URIM AND THUMMIM

(Heb. 'ûrîm w ^etummîm, meaning uncertain). According to Ex 28.30 and Lv 8.8, the Urim and Thummim are two objects in the "breastpiece of decision" of the high priest used to ascertain God's decision. Aaron was to wear them in his breastpiece whenever he entered Yahweh's presence as a symbol of His decisions in favor of the Israelites (Ex 28.29–30). In 1 Sm 23.6–12 and 30.7–8 the ephod is described as an oracular tool and may have contained the Urim and Thummim. By restoring the Hebrew of 1 Sm 14.41 from the LXX, Old Latin and Vulgate, we have "If I or my son, Jonathan, are guilty of this sin, O Yahweh, God of Israel, give Urim; if your people Israel is guilty, give Thummim," as an example of their use. According to Dt 33.8,10 the tribe of Levi was entrusted with the divine decisions of the Thummim and Urim. Mention is made of the Urim, without Thummim but with other oracular means in 1 Sm 28.6: Yahweh did not answer Saul either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. After the Babylonian Exile, the two oracular words appear in Ezr 2.63, which, translated literally, says: "and His Excellency forbade them to eat sacred food until a priest arose for the Urim and Thummim," meaning that the spurious priests could not act as priests until a high priest who had charge of the sacred lots was reinstalled and gave a decision on their case.

From the Biblical evidence we do not know clearly what these two objects were and how they operated. However, they appear to have been some sort of lots that could be distinguished only when fully seen. Perhaps the 'ûrîm was inscribed with 'ālep, the tummîm with tāw, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. One would mean "yes," and the other "no," and an affirmative or a negative answer could thus be given to a properly formulated question, for instance: "Shall I go and smite the Philistines?" (1 Sm 23.2); "Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not?" (1 Sm 30.8; see also 23.12; 2 Sm 2.1; 5.19). These questions could be answered by a simple showing of either the Urim or the Thummim, much like the arrow divination of Ez 21.26–27. If, however, both objects came out together after being shaken, then, Yahweh's decision was withheld (1 Sm 28.6).

Bibliography: Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible, translated and adapted by l. hartman (New York 1963) 2520–21. r. devaux, Ancient Israel, Its Life and Institutions, tr. j. mchugh (New York 1961) 349–353.

[j. e. steinmueller]