BIN EXCLUSIVE: Could Discovery of Lost “Urim and Tummim” Gem Provide Form of Divine Communication?
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Sometimes incredible stories are actually true, and in this case, experts agree that a small onyx stone,
claimed to be given to a Knight Templar over 1,000 years ago and handed
down through one family from generation to generation, is actually what
the present owner claims: a gem from the breastplate of the High Priest
in Jerusalem.
A Magical, Prophetic Stone?
The stones of the choshen mishpat, the High Priest’s breastplate, were referred to in the Bible as the urim v’tummim, a phrase that defies translation.
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aharon’s heart Exodus 28:30
The Talmud (Yoma 73a) describes how
questions were put to the breastplate, and the stones would light up to
spell out the answer. The book of Samuel lists the urim v’tummim as one of the three forms of divine communication: dreams, prophets, and the urim v’tummim.
And when Shaul inquired of Hashem, Hashem answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. I Samuel 28:6
According to the Talmud (Yoma 21b), the urim v’tummim were
lost when Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonians. The Book of Ezra
mentions that individuals who were unable to prove, after the Babylonian
captivity had ended, that they were descended from the priesthood before the captivity began, were required to wait until priests in possession of urim v’tummim were discovered.
In addition to the 12 stones mounted
on the breastplate were two sardonyx stones fixed in gold settings on
the shoulders of the High Priest.
And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel; and Aharon shall bear their names before Hashem upon his two shoulders for a memorial. Exodus 28:12
Experts believe this is one of those
stones. If this is so, contained within it is the power of prophecy and
it may play an important role in returning the Priestly Caste to serve in the Temple.
Discovery: Too Incredible to Believe
In 2000, Dr. James Strange, a noted
professor in religious studies and archaeology, traveled to South
Africa. An acquaintance suggested Dr. Strange contact a family she had
met there and if he could, help them with a pro-bono appraisal of a
gemstone. They were of humble means and Dr. Strange was a certified
appraiser whose services were highly sought after.
Dr. Strange met with the family,
intending to humor them. Instead, he was astounded by what they showed
him. “I was indeed amazed at the gemstone,” Dr. Strange told Breaking Israel News. The stone itself was nothing special. A semi-precious sardonyx, it had little intrinsic worth.The sardonyx stone, with the inscription visible inside. (Courtesy of owner)
But Dr. Strange was puzzled by the
object he held in his hands. “I was unaware that anyone in the late
Middle Ages had the technology to cut a hemisphere in such a medium, so I
tried to exhaust all other explanations,” he said.
Even more astounding than the cut of the stone was the inexplicable inscription inside the stone, visible through the clear surface: two letters in ancient Hebrew. Dr. Stone wrote in his appraisal of the gem, “There
is no modern or ancient technology known to me by which an artisan
could produce the inscription, as it is not cut into the surface of the
stone.”
Dr. Strange was an expert but when
faced with such a mystery, he sought help. He turned to Ian Campbell,
Director of the Independent Coloured Stones Laboratory in Johannesburg
and a leading South African gemologist. Campbell was equally dumbfounded.
He studied the stone, trying to
ascertain its origin. The owner’s story placing it on the High Priest’s
breastplate were too incredible. But
the family had documentation that traced its descent from a
Crusader-period male ancestor who had been in the Holy Land in the
Middle Ages and claimed the stone was a reward from the High Priest.
Could it be true?
The Thousand-Year Story
According to the Auret family
tradition, the ancestor, named Croiz Arneet deTarn Auret, received the
stone from “the High Priest” in gratitude for his part in freeing
Jerusalem around 1189. The custodianship of the stone was passed on in
the Auret family through the male line until the nineteenth century.
That tradition was broken when Abraham Auret passed away in 1889,
bequeathing the stone to his daughter, Christina Elizabeth.
After her marriage to William James
Hurst, the stone left the Auret name, and has been passed on from mother
to daughter ever since. Meticulously recorded family trees and
genealogical reports corroborate the story. The stone was passed on as
an inheritance and is presently owned by an elderly woman in South
Africa, who wishes to remain anonymous.
It has been strongly transmitted to
each member of the family through the centuries that it was God’s hand
that inserted the mysterious inscription inside the stone.
Experts Agree
The mystery of the writing remained.
Dr. Strange noted that the stone had no external markings, so it clearly
hadn’t been set in a ring or a necklace. He was forced to conclude that
it had probably been set in a large plate or breastplate. He dated
production of the stone to approximately the 5th century BCE.
As an appraiser, Dr. Strange could not erase all doubt, but he could certainly evaluate it as a one-of-a-kind. He appraised the stone’s value at $175-$225 million.
The gemologist, Mr. Campbell,
photomicrographed (photographing via a microscope) the stone, confirming
it had not been cut open to make the inscription. When asked to
estimate the value of the stone, Mr. Campbell wrote, “How does one
logically go about putting a value to something like a proven religious
artifact that is a ‘one of’ article?”
