York
Rite Masonry
Saint Paul, Minnesota
The Gems of the Breastplate of the High Priest of Israel
Giovanna Fregni
In May of 2005 I had the honor of making this presentation before the Minnesota Chapter #1 RAM Lodge at the request of Ray Hayward.
Origins of the Breastplate.
In the Bible, the Breastplate is called Hoshen Mishpat. The words are of unknown meaning but are interpreted as the Breast Piece of Divine Decision, or the Breast Piece of Divine Judgement. It was made according to divine instruction given to Moses and recorded in the Book of Exodus with the intention that it be worn by Aaron, the appointed High Priest.
Similar gems are also mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel, The Apocalypse of John, the Koran and the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
The Egyptian High Priest of Memphis had a similar breastplate with 12 circular ornaments. Little description of it is available, but it is represented as early as the 4th dynasty, about 4000 BCE
The Description from Scripture.
Description from King James Bible. Exodus xxviii 15-30
28:1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
28:4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
28:15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
28:16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
28:17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
28:18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
28:19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
28:20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
28:21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
28:22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
28:23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
28:24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
28:25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
The Manufacture of the Breastplate.
Historically two or more breastplates were probably described. The breastplate of Aaron would have used stones available to the Egyptians of the 13-14 Century BCE and the breastplate described by Flavius Josephus, Jewish historian, rabbi and priest (AD 37-95) was probably of a later manufacture.
Today we are familiar with two styles of gemstones used in jewelry, gems that are faceted and gems that are en cabochon, or cut as cabochons. Faceting as we know it developed during the renaissance, in the early 1400’s. In this method transparent stones are cut with a series of flat planes designed to maximise the amount of light which enters and reflects through the interior of the stone. The best example is it is the way a diamond is cut.
For the purposes of the historical breastplate, the stones were most likely cut as cabochons. Cabochons are cut in various shapes and given a domed or flat top. Opaque, translucent and clear gems are all commonly cut this way. The style for this cut had its origins in ancient Egypt when scarabs were popular as seals and jewelry ornaments. A scarab could be made of clay or carved of stone, with the beetle figure represented on top and the seal of the owner on the bottom side. Rings were often made so the scarab could be flipped over and the seal side used to stamp softened wax or wet clay. Over time the importance of the scarab waned, but the seals continued to be used. Eventually seals themselves ceased to be used. and the oval shape was retained. Icontinues to be the most popular form for a cabochon to be cut to this day.
The stones of the breastplate were to be engraved with a Shamir. First the words were written in ink and then the shamir passed over them. According to the instructions, no loss of stone was allowed in the engraving process. The most likely explanation is that the shamir was a stylus made of corundum. It did not engrave, but it scraped the surface of the gem, leaving an unpolished line. The artisans were instructed to cut the gems as a signet. However the names would not have been reversed as they would for a signet, since they were not intended to be used as a seal.
The dimensions for the breastplate are given in spans, one span being length equal to half a cubit or about 9 in. Even allowing for a border and space between the stones, the gems themselves would be of considerable size.
Ouches has been variously translated as filigree or as settings of gold or silver for a precious stone. The same word occurs in Psalms 45:13, where the king's daughter is said to have her clothing "in-wrought with gold," i.e. embroidered with gold thread or wire. Exodus 39:3 tells us how this wire was produced. This would indicate that the settings of the breast-plate were not bezels, flat strips of gold soldered to a base making a cup shape fitted to the gem, but were formed of woven wire wrapped round the stones, in either a woven pattern or filligree.
Importance of the Breastplate
The breastplate was significant in that it was used both for civil judgements, divination and to be displayed during rituals.
According to contemporary accounts
“...God announced victory in battle by means of the 12 stones worn by the high priest on his breast, set in the pectoral. For such splendor shone from them when the army was not yet in motion, that all the people knew that God himself was present to aid them. For this reason the Greeks, who revernce our solemnities, since they could not deny this, called the pectoral our oracle. However, the pectoral and the onyxes ceased to emit this radiance two hundred years before the time I write this, because God was displeased at all the transgressions of the law.” -Flavius Josephus, in De Antiquities Judea
In 400 CE, St. Epiphianus wrote of the breastplate saying “that the marvelous breastplate was worn by the high priest at the feasts of Pascha, Pentecost and Tabernacles and that it announced to the people the fate that God had for them. If the people were sinful, the stones would assume a dull color, indicating disease, or red, indicating war. If the color was pure it would indicate that the people had not sinned and the festival was celebrated.”
