In the Talmud and the Midrashim there are many references to Shamir—unusual qualities were ascribed to it. For instance it reportedly could disintegrate anything, even hard, durable stones. The rabbinical literature describes it as being employed in engraving the breast plate of the High Priest.

Torah Law requires that an altar be completely natural and not made from stones cut by metal tools. No altar stone(s) could be hewn or shaped with metal instruments. Stones subject to such treatment were disqualified for Temple usage. The basic logic underlying this is that metal tools are usually used for war, whereas the altar is the tool for peace. Thus the tool for peace should not have been hewn with the tools of war. This reason alone should suffice us, yet, as with all things in Torah, there is much more than meets the eye. When Solomon’s Temple was built the Biblical record records that there was no sound of stones being chiseled into shape.

When we look today at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and see the lowest level of stones, dating from the First Temple times, we clearly see that they are cut stones. How then were they cut?

King Solomon was eager to possess the Shamir because he had heard about it from earlier days; knowledge of the Shamir is in fact ascribed by rabbinical sources to Moses. After much search a grain of Shamir the size of a barley-corn was found in a distant country, in the depths of a well, and brought to Solomon. Among Solomon’s possessions it was the most wondrous. Legend tells us that King Solomon had at his disposal a “little worm” called the Shamir and that this worm would eat its way through the stone, making smooth cuts. Legend tells us that King Solomon received this Shamir worm from the conquered chief of the demons, who was forced to reveal this secret to Solomon.

But strangely, it lost its abilities and became inactive several centuries later, about the time the Temple of Solomon was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.

What was Shamir?
So, what exactly was the Shamir? If it were indeed some kind of living creature, we may never be able to identify it. However, there are those today who offer a different explanation. Some view the Shamir, based upon its description and function, and conjecture that it might have been some form of laser beam technology. This would fit with it being a secret revealed from non-human sources and would explain its precision ability to slice stone.

“The Shamir is as large as a barley-corn. It was created in the six days of Genesis. There is no substance hard enough to withstand its action”

The manner in which Shamir was kept secure may give us some clue “The Shamir may not be put in an iron vessel for safe-keeping, nor ii any metal vessel: it would burst such a receptacle asunder.” “It is kept wrapped in wool inside a box of lead filled with barley-bran.” This sentence is quoted from the Tractate Sotah 48b of the Babylonian Talmud. “Oferet” in the text is properly translated as “lead.” It contains an important clue: folkloristic fantasy would not make a leaden box of a greater resistance than an iron or a gold one: lead is a son metal. Therefore, this must be a description based on fact. And with the knowledge of our age we may easily guess who or what was Shamir: It was a radioactive substance; radium salts, for example, acting upon certain other chemical substances, can emit a luminescence with a yellow-green hue.

The breastplate of the High Priest was engraved in the following manner. The letters were written with ink, and the stones were exposed, one after another, to the “glance” or radiation of the Shamir. This ink must have contained powdered lead or lead oxides. The parts of the stones which were unprotected by lead were disintegrated without leaving any dust particles which, according to the Tractate Sotah 48b, appeared especially wondrous. Those parts protected by leaden ink stood up in relief on the surface of the gems.

The most precious possession of Solomon, his Shamir, did not survive With time it became inactive. The usual version of the story—the Shamir “disappeared,” does not correspond to the Hebrew text. The word batel used to describe the end, or demise, of Shamir has only one meaning: “To become inactive.” Therefore, when occasionally it is said that the Shamir “vanished” at about the Temple was destroyed, this is incorrect. The Hebrew term for a paralyzed member is ever batel; a loafer is batlan; inactivity is batala; all these words come from the root batel. In the four hundred years that passed from the building of the first Temple to its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in BCE 587, a radioactive substance could become inactive.

The information found in ancient sources—that Shamir was a greenish mineral, that it was as large as a barley-corn; that it could damage anything, even metals and other minerals, save lead, and the only protection could be found by placing Shamir in a leaden box; that it had a “glance” which disintegrated things without leaving filings or dust; that it became inactive after a period of four hundred years, all reveal the true nature of Shamir.

It is the dream of all Jews to assist in building the Third (and final) Temple. To do so, the stones must be carved. But would we be doing this in the same way as King Solomon did, or would we just be building an edifice? An essential element in Solomon’s construction of the Temple was the miraculous shamir stonecutter. In instructing us how to make the permanent altar to G-d, the Torah says, “do not build it out of cut stone” (Ex. 20:22). Rashi comments on this verse that iron, the material of deadly weapons, should not be used to shape the stones of the Temple, the essence of which is peace.

The Nature of the Shamir

The shamir (from shamira in Aramaic, meaning “like a flint stone”) was a supernatural organism. The word “shamir” in biblical Hebrew was used in two senses: a) a penpoint made out of a hard substance (Jeremiah 17:1); or b) sharp thorns (Isaiah 5:6).

Each usage relates to the ability of the shamir to pierce hard surfaces. The “glance” of the supernatural shamir could carve great stones. The Talmud and later great rabbis described how the passage of the shamir along the surface of a stone would cause it to split perfectly into two pieces.

Was the shamir mineral, plant, or animal? In an Abyssinian legend the shamir is supposed to have been a kind of wood or herb. Maimonides, however, and Rashi, considered it to be a living animal. The Talmud says that the “glance” of a living creature caused wood and stone to split. A pseudepigraphic work, the Testament of Solomon, however, regards the shamir as a green stone perhaps similar to the pitda set in the High Priest’s breastplate representing the tribe of Shimon.

