from this plague, for your name has been invoked in prayer.

F. At your death, O Lord, darkness fell over the whole earth; my God, render the power of the devil tenuous and dim, for it is for this that you have come, O Son of the living God: so that you might destroy the works of the devil. With your power, drive out from this place and from me, your servant, this plague; and may the corrupt air† depart from me into the outer darkness.

+ Defend us, O Cross of Christ, and expel from this place the plague, and free your servant from this plague, you who are kind, and merciful, and of many mercies, and true.

B. Blessed is he who does not look upon vanities, and false extravagances; on the day of evil the Lord will free him; Lord, I have trusted in you; free me from this plague.

F. God has become my refuge; because I have trusted in you, free me from this plague.

R. Look upon me, O Lord my God, Adonai, from the holy seat of your Majesty, and have mercy on me, and because of your mercy, free me from this plague.

S. You are my Salvation: heal me, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved.

Amen.

Back in 2014 I did a post on 1715 Fleet "posey" rings.  Here is the link.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 8/15/14 Report - Bronze Rod Shipwreck Finds. 1715 Fleet Posey Rings and Bracelet Finds With Inscriptions To Be Translated.

I think I did another post that year which provided the translation.

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For the past weeks or so a Bible verse has been on my mind.  It is John 21:18, which reads as follows.

Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. 

I think I mentioned we had some illness in the family.  I know there are others of you that are going through similar things.

My 96-year-old mother-in-law who was living independently in the home she lived in most of her adult life, went to the hospital a couple weeks ago because of a heart valve problem finally catching up with her.  She also has a mass on her lungs, probably from years breathing dust while working in a plastics manufacturing plant.  She was taken by the ambulance to the hospital and is now in rehabilitation center and is receiving a lot of much needed assistance, even though she really doesn't want to be there.  She is not expected to last long.  She avoided doctors as much as she could.  She did not get Covid vaccinated, but successfully avoided Covid by her own methods, as did the other two 96-year-old women in my family.  They are another breed from another time.  My mother avoids aspirins.  I finally convinced her to take one when she had a tooth ache, and one when she was having trouble with arthritis.  She refused to take a second on both occasions.  Other than the daily baby aspirins I finally got her to take in the past few years, I doubt that she has taken more than a dozen aspirins in her entire life.  Good luck telling those near centenarians what to do.  They did it their way, and you'll be lucky to do so well no matter how much you think you know.

These ladies were born before penicillin.  They survived a lot, including a good many years.  And all three, up until recently alone and independently - two having lost a husband several years ago.  The verse was meant to describe the fate of Peter, but no matter how tough or how independent you are, there likely will come a time when you will need assistance, and someone will carry you where you do not want to go.

When you meet someone in the store or wherever, many people are going through difficulties you know nothing about.  I know some of those who read this blog are.  Be kind.

Z DIA BIZ SAB ZHG BFRS

TreasureGuide@comcast.net