Another story of judgement comes from the Book of Joshua where a man named Achan stole a golden image from a heathen temple in Jericho. His guilt was revealed when the high priest pronounced his name and the stones grew dim.
Umm & Thummim
It is unknown as to what they actually were. They are assumed to be small stones or objects of ivory, bone or wood and used to decide yes or no to questions. They either could have been marked with a word of decision or have been different colors and used in a manner like choosing lots. An example is in I Samuel where Saul asked God to judge between himself and Jonathan.
The Fate of the Breastplate
The story of the breastplate is long and involves the various conquests of the Holy Land by other nations. Beginning in 973 BC Jerusalem was captured by Shishak, king of Egypt, and then by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon in about 586 BC.
In 370 BC Ptolemy Soter, King of Egypt, took the city.
Later the city was conquered by Antiochus the Great in 198 BC and in 170 BC the temple was plundered by Antiochus Epiphanes. Then in 54 BC the temple was desecrated by Crassus. No detailed record of the plunder was given for any of these conquests and so the original breastplate may have been taken on one or another of these occasions, and it either disappeared or was destroyed.
After the capture of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 CE the treasures of the Temple, including the breastplate, were taken to Rome and according to Josephus they were placed in the Temple of Concord. From there it disappeared and various stories sprang up regarding the breastplate’s whereabouts. It may have been taken from Rome by the Visigoths in 410. Another possibility is that it was taken to Constantiople by the Vandals in 534. There is a story that Justinian placed the “vessels of the Jews” in the sacristy of St. Sophia, but later had them removed when he heard that until the treasures were returned to Jerusalem, they would bring misfortune to any place where they might be kept. He consequently had them moved to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
From there it was speculated that they might have been taken by the Persian King Khusrau II when he sacked Jerusalem in 615. His army had a large contingent of Jews who might have claimed the treasures. But sadly, nothing is definitely known of the true whereabouts of the breastplate.
Difficulties in Translating the Names of the Gemstones
Today we have chemical and mechanical means of identifying stones. In Biblical times, people grouped stones by similarities of color and hardness. Depth and intensity of color were more important than chemical makeup or perfection of stone. For example, today an emerald is defined as being a variety of beryl that has chromium as its colorant. If a gem of that type has any other chemical that produces a green color (e.g. iron, copper, etc.) it would legally be defined as green beryl. In ancient times an emerald would be defined as a green stone, and often differentiated from another green stone, such as jade, by its hardness, its luster or opacity.
Unfortunately very few lapidaries, books written about gemstones, or other contemporary documents exist to compare the names of the stones with other descriptions. Some of the names of gemstones have lost their meaning and only by comparing them to later accounts or through linguistic comparison, can a guess be made as to their original meaning.
To further complicate matters, the original breastplate was meant to be one of a kind, so individual stones could have been selected for their color or rarity without regard to making duplicates.
The tribes of Israel were poor and in exile, and especially in recreating later versions of the breastplate, expensive material would be difficult to find and work with.
For instance, it would have been nearly impossible to have had a true emerald or diamond of the requisite size for the breastplate. Emeralds by their very nature are subject to flaws and frequently crack, making it difficult to have a single stone large enough.
Diamonds are the hardest substance on the planet and so can only be cut by another diamond making it impossible to engrave with the shamir. Also it was pointed out that a carved diamond of the requiste size would be far more expensive than any of the other stones and therefore give too high a status to its assigned tribe.
Agates and jaspers are both a form of cryptocrystalline quartz, which means that the crystal structure is too small to be seen with the naked eye. The main difference between the two is that jaspers are opaque and agates are clear or translucent. Over time the various colors of jaspers and agates have been given their own names and are identified by them. Some examples are bloodstone, carnelian and sardonyx. All of them are varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz, but are differentiated only by their color.