Small as a barleycorn (less than one centimeter), the shamir did not have an inspiring physical appearance. Its supernatural essence came from having been created at the twilight of the first Sabbath Eve during the Six Days of Creation. According to R’ Bachiya in the Talmud, the shamir was first used at the time of the construction of the Tabernacle to engrave the names of the tribes on the precious jewels of the High Priest’s breastplate.

For safekeeping, the shamir could not be put directly into any kind of metal vessel, including iron, which would be split apart. It was kept wrapped in wool, placed in a lead basket filled with barley bran (Talmud, Sota 48b.) The choice of these materials was specific, since no other materials were able to resist its penetrative powers.

The rulers of the Canaanites and other nations realized the value of the shamir, but they were never able to locate it. The Midrash recounts that even King Solomon had no idea where to find the shamir, although he knew that he needed it to build the Temple. Solomon went to great lengths to obtain the shamir, even to the point of contacting demons. Also created at the twilight of the Sabbath Eve of the Six Days of Creation, these beings had some relationship with the shamir and the other supernatural phenomena created at this exceptional twilight. The Midrash relates that Solomon consulted the king of the demons, who did not have it but knew that the angel of the sea had given the shamir to the hoopoe bird (dukhifat, Lev. 11:19), a type of fowl who needed it to survive. In the end, King Solomon captured the shamir from the hoopoe.

The shamir was used by man only in the construction of the Tabernacle and the Temple. Supernatural beings created by G-d for specific functions do not exist forever. The Mishna (Sota 9:12) states that the shamir existed until the destruction of the Second Temple. Tosafot (Gittin 68a) says that the shamir existed into the Common Era. According to the Tosefta, the shamir disappeared after the destruction of the Temple, since it was no longer needed. Correspondingly, the tachash, which had been created so its skin could be used for the Tabernacle, disappeared after the Tabernacle was completed. Considered a kosher animal, the tachash was similar to a unicorn with a single horn on its head (Shabbat 28b).

Another creature, the caper-spurge, shared characteristics with the shamir and was therefore mistaken for the shamir. But because the caper-surge existed into the Middle Ages (1000 CE), the rabbis argue that the two were not identical.

In the opinion of medieval authors, Rashi, Maimonides and others Shamir was a living creature, a worm. It was argued that Shamir could not have been a mineral because it was active. The Talmud transmits in the name of Rabbi Nehemiah the following description of the engraving on precious stones: The names of the twelve tribes were inscribed on the twelve semi-precious stones of the Urim and Tummim, the breastplate of the High Priest, not by carving, but by writing with a certain fluid and “showing” them to Shamir, or exposing them to its action. In the opinion of modern authors, the expression “was shown to Shamir”—“clearly shows it was the glance of a living being which effected the splitting of wood and stones.” It is admitted, however, that “in the Talmudic-Midrashic sources it is never explicitely stated that the Shamir was a living creature.” An old source. The Testament of Solomon, a work written in Greek, probably in the early third century of the present era, refers to Shamir as a “green stone.” But how could a greenish stone cut the hardest of diamonds with its glance?

What Caused the Penetrating “Glance”?

By definition, a supernatural creature made by G-d to perform specific miracles cannot be explained rationally. However, theories abound in science which correlate natural phenomena with the supernatural. In this spirit, the “glance” of the shamir that could split wood and stone might be explained by: 1) the production of high or low frequency waves that could resonate the molecular structure of materials and disrupt them, 2) the production of confluent light rays as a “laser beam”, or 3) radioactivity.

The essence of the “glance” remains speculative, but the late Immanuel Velikovsky , an expert on the times of Solomon, and Frederic Jueneman ,a noted scholar, have suggested that the shamir was a radioactive substance. They reason that a leaden box would be the most logical means to sagely contain such a highly energetic radionucleotide. Thus, the “glance” of the shamir may have been alpha radiation. Alpha radiation is a high energy particle, which could destroy or discolor whatever is exposed to it. The reported weakening of the powers of the shamir in the course of time to the point of inactivity possibly indicates radioactive decay and half-life of its former radioactive potency.

If the shamir was a mineral, it could have been any one of a number of native green stones. It may have come from the copper sites in Armenia or Cyprus – or from King Solomon’s own mines in the Sinai, where malachite or verdigris also would have been found in the parent ore body. In fact, Jueneman cites ancient writings by Zosimos the Panopolitan (also called the Theban) state that malachite is an “enemy of Topaz, clouding its color and spoiling its lustre.” A highly prized material for ornamental objects, malachite, however, also was known to produce sores in the bowels and inflame the eyes – two symptoms known today as characteristic effects of radiation exposure. The malachite of today (or chrysocolla as it was known by the ancients) is not radioactive, but exceptions could have existed when combined with other minerals. Chalcolite (or torbenite), for example, a green copper uranyl phosphate, exhibits radioactivity.

Carving the Stones

The Talmud says that the precision required to engrave the names of the tribes onto the precious jewels of the high priest’s breastplate without losing any material was not humanly possible. Using a radioactive compound (following the line of thought of F. Jueneman), this would not be difficult to accomplish. The tufts of wool and barley bran cradling the shamir would be transparent to its radiation, while the lead container would be impenetrable. If the ink used to write on the stones contained lead, a graduated discoloration would be highlighted on the gems after exposure to the shamir. The subsequent removal of the ink would leave such calligraphy contrasted with the background, also giving the appearance of depth to the writing. Most precious minerals, such as diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, or topaz, are discolored by radioactivity. Other gems, such as opals, are silicates containing water of crystallization. Exposure to alpha radiation disintegrates these crystals by releasing the chemically bound water, which volatizes without residue. That means, not even a splinter would be lost, leaving a cloudy or granular texture.

