Breast-plate.

The Breast-plate of an ancient Hebraic High Priest was a folded piece of embroidered fabric worn suspended from a cord about the neck, and set with 12 stones, usually called precious. Since the term, precious, is a term of art or commerce meaning generally the diamond, the ruby, the sapphire, and the emerald, only two of which appeared in the breast-plate, it would be better to call these stones semi-precious, although agate and onyx probably do not qualify for that rating. The breast-plate of the High Priest was also called the breast-plate of judgment, because it contained the Urim and Thummim (q.v.) (Exodus 28:30). The stones were arranged in four rows of three stones each, but there is some question about the identity of the stones, by reason of the very great differences that have characterized the naming of stones from ancient times to the present. The King James translation of the Bible gives: Sardius, Topaz, and Carbuncle; Emerald, Sapphire, and Diamond; Ligure, Agate, and Amethyst; Beryl, Onyx, and Jasper. Josephus (III, VII) gives: Sardonyx, Topaz, and Emerald; Carbuncle, Jasper, and Sapphire; Ligure, Amethyst, and Agate; Chrysolite, Onyx, and Beryl. Kalisch, in Commentary on Exodus, gives Carnelian (or Sardius), Topaz, and Smaragdus; Carbuncle, Sapphire, and Emerald; Ligure, Agate, and Amethyst; Chrysolite, Onyx, and Jasper. The Vulgate gives: Emerald, Topaz, and Sardius; Jasper, Sapphire, and Carbuncle; Amethyst, Agate, and Ligure; Beryl, Onyx, and Chrysolite.

The name of a tribe of Judah is said to have been engraved on each stone, so that the 12 sons of Jacob were represented as follows: Levi, Simeon, and Reuben; Zebulun, Issachar, and Judah; Gad, Naphtali, and Dan; and Benjamin, Joseph, and Asher. The Breast-plate is described in Exodus Ch. 28 and 39. The Breast-plate worn in American Royal Arch Chapters has the stones set in a metal plate, suspended by a chain around the neck.