He estimated that $200 million was a “fair starting point”.
The owner of the stone also consulted
Professor M. Sharon from the University of Witwatersrand. The
professor, an expert in ancient Hebrew, was given a photo of the stone.
The blurry photographs hinted at something astounding but he had to be
sure. Intrigued, he asked to examine the actual stone.
In his written report, he said that
when he held it to the light, he was amazed to see very clearly inside
the stone itself, two letters in ancient Hebrew. The letters seemed to
be engraved or burnt into the heart of the stone.
“Due to the clarity of the letters
and their fine definition it would be incredible if they are a
coincidental natural formation in the stone,” he stated in his notarized
report. “The lack of any apparent sign of interference with the surface
makes the existence of the letters inside the stone a real enigma.”
He noted the inscriptions in ancient
Hebrew script of what he described as “the equivalent of our ‘B’ and
‘K’.” He identified the style of script, dating it to be from the year
1000 BCE, give or take 200-300 years.
In 1994, Dr. Joan Goodnick
Westenholz, who served as Chief Curator at the Bible Lands Museum in
Jerusalem, examined the stone. She concluded, “It is a unique object
that has no similar or identical counterpart; it is the only one of its
kind in the world.”
Dr. Goodnick Westenholz believed that the gem was “priceless”, estimating the date of the stone’s production to be approximately the 7th century BCE. She noted the inscription “in the shape of a possible letter is a ninth century form of an archaic Hebrew letter bet.”
In her notarized report, she observed next to the letter bet “what can be perceived as the image of a wolf.” She noted that the wolf corresponded to the blessing Jacob gave Benjamin.
Binyamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil. Genesis 49:27
But Is It True?
Dr. Westenholz and Ian Campbell have since passed away, but Breaking Israel News was
able to confirm that their statements and documentation were genuine.
Campbell’s apprentice, Jeremy Rothon, confirmed the original appraisal
and told Breaking Israel News
that he was well aware of the stone’s heritage. It had made an enormous
impression on Campbell and he had discussed it at length with his
student.
Dr. Strange remembers the stone very
well, and is more convinced than ever of its authenticity. “A lot of
water has flowed under the bridge since then,” Dr. Strange told Breaking Israel News.
“I calculated then that if it were a fraud, then one or more very
similar others would show up on the international market rather soon,
but to my knowledge none has.”
He called for new examination of the
gem. “I think this object needs a new appraisal and as many scientific
tests as possible to determine whether it is genuine,” said Dr. Strange.
“If it turns out to be an artifact important to the history of the
Jewish people, then that is truly wonderful. If it turns out to be a
masterful fraud, then I will be pained that I was duped.”
The Journey Home
The present owner has contracted with
a South African businessman to find investors who are willing to
purchase the stone and bring it home to Israel. Both parties prefer to
remain anonymous. When he saw the stone and understood what it was, the
businessman was dismayed, understanding that it could easily turn into a
commodity, an object of greed. He recognized that this small stone was
an enormous part of Jewish history and set out to find an investor who would recompense the owner with the intention of bringing it to Israel and donating it to the Temple.
“I’ve been involved with deals like this before,” he told Breaking Israel News.
“There are pieces of Egyptian heritage in museums all over the world.
People find something and sell it, without thinking about what it is.
That is what is done and it is a shame, even more so with this stone.
Several people have been trying to buy or sell this stone, turning it
into a business. All I really wanted to do was get the stone back to
Israel where it belongs.”
Many people have begun to discount
the Jewish connection to Israel and the Temple Mount, claiming the
Jewish Temples are fairytale accounts. This small stone and its
miraculous engraving that once lit up the High Priest’s breastplate are
proof that the Temple stood in Jerusalem, and may signal the return of
more artifacts that have been misplaced, waiting to return home.
Stunning find: 3,000-year-old stone from Israel’s High Priest with mysterious inscription inside
September 15, 2016
By Mark Ellis
Sardonyx stone within papyrus casket
A small onyx stone, said to be a gift to a Knight Templar over 1,000
years ago and handed down within a family, may actually be what the
owner asserts: a gem originally worn by the High Priest in Jerusalem.
The astounding report – corroborated by a number of independent
experts – was contained in a story by Adam Berkowitz in Breaking Israel
News.
According to the Talmud (Yoma 21b), the precious stones worn on the
High Priest’s garments were lost when Jerusalem was sacked by the
Babylonians.
There were 12 stones mounted on the breastplate of the High Priest
and two sardonyx stones fixed in gold settings on the shoulders of the
High Priest.
“And you shall put the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the
ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel; and Aaron shall
bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial.”
Exodus 28:12
Experts believe this is one of the stones missing for centuries. If
restored to the right hands, it could play a role in returning the
priestly caste to serve in the Temple, according to Breaking Israel
News.