The “True” Essence of the Shamir

The Mishna (Avot 5:6) relates that the shamir was created on the Sixth Day of Creation, at the twilight of Sabbath Eve. The Maharal elaborates on the significance of this point: The entire physical world created during the Six Days is governed by the laws of nature. Not having been created exactly within this time frame, the shamir is therefore supernatural.

The other exceptional phenomena created during the first Sabbath Eve twilight relate, in some way, to the shamir. They include the demons, the ram which Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac, the first pair of tongs, which were then used to make other instruments, Moses’ staff, Adam and Eve’s clothes, fire, the mouth of Balaam’s donkey, the Pillar of Fire and Pillar of Clouds that led the Children of Israel through the desert, and the vessel in which the manna was preserved in the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

The creation, existence, and function of the shamir and the organisms that guarded it were all miraculous. The Midrash relates the concept that a softer substance may have the ability to pierce a harder one. For example, the stone that David flung at Goliath pierced the giant’s helmet and killed him (Samuel I 17:49). The shamir, too, had no physical limitations. It could effortlessly penetrate the hardest materials, and yet it was preserved in a basket of lead (a soft metal), attesting to its other than natural origin.

Although by definition miracles do not have to be explained as scientifically observable phenomena, the miraculous shamir which cut the stones for King Solomon’s Temple matches the description of alpha radiation.

Theories about the Shamir

In 1896, one year after Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen of Wuerzburg discovered X-rays, Antoine Henri Becquerel, son and grandson of the great physicists, discovered radioactivity by accidentally placing a photographic plate near a uranium salt.Uranium at ordinary temperatures emits an invisible radiation which resembles X-rays, and can affect a photographic plate protected by a thin layer of metal. Marie and Pierre Curie, led by the conviction that in the midst of pitchblende, their source of uranium, there must be still another element of a much greater radioactivity, dedicated themselves to its isolation and in 1898 they succeeded in bringing forth the new element as its bromide salt-radium. Radioactivity is used in the treatment of neoplasms, while the destructive work of the uranium bomb thrown on Hiroshima also goes back to the discoveries of Roentgen, Becquerel, and the Curies.

A new era in physics began with these discoveries. And because of the dramatic circumstances under which the Curies pursued their goal—and the story of the illuminating substance they found one evening when they came to their cold and poorly-equipped laboratory—the last of the three discoveries, radium, captured the imagination of people everywhere.

Uranium and radium are elements—the original substances of which the universe is built; they were discovered, not invented. Therefore they were present in nature since the beginning; and since radioactive elements have a limited life-time because of disintegration through radioactivity, there must have been more radioactive elements in the past; and actually, a “radium clock” is used to measure the age of rocks. Radium itself is continuously decaying, yet continuously being replenished from the decay of throium, of which it is a byproduct. The end result of the decay of radium is an isotope of lead. This lead differs from regular lead, and from the ratio of such lead to uranium in rocks, the age of these rocks can be determined. Lead is also the substance that protects best against the damaging effect of radium or other radionuclide irradiation; and thus laboratory radium is preserved in a lead receptacle when not in use for medical or technological purposes.

The G-d of Israel instructed Moses that the garments of the priests were to be both dignified and beautiful; as precious as the garments of royalty. “And draw near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office; Aaron, Nadav, and Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar, the sons of Aaron. And you shall make sacred garments for Aaron your brother, for honor and for beauty. And you shall speak to all who are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a quilted undercoat, a mitre, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office … ” (Exodus 28:1-4) These garments themselves possess a certain holiness; powerful enough to sanctify all those who merely come in contact with them, as we read in the prophets: “… so as not to hallow the people with their garments” (Ezekiel 44:19).

The garments therefore elevated the wearers from Aaron to all his descendants who reached the high levels of sanctity required from those who come to serve before G-d in the holy place.

The Garments possess an intrinsic Holiness and were essential in order for the priests to function in their sacred capacity. Without his garments, the priest who serves in the Holy Temple is considered like a “stranger” serving before the L-rd. No priest, neither lay nor the High Priest himself, is fit to serve in the Temple unless he is wearing the sacred garments. As the Talmud states, “While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in the priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them” Conducting the service without these garments would render the priests the same as those who are not descendants of Aaron, all of whom are unfit for service in the Temple.

[The Talmud informs us that when the wicked Persian king Ahasuerus made a feast for his advisors and officers and sought to impress them with his greatness as recorded in the scroll of Esther [the story of Purim] he took off his own royal vestments and donned the uniform of the High Priest, which was more precious than his own. These priestly garments were in his possession since the First Temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians.]

Another important quality of the priestly garments is that their very presence, worn by the priests during the Temple service, serves to atone for the sins of Israel. It is taught that just as the sacrifices facilitated an atonement for sin, so did the priestly garments. For his everyday actions in the Temple transcend his own personal idiom and take on a more universal theme since he makes atonement and spiritual rectification for all humanity.

The tunic, which covers most of the priest’s body, atones for killing.
The pants atone for sexual transgressions.
The turban, worn on the head, atone for haughtiness.
The belt, wound about the body and worn over the heart, atones for “sins of the heart” – improper thoughts.
The breastplate atones for errors in judgment.
The ephod atones for idolatry.
The robe atones for evil speech.
The High Priest’s crown atones for arrogance.

