Texts in Conversation
Exodus 28 describes the Urim and Thummim in the priest’s breastpiece without saying what they are. The Greek translation in the Septuagint calls them the Unveiling and the Truth, while the Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos leaves them unexplained.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 28:30
Hebrew Bible
29 Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of decision over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 “You are to put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece of decision; and they are to be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. Aaron is to bear the decisions of the Israelites over his heart before the Lord continually. 31 “You are to make the robe of the ephod completely blue.
LXX Exodus 28:30
Septuagint
29a And you shall put the fringes on the oracle of judgment; you shall put the wreaths on both sides of the oracle, and you shall put the two circlets on both the shoulders of the ephod in front. 30 And you shall put the Unveiling and the Truth on the oracle of judgment; and it shall be on the breast of Aaron, when he goes into the holy place before the Lord; and Aaron shall bear the judgments of the children of Israel on his breast before the Lord continually. 31 And you shall make the full-length tunic all of blue.
Onkelos Exodus 28:30
Targum
29 And Aharon shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment upon his heart in his going into the sanctuary, for a perpetual memorial before the Lord. 30 And thou shalt put in (or upon) the breastplate of judgment the Uraia and the Thummaia; and they shall be upon Aharon's heart when he entereth before the Lord; and Aharon shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually. 31 And thou shalt make the Robe of the ephod of hyacinth altogether.
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Notes and References
“... 30. URIM AND THUMMIM. It is impossible to know how these objects functioned and scholars speculate with different ideas. The Aramaic simply repeats the Hebrew words. ...”
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Exodus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 195) Gefen, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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