12 Stones Associated with the 12 tribes and the 12 signs of zodiac or the 12 months.
The 12 angels guarding the gates of heaven were an early association with the tribes and the stones.
Revelations xxi, 9-21 has a similar list of stones made into the foundations of the holy city of God, which were also assigned to the twelve apostles.
Birthstones have been a tradition since before Biblical times, however the birthstones we are familiar with were adopted by the American Association of Jewelers in Kansas City in 1912 and have only a slight resemblance to the birthstones popular in Biblical times. There are many ancient charts of birthstones, aligned by either zodiacal sign or birth month and they vary somewhat from culture to culture.
The traditional birthstones used by the ancient Jews were:
January/Garnet
February/Amethyst
March/Jasper
April/Sapphire
May/Carnelian or Agate
June/Emerald
July/Onyx
August/Carnelian
September/Chrysolite
October/Aquamarine
November/Topaz
Dececember/Ruby.
Variations in the Placement of the Stones
A Hebrew write,r when describing the arrangement of a row of stones, would begin with the stones to the right and list them in order right to left. While a European might describe the stone on his left and write about them in reverse order. In translating a Hebrew text an author, writing the description of the breastplate in Latin, might either translate the text verbatim, recognizing the Hebrew description moving from right to left, or, might have reversed the direction, as Latin text is written. Either method may have been used by the translators of the Septuagint.The first stone of the first row according to Hebrew text, may be either sardonyx or emerald. The only unquestioned gem would be the one in the middle of the row.
Some English Versions of the Bible describe ony nine of the tweleve stones in the breastplate nor are they in the same order as the stones described in the other versions of the Bible, including the Vulgate.
The Order of the Stones According to Various Descriptions
Masonic (Lexicon of Freemasonry Albert G. Mackey 33o)
Carbuncle/Levi Topaz/Simeon Sardius/Reuben
Diamond/Zebulun Sapphire/Issachar Emerald/Judah
Amethyst/Gad Agate/Naphtali Ligure/Dan
Jasper/Benjamin Onyx/Joseph Beryl/Asher
Sardius (Ruby) red stone with some purple. Topaz, pale green stone with yellow. Carbuncle, red. Emerald, green. Sapphire, lapis lazuli. Diamond, white. Ligure (hyacinth) dull red with yellow. Agate, grey spotted with a dusky hue. Amethyst, purple. Beryl (aquamarine) bluish green. Onyx, bluish white. Jasper, green maybe clouded with white or yellow.
Biblical (Revised version of 1884)
Sardius (Ruby) Topaz Carbuncle
Emerald Sapphire Diamond
Jacinth (Amber) Agate Amethyst
Beryl Onyx Jasper
Along with two onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold, engraved with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel and he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of the memorial for the children of Israel as the Lord commanded Moses.
The Stones Themselves as Listed in the Septuagint of 250 BCE:
Odem Sard/Sardonyx Tribe of Reuben. Associated with the sign of Cancer and the month of July. Although the Masonic Lexicon lists it as a ruby, sard is most commonly known as a red form of jasper or agate depending on its clarity. Josephus interpreted Odem to be a sardonyx. Dr. G.F. Kunz suggests that it might have been a particularly bright carnelian since they were popular for use as seals and cylinders. The main difference between the stones is a designation of color. Sardonyx and Carnelian are identical stones except for their color and translucency. The Egyptian word Chenem was used to designate red stones, and could also be applied to red jasper.
Truly clear red pieces of sard are called carnelian. The name derives from the Greek word for flesh, and the paler varieties are more of a flesh tone. Like agate it is good for carving and takes a high polish. It often has banded colors and if carved properly it is used for cameo carving or engraving. As with agate it is said to preserve its wearers from the bites of venemous creatures, especially scorpions. It was also used as a charm against the envious actions of others, sharpened the wits and dispelled melancholy.
Pitdah Topazius Tribe of Simeon. Sign of Leo and the month of November. Described as having a greenish hue. This is the stone known to the Greeks as topazius as opposed to the stone we commonly call topaz today. The name likely derives from the Sanskrit pita meaning yellow. It was most likely a light green or yellow serpentine that was popular for amulets in Egypt at the time. Serpentine is soft and easily cut with a relatively nice polish. It is often substituted for jade today and is often marketed as “new jade’ or “Soo Chow Jade” Later versions of the breastplate substitute a peridot.