If the garments were soiled, stained, or ripped, the priests may not conduct the service while wearing them – and if they did, the service would be invalid. It was forbidden for the pants, for example, to be too long or too short.

The garments were made to order for each priest, tailored to fit his measurements exactly. There were so many priests available for duty in the Holy Temple that no priest ever offered the daily incense service more than once in his lifetime, and it was offered twice daily for many hundreds of years. Yet each had his own garments. Any garment which became soiled to the extent that its stains could not be removed, those garments were not washed. When they became disqualified from use in this manner, they were shredded and used to fulfill another of the Creator’s commandments! The tunics were used to make wicks for the menorah, and the belts and pants, wicks for the oil lamps of the Festival of the Water Libation which took place in the Women’s Court during the Festival of Sukkot. When the High Priest’s uniform became unusable through wear and tear, it was not destroyed, but hidden away so that no other man could ever wear it.

Aside from the fact that the priestly garments must be made “for honor and for beauty,” the latter verse states that they must be made with wisdom and understanding… for they must be produced in exact accordance with all the nuances of the Biblical requirements. “And you shall speak to all who are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.” (Ex 28:3). Each item is woven, seamless, of one piece. The only exception to this is the sleeves of the robe, which are woven separately and sewn onto the robe afterwards.

There were three separate categories of priestly garments:

The High Priest’s uniform, which he wears all year round. These consist of eight garments, called the “golden garments.”
The clothing worn by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. These are four garments called the “white garments.”
The uniform of the ordinary priests, consisting of four garments.
The eight garments worn by the High Priest all year round are as follows: the ephod, breastplate, robe, tunic, turban, belt, crown, and pants. These are the garments described in the verses: “And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe and a tunic of checkered pattern, a turban and a belt. And they shall make the sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, to serve me.” (Ex. 28:4).”And you shall make a crown of pure gold” ; “And make for them linen pants.”

Of importance the High Priest’s service on the Day of Atonement the Bible states: “He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen pants upon his flesh, and he shall be girded with a linen belt, and with the linen turban he shall be attired.” (Lev. 16:4). The four garments worn by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement are the tunic, pants, the turban and the belt. These garments are made from white flax; hence their designation “the white garments.” They must be woven, as mentioned above, and each thread used must be six-ply – woven from six individual strands of fabric. The High Priest had two tunics which he wore on the Day of Atonement. One-he wore in the morning, and the other at the evening.

After the conclusion of the Day of Atonement, he will never again wear the white garments in which he officiated on this day. They are hidden in the place where he removes them, as the verse indicates “And Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting, and he shall take off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and he shall leave them there.”

The ordinary priests wore four garments all year round and these are the same as the “white garments” worn by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement: tunic, pants, hat, and belt. Referring to these priests, the verse states “And for Aaron’s sons you shall make for them tunics, and you shall make for them belts, and you shall make for them hats… and make for them linen pants… ” (Ex. 28:40-42). These garment are to be made from flax, and they too must be created from threads consisting of six individual strands.

Five different materials were used to create the priestly garments:

Gold – The gold was beaten into thin sheets, and then cut into fine threads.
Techelet, sky-blue wool – The techelet sky-blue color was a dye obtained from an aquatic invertebrate known as chilazon. The exact identification of this animal, and the method used to produce the dye, is the subject of extensive research. While various attempts have been made to conclusively identify the chilazon, most recently it has been classified to the Mediterranean snail known as murex trunculus.
Dark-red wool – The dark-red color, argaman in Hebrew, is also derived from a snail; possibly the murex trunculus as well. According to this theory, the difference in color is a product of the amount of time the substance is initially exposed to sunlight.
crimson wool – The crimson color is produced from a worm called by the Bible the “crimson worm,” tola’at shani in Hebrew, a mountain worm which has been identified as kermes biblicus, the cochineal insect.
Twisted linen – the Hebrew word which appears here for “linen” is shesh, which literally means “six.” This indicates that each thread used in these garments is required to be a six-ply linen thread.
Some of the garments were composed of all five ingredients; some contained three or four; some contained only one.

The ephod and breastplate were made of all five materials. Thus the Bible states regarding each, “And they shall make the ephod of gold, sky-blue, dark-red and crimson dyed wool, and twisted linen” and “And you shall make the breastplate of judgment, the work of an artist; after the manner of the ephod shall you make it: of gold, sky-blue, dark-red, and crimson dyed wool, and of twisted linen shall you make it.” (Ex. 28:6,15) Three different belts were worn by the priests in the Holy Temple:

The High Priest’s year-round belt, part of the “golden garments.” This was embroidered of sky-blue, dark-red and crimson dyed wools, and twisted linen: “And a belt of fine twisted linen, and sky-blue, dark-red and crimson dyed wools, the work of an embroiderer.” (Ex. 39:29)
The belt worn by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement; one of the “white garments.” This was made only of six-ply linen, as the verse states “and he shall be girded with a linen belt.” (Lev. 16:4)

The belt of the Ordinary Priests: Regarding this item, there are two opinions among the scholars. Some maintain that it was the same as the belt belonging to the set of “golden garments,” and thus consisting of four materials; others opine that it belongs to the “white garments” category and was made of linen alone.

