80 BERTRAMS VISIT TO HER 



of linen, and brought from behind the back, over 

 each shoulder; and then crossing the breast, it 

 was passed round the waist so as to form a 

 girdle; the two ends hanging down before. The 

 Breast-plate of Judgment, which was so called 

 because the high priest wore it only when he 

 went to consult the Divine Majesty, was made 

 of the same materials as the ephod ; and being 

 two spans in length by one in breadth, it formed 

 a square when doubled. The span, he says, 

 was half a cubit, or about ten inches. 



I then begged of my uncle to explain the 

 nature of the Urim and Thummim. He told me 

 that the words signify light and perfection ; but 

 as Moses does not appear to have received 

 directions for making them, it is impossible now 

 to form any distinct idea of the materials of 

 which those sacred ornaments were composed, 

 or of the manner in which they were employed, 

 in order to obtain answers from the mercy-seat 

 in the Tabernacle. The opinions of the learned 

 have therefore been very various on those points : 

 the Jews think they consisted of precious stones, 

 which were so arranged that the partial brilliancy 

 of certain characters engraved on them pointed 

 out the required reply. Others suppose that 

 they were merely parts of the grand dress, which 

 qualified the high priest to present himself in 

 the holy place on great occasions. But the 

 question is of little importance to us ; like many 