Baraketh Smaragdus/Emerald Tribe of Levi. Birthstone for the month of June. The emerald was known and used in Egypt, the mines being located in Nubia. The stone might also been a green feldspar, similar to a green moonstone or amazonite, which would have been easier to obtain and far easier to cut. Emeralds are notorious for having structural flaws and even small ones have a tendency to crack easily. Feldspar was known as uat in Egyptian and used extensively for amulets. The virtues of emerald were to strengthen the memory and aid in eloquence. In rabbincal legend, God gave Solomon four stones which gave him power over all creation, one of which was an emerald.
Nophek Carbuncle/Ruby Tribe of Judah. Sign of Aries and January. A carbuncle was often described as a garnet cut en cabochon (with a rounded surface) as opposed to a faceted gem. It is said to give a light in darkness and that Noah used one as a lamp. It was considered efficatious in preventing diseases and poisoning, and it preserved one’s health in any matters related to blood or vitality. Garnets are generally darker than rubies and while hard are much softer and easier to cut than rubies. They take a high polish, but larger ones tend to have small fractures. The stone here was described as “a glowing coal”. Rubies were not used in ancient Egypt and even if it were available, they would be extremely difficult to work with. Because of their blood red color, carbuncles were considered stones of passion and even as a heart stimulant. According to the Koran, the Fourth Heaven is composed of carbuncle. However, Professor Maskelyne suggests that the nophekh of the breastplate may have been the mophak or mafka of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, the turquoise of the present day.
Sappir Sapphire/ Lapis Lazuli Tribe of Isachar. Associated with the sign of Taurus and April. Sapphires are generally the blue form of corundum, although any color except bright red can be called a sapphire. Hence the availability of yellow or violet sapphires. Along with ruby they are the second hardest gems and one of the earliest known and most valued of gems.
In almost all writings all dark blue stones are described as sapphires, including the Tables of Law which were much more likely to be carved of lapis lazuli. Contemporary descriptions of the breastplate mention the stone having tiny golden spots which would accurately describe lapis.
Lapis is a much softer stone and easily carved. It also has a deep blue color. It is an opaque stone with streaks of white calcite and flecks of pyrite which appear to be gold. Lapis was highly valued by the Egyptians and other early cultures, not only for its value as a gem, but also the powdered form of the stone was used as a permanent pigment in painting (also known as ultramarine) and also in makeup. Iconographers still use powdered lapis to this day. With lapis the deep blue color is associated with peace, happiness, chastity and high moral values. It was used as a cure for melancholy and fevers.
According to the book of Exodus, a description of a manifestation of Jehovah revealed that “under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness”. The seal stone of the ring of Solomon was also a sapphire.
Yahalom Diamond/ Tribe of Zebulon. Associated with the sign of Gemini and the month of March. The name diamond derives from adamas, meaning indomitable. The hardest substance known, diamonds can only be cut or worked by other diamonds. It often it had little use in the ancient world and was more of a valuable curiousity than a gem simply because it was too difficult to cut, let alone engrave with the name of the tribe. The word Yaholom means to smite and early writers translated this as a diamond since its hardness would make it capable of smiting all other gemstones However, Cornelius a Lapide (Cornelius Van den Steen) pointed out that a diamond of the requisite size would be far too costly, impossible to work in the way needed and would also caused too great a distinction in the value between it and the other gems of the breastplate, causing feelings of envy.
The Greek version translated this stone as an onyx and since onyx was popularly used as a seal stone, the interpretation of the name could be derived from the fact that the stone was used to smite the object being sealed. Other interpretations are that it might have been jasper or jade, both very hard stones.
Leshem Ligurius/ Tribe of Joseph. Leshem is a mystery stone creating much speculation as to what it actually is. Josephus speculated that it migh be amber, since most of the amber brought to the east was shipped from Liguria, in NW Italy where modern Genoa is located today. However, the Greek word for amber is electrum and that word would have likely been used in this case. Amber is very soft and was not commonly used as a decoration at that time. Other interpretations is that the name was derived from hyacinthus or jacinthus, a variety of jasper. There is speculation as to what the color of the stone was, as well, ranging from amber color to bright yellow. The Egyptians had a stone called a Neshem which was said to be imbued with magical virtues. If these were similar then the Leshem would have been a yellowish agate or possibly citrine, a yellow form of quartz.