The robe was decorated with pomegranates that were made from three materials: sky-blue, dark-red and crimson dyed wools. “On the bottom of the robe, you shall make pomegranates of sky-blue, dark-red and crimson dyed wool.” (Ex. 28:33). The bottom of the robe was also decorated with bells. These bells, and the High Priest’s crown, were both made of pure gold exclusively: “A golden bell and (alternatively) a pomegranate… on the bottom of his robe, all around” and “and you shall make a crown of pure gold.” (Ex. 28:34,36). The robe was made exclusively of sky-blue dyed wool: “And you shall make the robe of the ephod completely of sky-blue wool”. Its threads were 12 ply.

Sacred and Golden Garments

The Ephod – The most important garment worn by the High Priest is the ephod. Its appearance can be likened to an apron; it was worn in back, on top of his other garments, and was fastened by a long belt in the front, opposite his heart. This belt was woven into the entire length of the ephod’s upper hem. There were also had two shoulder-straps that were sewn onto the belt. These straps went behind, up and slightly over the upper corners of the garment, over the priest’s shoulders. The settings for the two sardonyx stones were attached at the ends of these straps, on the shoulders.

The ephod covered the back of his body. It was long and extended from just below his elbows, all the way to his heels. It was slightly wider than a man’s back, since it was to cover his back and extend a towards the front on both sides as well, covering a portion of his belly from either side.

The Two Sardonyx Stones – Two sardonyx stones were fixed in settings of gold on the High Priest’s shoulders; one on the right, and one on the left. The names of the tribes of Israel were engraved upon these two stones, according to the instructions of the verse: “And you shall take two sardonyx stones, and engrave upon them the names of the children of Israel; there shall be six names on one stone, and six names on the second stone in the order of their birth.” (Ex. 28:9-10)

Remembrance Stones – The Bible calls these two stones “remembrance stones,” as it is written, “And you shall place the two stones on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod as remembrance stones for the children of Israel. And Aaron shall carry their names before G-d on his two shoulders as a remembrance.” The sages explain the meaning of this expression: when the High Priest entered into the holy place dressed in the ephod, the Holy One saw all the tribes of Israel inscribed before Him and He was moved to have mercy on His people. Another two square gold settings were fixed on the High Priest’s shoulders, directly under the sardonyx stones. Golden chains extended from these settings to the golden hooks in the rings of the breastplate, in order to fix the breastplate to the ephod.

The High Priest’s Breastplate – “And you shall make the breastplate of judgment, the work of an artist; after the manner of the ephod shall you make it: of gold, sky-blue, dark-red, and crimson dyed wool, and of twisted linen shall you make it.” (Ex. 28:6,15)

This garment is called choshen mishpat in Hebrew, which means the “breastplate of judgment” or “decision.” Square-shaped and worn over the heart, it was called so because of the unique role which it played in helping to render fateful decisions. According to the Biblical instructions, the breastplate is a patterned brocade like the ephod. The threads of its fabric are gold, sky-blue, dark red and crimson wool, and twisted linen.

The garment itself is set with four rows of small square stones, in settings of knitted or braided gold. Each row contained three stones-totaling twelve stones, one stone representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The name of the corresponding tribe was engraved on each stone. “And you shall set it with four rows of mounted stones; the first row: a ruby, an emerald, and a topaz. The second row: a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a quartz crystal. The third row: a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. The fourth row: a chrysolite, an onyx, and an opal. These stones shall be placed in gold settings. The stones shall contain the names of the twelve children of Israel, one for each of the twelve stones; each one’s name shall be engraved as on a signet ring, to represent the twelve tribes.” (Ex. 28: 17-21)

The exact, identification of these stones is difficult and elusive of all Temple-related studies because the original Hebrew names of these stones as they appear here in the Bible are extremely obscure. In the course of many years, as nations flourished and fell, and civilizations migrated to new lands, languages evolved and the meanings of words changed. There are over 30 varying opinions as to the final identification of the 12 stones, beginning with the most ancient and the most reliable opinions and those of the Aramaic translations of the Bible. When it comes to eye-witness testimony, the information provided by Flavius Josephus is of interest and importance, since he himself was a priest who served in the Holy Temple.

In addition to the translational difficulties in this study, other factors were taken into consideration in order to arrive at a realistic decision as to the true nature of these gems including various geological and gemological conditions and criteria, such as the respective degree of hardness and brightness of any candidate stone; since the stones are described by the sages as being both exceedingly bright, and strong as well in order to withstand the engraving; and the regions on the earth where they can be found.

The only fact which is known with absolute certainty is the color of each stone. Although absent from the Biblical passages, this is recorded by the Midrash where it is stated that each tribe’s stone on the breastplate matched the background color of its flag. The tribes of Israel camped and journeyed according to their ensigns during the years of their desert travels. Following are the possibilites of the 12 “most representative” names:

Ruby – Reuben – Red
Jade – Shimon – Green
Agate – Levi – Red, White, and Black Striped
Carbuncle – Judah – Bluish-Green
Lapis-Lazuli – Issachar – Blue
Quartz Crystal – Zebulun – Clear
Turquoise – Dan – Blue
Amethyst – Naftali – Purple
Agate – Gad – Grey
Aquamarine – Asher – Blue-Green
Onyx – Joseph – Black
Opal – Benjamin – A Stone Possessing All the Colors

The Engraved Signet Ring – “The stones shall contain the names of the twelve children of Israel, one for each of the twelve stones; each one’s name shall be engraved as on a signet ring, to represent the twelve tribes.” (Ex. 28: 21) Talmudic analysis indicates that the stones must be set into their golden settings while yet “in their fullness;” in order engrave the surface. There was a most unique method utilized to carve the names into the stones of the breastplate. It was accomplished naturally, by one of G-d’s creations. A worm called the shamir existed that could cut stones merely with its glance. This creature was brought into existence during the original six days of creation, but ceased to exist following the destruction of the First Temple. It is taught that Moses himself used the shamir for the stones of the original ephod and breastplate while yet in the desert, for the Tabernacle. Initially, the words are written on the stones in ink. Then the stones are simply exposed to the shamir, and the letters are cut into the stones automatically, of their own accord.

