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Precious stones and metals
Stones of the breastpiece
Hebrew choshen · twelve engraved stones in four rows · Exodus 28:15–21
Over his ephod the high priest wore a breastpiece of gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, “square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide” (Exodus 28:16) — about 23 cm (9 inches). On it were four rows of three stones in gold filigree settings, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. Rings and a cord of blue yarn tied it to the ephod, and the Urim and Thummim, sacred lots that probably answered yes or no, were kept in it.
Which modern stones the twelve Hebrew names mean is uncertain, and translations differ widely. The BSB lists ruby, topaz, emerald; turquoise, sapphire, diamond; jacinth, agate, amethyst; beryl, onyx, jasper. Many were probably colored kinds of quartz, such as carnelian, agate and jasper. The “diamond” may not be the modern diamond; for the BSB’s “turquoise” (“emerald” in older Bibles) the Septuagint suggests a stone like a garnet; the “jacinth” may have been an orange zircon or a blue stone; and “sapphire” may at times mean lapis lazuli. Ancient gems were rounded and polished, not cut with facets. Similar lists appear in Ezekiel 28:13 and Revelation 21:19–20.
Key verses
You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen. It must be square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.And mount on it a setting of gemstones, four rows of stones: In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz, and an emerald; in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; in the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: six of their names on one stone and the remaining six on the other, in the order of their birth. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings.And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.The foundations of the city walls were adorned 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.Sources
Adapted and shortened from the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers · CC BY-SA 4.0 — Stones, Precious; Ephod (Garment); Urim and Thummim; Jewelry, Jewels
Adapted from Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary: articles chosen, shortened and retold in our own words (history, nature and daily life only) and, in languages other than English, machine-translated. The original work by Tyndale House Publishers is available for free at tyndaleopenresources.com.