Dr. James Strange
In 2000, Dr. James Strange, a professor in religious studies at the
University of South Florida, traveled to South Africa to meet with the
family in possession of the stone.
Dr. Strange earned his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School in 1964, and a
PhD. in New Testament Studies from Drew University in 1970. He was a
Montgomery Fellow at the W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological
Research in Jerusalem in 1970-71 and NEH fellow at the same Institute in
1980.
When Dr. Strange first met with the family he was not taking their
claims about the stone seriously. But he was astonished by what they
showed him. “I was indeed amazed at the gemstone,” Dr. Strange told
Breaking Israel News. The stone itself was nothing special, a
semi-precious sardonyx, with little intrinsic worth.
But the object he held in his hands confounded Dr. Strange. “I was unaware that anyone in the late Middle Ages had the technology to cut a hemisphere in such a medium, so I tried to exhaust all other explanations,” he said.
Even more amazing than the stone’s cut was the mysterious inscription
buried within the stone, visible through the clear surface: two letters
in ancient Hebrew.
Dr. Strange wrote in his appraisal of the gem, “There is no modern or
ancient technology known to me by which an artisan could produce the
inscription, as it is not cut into the surface of the stone.”
Dr. Strange asked for assistance from Ian Campbell, Director of the
Independent Coloured Stones Laboratory in Johannesburg and a leading
South African gemologist. Campbell was equally dumbfounded by the
unusual features of the stone, according to Breaking Israel News.
Light shining through stone reveals inscription within
Dr. Strange initially thought the owner’s story placing it on the
High Priest’s garments was inconceivable. But the family had
documentation that traced its descent from a Crusader-period male
ancestor who was in the Holy Land in the Middle Ages and claimed the
stone was a reward from the High Priest.
According to the Auret family tradition, the ancestor, named Croiz
Arneet deTarn Auret, received the stone from “the High Priest” in
gratitude for his part in freeing Jerusalem around 1189.
The stone was passed down within the Auret family through the male
line until the nineteenth century. That tradition was broken when
Abraham Auret died in 1889, leaving the stone to his daughter,
Christina.
After her marriage to William Hurst, the stone left the Auret name, and was passed from mother to daughter. The
owner of the stone
family’s genealogical reports substantiate the story. Currently the
stone is in possession of an elderly woman in South Africa, who wishes
to remain anonymous, according to Breaking Israel News.
The family’s oral tradition is that God’s hand inserted the mysterious inscription inside the stone.
Dr. Strange noted the stone had no external markings, so it wasn’t
set in a ring or a necklace. He concluded it was probably part of a
large plate or breastplate. He dated production of the stone to
approximately the 5th century B.C.
Considering the stone’s unique historical significance, he appraised
its value at $175-$225 million, according to Breaking Christian News.
Ian Campbell, the gemologist, photographed the stone with a
microscope, confirming it had not been cut open to make the inscription.
Professor Moshe Sharon examines stone
The owner of the stone also consulted Professor Moshe Sharon from the
University of Witwatersrand. Dr. Sharon was educated at the Hebrew
University and the University of London, and has conducted research in
Oxford, Paris and Dublin.
The professor, an expert in ancient Hebrew and Arabic epigraphy, was
amazed to see clearly inside the stone itself, two letters in ancient
Hebrew. The letters seemed to be engraved or burnt into the heart of the
stone.
“Due to the clarity of the letters
and their fine definition it would be incredible if they are a
coincidental natural formation in the stone,” he stated in his notarized
report. “The lack of any apparent sign of interference with the surface
makes the existence of the letters inside the stone a real enigma.”
He noted the inscriptions in ancient Hebrew script of what he
described as “the equivalent of our ‘B’ and ‘K’.” He identified the
style of script, dating it to be from the year 1000 B.C., according to
Breaking Israel News.
In 1994, Dr. Joan Westenholz, Chief Curator at the Bible Lands Museum
in Jerusalem, examined the stone. She concluded, “It is a unique object
that has no similar or identical counterpart; it is the only one of its
kind in the world.”
Dr. Westenholz estimated the date of the stone’s production to be
approximately the 7th century B.C. She noted the inscription “in the
shape of a possible letter is a ninth century form of an archaic Hebrew
letter bet.”
In her notarized report, she observed next to the letter bet “what can be perceived as the image of a wolf.” She
sketch with wolf image
noted that the wolf corresponded to the blessing Jacob gave Benjamin before Jacob’s death.
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil.” Genesis 49:27
Dr. Westenholz and Ian Campbell have since passed away, but Breaking
Israel News verified their statements and documentation as genuine.
Dr. Strange called for new examination of the gem. “I think this
object needs a new appraisal and as many scientific tests as possible to
determine whether it is genuine,” Dr. Strange told Breaking Israel
News.
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