Regarding the two sardonyx stones that were placed on the High Priest’s shoulders, the verse “And you shall take two sardonyx stones, and engrave upon them the names of the children of Israel; there shall be six names on one stone, and six names on the second stone in the order of their birth.” (Ex. 28:9-10) This verse clearly indicated that the names of the tribes should be engraved upon them in the order of their birth. There are varied opinions as to the order of the stones hence one Aramaic translation placed the children of Israel’s names inscribed on the breastplate’s stones in the order of their birth in the following manner:

Reuben Simeon Levi
Judah Dan Naftali
Gad Asher Issachar
Zebulun Joseph Benjamin

Another Aramaic translation, the “Targum Yerushalmi,” places the order of the tribes according to the Matriarchs; the six sons of Leah, two sons of Bilhah, two sons of Zilpah and two sons of Rachel. Thusly:

Reuben Simeon Levi
Judah Issachar Zebulun
Dan Naftali Gad
Asher Joseph Benjamin

Some hold that the names appeared in downward columns, rather than inrows across; some hold that the names of the tribes appeared on the breastplate in the same order in which they camped in the desert. There is also a tradition which Moses received at the Sinai revelation, that all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet should be present on the stones. Since all of these letters are not found in the names of Jacob’s progeny, several other words were also engraved upon the stones: the names of the patriarchs, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, and the words “the tribes of Jeshurun.” One opinion is that the words Abraham, Isaac and Jacob appeared at the top of the first stone, over the name Reuben, and the other words on the last stone. Others maintain that all these extra letters were divided among the stones.

Like the two sardonyx shoulder stones, the Bible states that the purpose of the twelve stones is “to be a perpetual remembrance before the L-rd” (Ex. 28:29). When the High Priest bore the breastplate into the holy place, Israel was remembered for peace. The sages taught that the ephod served to invoke the cause of Israel’s sustenance and material welfare, and the breastplate – her salvation, and deliverance from her enemies.

The Urim V’Tummim – “And you shall place the Urim V’tummim in the breastplate of judgment, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he comes before G-d.”

The “Urim V Tummin is the Name of G-d – The Urim V’Tummim was the famed, oracle-like aspect of the breastplate by which a Heavenly answer was received for important questions. According to most authoritative opinions, the expression urim v’tummim actually refers not to the breastplate itself, but to the mystical Divine name of G-d which was written on a piece of parchment and inserted into a flap of the garment. The presence of the name facilitated the reception of Divine guidance through the shining of specific letters on the stones. The knowledge that it is the name of G-d itself which brought about the illumination of the urim v’tummim. G-d is the Creator of all existence; His power is unlimited. He has no form whatsoever, neither has He beginning or end… He is the Supreme Being. He is perfect and absolute unity. And He is also totally unknowable.Throughout the Bible, we are commanded to “know” G-d. “In all of your ways, know Him”(Proverbs 3:6); “And I shall betroth you in faith, and you shall know the L-rd” (Hosea 2:22)

The sages of Israel teach that one way to know G-d is through awareness of His relationship to the universe which He created. Although it is taught that “no thought can grasp Him at all” and ultimately G-d’s essence is not only unknowable; G-d’s names describe His relationship with creation. These Divine names of G-d are merely appellations which He has entitled us to use. It was through these names that G-d created heaven and earth, and it is by way of His names that He continues to direct every minute aspect of existence. Thus G-d’s names, through which He summoned forth all creation from nothing at all, have great power. This power is the secret behind the prophetic revelation of the urim v’tummim.

The urim v’tummim is unlike any other aspect of the priestly garments, for it was handed down to Moses at Mount Sinai by G-d Himself, and its secret was transmitted orally down through the generations. At the time of the original Tabernacle erected in the desert, Moses took the original urim v’tummim, written in sublime holiness, and placed it inside the breastplate of judgment, after Aaron donned the ephod. This is reflected by the verse (Lev. 8:7), “… and he put the ephod upon him, and he fastened him with the belt of the ephod… and he put the breastplate upon him, and into the breastplate he put the urim v’tummim.”

The process of questioning for Divine aid with the “Urim V’Tummim’ was done in the following manner: When a question arose in which the implications were serious that the entire nation of Israel would be effected-such as, the question of whether or not to go out to war – then, the King of Israel would ask his question before the High Priest. An ordinary person, or someone not representing the entire community would not ask of the urim v’tummim. The High Priest would stand facing the Ark of the Testimony, and the questioner stands behind him, facing the priest’s back. The questioner does not speak out loud, neither does he merely think the question in his heart; he poses his query quietly, to himself – like someone who prays quietly before his Creator.

The High Priest is immediately enveloped by the spirit of Divine inspiration. He gazes at the breastplate, and by meditating upon the holy names of G-d, the priest was able to receive the answer through a prophetic vision-the letters on the stones of the breastplate, which would shine forth in his eyes in a special manner, spelling out the answer to the question. The priest then informs the questioner of the answer.