The jacinth was known as a stone for travellers and was protection against wounds or plagues. It was said to grow pale and dull if someone in the vicinity was afflicted with the plague.
Shebo Agate/ Achates Tribe of Benjamin. Associated with the sign of Saggitarius and the month of May, it is named for the Achates River in Greece, where it was originally found. Traditionally a symbol of strength and success. Agates are very hard and durable and were preferred as stones used for seals and talismans and were much esteemed in the ancient world. This was most likely a banded agate with grey and white colors. Agates such as these were long used as talismans against the evil eye or other similar curses. They also were associated with all manner of healing, including uses as antidotes to the bites of snakes and the stings of scorpions.
Alamah Amethyst Tribe of Dan. Sign of Capricorn and February. Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz. In the ancient world it was one of the most valuable and rare of gems. Until the mines were discovered in the new world, the amethyst commanded prices comparable to emeralds, rubies and sapphires. The Hebrew name indicates that it was a stone capable of inducing dreams and visions. The name in Greek is amethos, means ‘not inebriated’. It was used throughout the middle ages and into the Renaissance as a talisman against drunkeness and a symbol of sobriety. The Egyptians also used it as a talisman and is the hemag mentioned in the Book of the Dead.
Tarshish Chrysolite/ Golden Topaz/ Golden Beryl Tribe of Naphtali. Sign of Aquarius and month of September. Literally translated as ‘Golden stone”, both golden beryl and topaz are bright yellow in color. It is most likely the variety of topaz mined in Spain and traded by the Phoenicians.Topaz is associated with the sign of Cancer. Whatever variant was used, the chrysolite was highly valued, even more so than the diamond, and was said to dispell fears of the night, melancholy and illusion.
Shoham Beryl/ Aquamarine Tribe of Gad. Associated with the sign of Virgo and October. Aquamarine is the form of beryl with a distinct blue color, other forms of beryl are the emerald (green), Morganite (pink), Chrysolite (yellow) and Goshenite (clear). Like other blue stones, aquamarine was associated with purity and fidelity and was originally the gem given to brides. Like lapis it was also associated with vision and aquamarines were considered the stones of seers and mystics. Through its name, it also was considered beneficial to mariners, fishermen and other who lived on the sea. The beryls at the time of the making of the breastplate would have been mined in India. Today most aquamarines come from Brazil and Columbia. In addition to the stone for Gad, the two stones set on the shoulder of the breastplate and engraved with all the 12 tribes were either of beryl or onyx. There is a strong case for the stone also being of turquoise or the variety of chrysocolla called Eilat stone, which is still mined in modern Israel. Both would have the same associations of the blue color.
Yashpeth Jasper/Iaspis Tribe of Asher. Sign of Pisces. Of all jaspers, the green variety was the most valued. Outside of China there was often no distinction made between jasper and jade. Both were ascribed virtues of healing, and one of the most popular of the green jaspers was called bloodstone, named for the small flecks of red iron oxide found on the dark green surface.
For something so explicitly described, the centuries have obscured the details of the original breastplate of the High Priest and much of what we know of it is up for speculation. From the order of the stones, to the translations of their names. In the end we are given a mystery with unknown words and a precious lost object which may still lie hidden in a lost vault under a fabled city of Persia.
Bibliography and Web links:
The Curious Lore of Precious Stones by Dr. George Frederick Kunz, Dover Books
The Magic of Jewels and Charms by Dr. George Frederick Kunz, Dover Books
The Book of Amulets and Talismans by E. A. Budge, Collier Books 1970
The Book of Talismans, Amulets and Zodaical Gems by William Pavitt, Wilshire Book Co. 1970
Bible History Online: http://bible-history.com/isbe/S/STONES%2C+PRECIOUS/
The Temple Institute http://www.templeinstitute.org/vessels_gallery_16.htm