How many foundations does one wall need?

I'm very visual and as I read through Revelations 21 this morning I wanted to get an idea in my head of what kind of place the city was.  This is what I came up with.


" The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates  and its walls.  The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide.  He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it was long."

12,000 stadia = ~1,400 miles = ~ one day's drive 

About 1,400 miles shown here. 

"He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass." 

144 cubits = 200 feet

The Healy Clocktower at Georgetown University is 200 feet tall.

200 foot walls surround the city

City of pure gold, pure as glass

As far as we know, as far as I've read, gold is not see through.  Do you think this might mean there are elements of gold we have not discovered yet?  What does the phrase, "purse as glass" look like?

I like to think it's shiny and smooth, maybe it will be like glass and we can see through it.  How weird would that be?!




"The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.  The first foundation was Jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst."

Jasper means "spotted or speckled stone"

Blue sapphire; may be blue, pink, grey or black 

Chalcedony; may be an color of the rainbow

Emerald, hues may range
from yellow-green to blue
-green

Sardonyx; a variant of onyx where
 bands are shades of red instead of
black

Carnelian; color ranges from
from pale orange to almost black

 

Amethyst

Jacinth

Chrysoprase; ranges from apple
green to dark green

Topaz; colorless when pure,
impurities will tint

Beryl; three varieties, tinted colors
come from impurities  

Chrysolite; also called precious
olivine

I don't know anything about construction much less the "foundations of the city walls."  Is it normal to have multiple foundations for a city wall?  

Isn't the foundation of a wall or building usually not seen?  That makes me wonder why the foundation for the walls of this city to be so pretty.  

"The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.  The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparant        glass."