A midrashic passage indicates that when the tribes of Israel found favor in G-d’s eyes, each respective stone shone brilliantly. But when particular members of any one tribe were involved in a transgression, that tribe’s stone would appear tarnished and dimmed. The High Priest would see this phenomena and understand its cause. He would then cast lots within the rank of this tribe, until the guilty person was revealed and judged (Midrash HaGadol).

Flavius Josephus writes (Antiquities 3:8:9) that the stones also shone brilliantly when Israel went forth into battle. This was considered as an auspicious sign for their victory. These words are derived from their Hebrew roots for “lights” and “perfections,” since through the urim v’tummim, the question is illuminated through the letters and its subject matter is then perfected by the High Priest. The Talmud indicates that the message which was received was called tummim, “perfect,” because it was immutable.

The High Priests Robe – The robe was a closed garment, seamlessly woven from one piece of fabric, and slipped on over the head. It was worn over the tunic; the tunic was longer than the robe by one handbreadth, so it was visible underneath the robe at the bottom. The opening at the neck was round, with a hem that was doubled over and closed by weaving-not by a needle. The garment hung down in front and in back, and its length extended all the way down to the priest’s feet. The robe was fashioned exclusively from techelet, the sky-blue dyed wool, with no other material. The Talmud records that its threads were 12-ply.

Decorative pomegranates made of sky-blue, dark-red and crimson dyed wool were attached to the lower hem of the robe (each thread of each of these materials being woven from 8 individual strands). The verse tells us that these pomegranates appeared together with golden bells: “A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all around” (Ex. 28:34). The hem of the robe was woven over doubly in order to prevent it from ripping due to the weight of the pomegranates and bells. “And there shall be a hole for the head, in the midst of it; it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole, like the opening of a suit of armor, that it not be torn.” These pomegranates were hollow spheres of fabric in the shape of pomegranates. “And it shall be on Aaron when he comes to serve, and its sound shall be heard when he comes to the holy place before the L-rd, and when he goes out, so that he does not die.”

The Crown – And you shall make a crown of pure gold, and engrave on it in the manner of a signet ring: ‘Holy to the L-rd.’” (Ex. 28: 36). The crown was a thin plate constructed of one piece of pure, solid gold. Unlike the crown worn by royalty on top of the head, this is worn across the forehead and extends from ear to ear. It was thin enough to arch across the forehead like a bow. Its width is described as 2 fingerbreadths, or app. 11/2 inches. This crown was engraved with the words “Holy to the L-rd.” At times, these words were written across two lines, and at times they were fit into one line. It was worn at all times while the High Priest was within the Temple, as the Bible states: “And it shall be worn on Aaron’s forehead, that he shall carry the iniquity of the holy things (specifically, this is a reference to ritual impurity), which the children of Israel shall sanctify in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the L-rd.”

The Talmud (describes the process by which the letters were fashioned on the crown. They were raised, not sunken – “like a golden dinar.” This was accomplished by digging out the letters from the opposite side until they were raised up. Maimonides (Laws of Temple Vessels, Ch. 9) writes that “they would pound out the letters in a form until their shapes were formed on the other side.” The crown had three small holes: two on each end, and one in the center, along the upper edge. Through these holes, threads dyed with sky-blue color were run, and the ends of these threads were connected in the back of the priest’s head. In this manner the crown, itself a thin plate, was kept tied and in place on the High Priest’s forehead.

The turban was placed on the priest’s head in such a way that a space was left between it and crown upon his forehead. This space enabled the High Priest to wear the tefillin, the phylacteries of the head (see Deut. 6:8). In the words of the Talmud “The High Priest’s hair was visible between the crown and the turban, and there he placed his tefillin.” The middle sky-blue thread was extended over the turban, where it was tied to the other strands at the back of his head. So it is written, ” … and the string shall be upon the turban.” (Ex. 28:36)

The belt of white linen was only “3 fingerbreadths” (2 1/4 inches) wide, records both the Talmud and Maimonides. But it was made from an exceedingly long piece of fabric-its Biblical measurement, writes Maimonides, is 32 cubits… app. 48 feet! The belt “atoned for sins of the heart” and was worn over the heart. This is seen even in the detail of its measurement, 32 cubits: The length of the belt itself serves as a reminder to the priest, as he officiates in the hallowed courts of the L-rd, of the purity which his office requires, and of the unsullied intentions he must have as he goes about his duties.

Josephus describes the belt as being hollow like the skin shed by a snake (Antiquities 3:7:2). It was a work of “embroidery;” when used in this context of Temple furnishings, the Bible uses this term to indicate that the same design was featured on both sides of the material. Although the belt itself was made of linen, the embroidery-a floral design-was done of colored wool threads (the three colors which we have mentioned), and attached to the white linen background. This combination of wool and linen together in garments is normally forbidden (see Lev. 19:19), but it was permitted for the priestly garments.

Some authorities, such as Josephus hold that the belts were the same as the High Priest’s; other opinions such as the Talmud maintain that the ordinary priests’ belts were plain white linen. The Talmud points out that since other items (e.g., the ephod and the breastplate) of the High Priest’s outfit also contained this mixture of wool and linen, then it follows that the belt may also contain it. Since the ordinary priest’s garments are all made of plain linen, his belt was also of unembroidered linen. The belt was wrapped many times around the body at the hips, but close to the heart. Its purpose was to separate between the upper and lower portions of the body; Jewish religious law obligates this separation during prayer or the mentioning of anything holy. Josephus states (Antiquities 3:7:2) that when worn, the two ends of the belt hung in front, down to the priest’s ankles. However during the actual service the priest would cast these two ends over his left shoulder, to prevent them from interfering with his work.

