Aaron's Breastplate

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Aaron's Breastplate

[accessory:jewelry] [Biblical]

Aaron's Breastplate "oracular breastplate" "breastplate of judgment," "rational of judgment" < rationale judicii [L.];
< τὸ λογεῖον τῆς κρίσεως [Gk./Septuagint], ἐσσὴν [Gk./Josephus Flavius] ; < hoshen hamishpat, choshen mishpat חושן משפט [Heb.];: A breastplate or gorget evidently made of cloth, a span (zeret זרת ) long and wide, adorned with three by four rows of precious gems inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; worn atop (above) the ephod (akin to an apron) and thus forming part of the ensemble of attire worn by the high-priest (from Aaron onwards) when consulting God in oracular fashion to divine the course for the Israelites to take.; The "breastplate of judgment" was to be of a similar workmanship as the High Priest's ephod (aphwd אפוד or aphd אפד [Heb.]; ἐπωμίς [LXX. Exodus 28], ἐφώδην (also ἐφαπτίς) [Flavius Josephus, AJ 3.7.7] [Gk.]; superumerale [L.]). That is to say, they are to be made from cloth of a similar weave and color which (not scripture verbatim but as elaborated by commentators) employed blue, crimson, and scarlet (woolen) yarn, fine linen, and gold thread.
The ephod, an "apron" worn over a tunic, is a sleeveless waistcoast hoisted on the shoulders with shoulder straps, and tied around the waist by a girdle. The ephod of other priests was of simple linen. The High Priest's ephod not only was of costly cloth as described above, but had a pair of onyx (Heb. shoham) clasps or brooches at the shoulders, inscribed with the names of the tribes of Israel.

Aaron, wearing breastplate (detail)

KJV (Authorized version) Bible 1611

<Precious Stones in the Breastplate>

Text	1st row			2nd row			3rd row			4th row
No.	1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.	11.	12.
Hebrew	אדם odem (red)	פטדה pitdah (green)	ברקת bareqet, bareket(h) (yellow)	נפך nopek, nophek, nofech (red?blk?)	ספיר saphir, sapir (blue)	יהלום yahalom (bluish grn)	לשם leshem (amber-gold?) (blue?)	שבו shebo, sh'vo (gray)	אחלמה achlama, achlamah (purple)	תרשיש tarshish (yellowish)	שוהם shoham (black?)	ישפה yashpeh, yashfeh (cog. jasper?)
KJV	sardius	topaz	carbuncle	emerald	sapphire	diamond	ligure	agate	amethyst	beryl	onyx	jasper
NRSV	carnelian	chrysolite	emerald	turquoise	sapphire	moonstone	jacinth	agate	amethyst	beryl	onyx	jasper
LXX (Greek)	(1) sardion σάρδιον	(3) topazion τοπάζιον	(2) smaragdos σμάραγδος	(4) anthrax ἄνθραξ	(5) sappheiros σάπφειροσ	(6) iaspis ἴασπισ	(7) ligyrion λιγύριον	(8) achates ἀχάτης	(9) amethystos ἀμέθυστοσ	(10) chrysolithos χρυσόλιθοσ	(12) beryllion βηρύλλιον	(11) onychion ὀνύχιον
Flavius Josephus AJ 3.168	(1) sardonyx σαρδόνυξ	(3) topazos τόπαζος	(2) smaragdos σμάραγδος	(4) anthraka ἄνθρακα	(6) iaspin ἴασπιν	(5) sappheiron σάπφειρον	(7) ligyros λίγυρος	(9) amethysos ἀμέθυσος	(8) achates ἀχάτης	(10) chrysolithos χρυσόλιθος	(11) onyx ὄνυξ	(12) beryllion βήρυλλος
Vulgate (Latin)	sardius [sardĭus]	topazius [tŏpazŏs]	zmaragdus [smaragdus]	carbunculus [carbuncŭlus ]	sapphyrus [sapphĭrus]	iaspis [ĭaspis]	ligyrius [⇒lyncūrĭon]	achates [ăchātēs]	amethistus [ămĕthystus]	chrysolitus [chrȳsŏlĭthŏs]	onychinus [ŏnychŏnus]	berillus [bērillus]

* The exact knowledge of what these stones were is uncertain, so there is much scholarship on their mineral identification, how the orders have been transposed in some texts, etc. These gems are oft said to be the source whence from our twelve birthstones originate.

Sources:

Bible: Exodus 28

See texts of the Septuagint (LXX Ex.28.17) or Vulgate Exodus 28:17

Charlton T. Lewis (1834-1904), Charles Short(1821-1886) A Latin Dictionary (orig. pub. 1850)

rătĭōnālis..: I(b). rătĭōnāle is, n., the oracular breastplate of the Jewish highpriest, Vulg. Exod. 25, 7; id. Lev. 8, 8; also called rationale judicii (transl. of LXX. τὸ λογεῖον τῆς κρίσεως)..

Henry George Liddell (1811-1898), Robert Scott (1811-1887. ), A Greek-English Lexicon (1845)

[* Flavius Josephus uses the phonetization ἐφώδην for ephod. The Septuagint τὸ λογεῖον τῆς κρίσεως can be looked up as follows:]

κρίσις [ῐς], εως+, ἡ, ( [κ ρίνω] ) separating, distinguishing. .

II. judgment of a court. .

c. ἡμέρα κρίσεως Day of Judgement, Ev.Matt.10.15.

λογ-εῖον , τό, (λογεύς 1 ) prop. speaking-place: in the theatre, stage, IG11(2).161 D126 (Delos, iii B. C.), Vitr.5.7.2, Plu.Thes.16, etc.: generally, platform, Arch.Pap.2.564 (pl.), unless λογείον = λογίον. ["talkative"]

2. = στόμα ["mouth"], Poll.2.98.

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