Pants were required for modesty – “And make for them linen pants to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the loins to the thighs.” (Ex. 28:42)This verse indicates that the priest’s pants do not serve the same purpose as the other sacred garments. For all the other items which make up their uniform are “for honor and for beauty”… they glorify the sacred office and bespeak dignity, not to mention their deeper significance, such as the power to atone, etc. But this does not apply to the pants; we are specifically informed here that their function was one of modesty alone, to cover his nakedness. These pants were closed; they did not have the usual openings which we are accustomed to; they extended from the waist until the knees, and were worn directly over the body. The tunic was placed over them. According to most authorities, the upper hem was hollow and had a lace running through it, which was tied at the waist. Josephus, however, maintains that these laces were around the knees, and the pants were fastened there (Antiquities, 3:7:1).

The Bible instructs that each thread used in the High Priest’s breastplate and ephod must be 28 ply: each thread is made from 6 threads each of TECHELET (sky-blue), of ARGAMAN (purple), of TOLA’AT SHANI (crimson) and of white twisted linen, and 4 threads of PURE GOLD. Wool dyed with the authentic, ancient Biblical dyes, “TECHELET” (sky-blue) and “ARGAMAN” (purple), in preparation for the weaving of the breastplate garment. In addition to these colors, the breastplate is also made with wool dyed with “TOLA’AT SHANI” (crimson) and white twisted linen, as well as threads of pure gold. (see Ex. 28:15) “And you shall make the breastplate of judgment, the work of an artist; after the manner of the ephod shall you make it: of gold, sky-blue, dark-red, and crimson dyed wool, and of twisted linen shall you make it.” (Ex. 28:6,15) The pants are worn in the same manner described above. After the belt is tied, the High Priest puts on the blue robe. The ephod is placed on over the robe, and the breastplate is fastened to the ephod.With these garments in place, the High Priest’s head is wrapped with the turban, and then the crown is tied on his forehead.

A Special Chamber of Wardrobes – There were seven gates in the courtyard: three in the north, three in the south, and one in the east… the one in the east is the Nikanor Gate, and within it were two chambers, one on the right side and one on the left. One was the chamber of Phineas the Wardrober, and the other was chamber where the High Priest’s meal offering was prepared.” The High Priest had no window to store his “golden garments” which he wore every day. Instead, he placed these items within his own chamber at night, or whenever he left the Holy Temple. This chamber was located in the south side of the Temple court.

The Ordinary Priests – The name of each shift was inscribed upon its windows; when the shift was not on duty, its windows were kept closed. Each shift which arrived to begin its tour of duty opened its windows on that first Sabbath and took its garments, and the windows were kept open during the entire week. At the close of their week, they returned their garments to the windows. The items of clothing were kept separate in 4 individual windows; this way, the priest who arrives to take up his position will not be confronted by a confused jumble of clothes. All of the pants for his shift were in one window, above which the word “pants” was inscribed; so it was with the belts, the turbans, and the tunics. When it came time to enrobe themselves in the vestments of their office, the ordinary priests put on the sacred pants without removing their own civilian personal clothes. That is, the priestly linen pants were placed on over his own clothes, and only afterwards the civilian clothes were removed from underneath. Afterwards, the tunic was put on, and then the belt was tied. The hat was put on last.

The priests wore no shoes or sandals; they would walk barefoot on the marble floors of the Temple courts. This is because the floor of the Temple complex was itself sanctified, just as the Temple proper. Therefore there must be nothing interrupting between the priests and the floor to the extent that if something comes in the way of contact between the priest’s feet and the floor, his service is invalid. “He shall wear the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen pants upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen belt, and he shall be attired with the linen turban; these are the holy garments; therefore he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on” (Lev. 16:4)

The Nikanor Gates of Service – Ascending from the Women’s Court by way of fifteen steps which correspond to the “fifteen songs of ascent” in the book of Psalms – Psalms 120-134, were the great brass gates known as the “Nikanor Gates.” These gates, constituting the main entrance to the Holy Temple, are named after the individual who imported the Corinthian bronze doors within them from Egypt, and donated them to the Holy Temple.

The Mishna relates that Nikanor brought the gates by ship from Alexandria, and when a storm came up and threatened to destroy the ship, the sailors were forced to throw one of the heavy brass doors overboard in an effort to try and save the vessel from capsizing. When this did not help matters and the storm’s ferocity had not abated, they attempted to throw the second door into the maelstrom as well. But Nikanor stood up and grabbed the door, hugging it and crying “if you do this, throw me in as well!” His heart was broken within him because his contribution to the House of G-d had been diminished. The storm then immediately subsided, but Nikanor continued to be crestfallen over the lost door. When the ship safely reached the Holy Land, however, a miracle occurred: The second gate, which had been thrown into the sea, came up alongside the boat! To commemorate this miracle, these original bronze doors were kept in place even when later, all the other Temple gates were refurbished with gold.

NOTE: The Talmud provides the eye-witness testimony of R. Eliezer the son of R. Yose who saw the Second Temple crown in Rome. Both the Talmud and Josephus inform us that after the destruction of the Second Temple, many of the sacred vessels were plundered and taken to Rome, where they were publicly displayed for many years: “Rabbi Eliezer said: I saw the crown in Rome, and the words “Holy to the L-rd” were written in one line.”