The Nature and Use of the Urim and the Thummim: A Linguistic Analysis

The nature and use of the Urim and the Thummim (UT) are mysterious. The Hebrew Bible is (seemingly) silent regarding their nature. Their use is, in fact, briefly described, suggesting a lot-casting device choosing between two options. But, inexplicably, the UT sometimes provided no answer. I propose that a linguistic analysis of the way the UT are presented in Ex. 28 can explain their nature and use. Specifically, I argue:

1. Both names are preceded by the marker את, hence the reference is to two objects (otherwise only one את would be used).

2. Both are plural, hence the reference is to two sets of elements, one for each object.

3. Both are definite, hence they must be familiar, i.e. refer to objects recoverable by the reader from some combination of the previous text and world knowledge.

The only antecedents in the text that satisfy the first two criteria are two stones, on each of which were engraved names of six tribes. But how do they satisfy the third criterion?

It has been proposed that Urim is derived from ארר “curse” and Thummim from תממ “perfect, righteous”. Note that the 12 tribes were divided into two sets; a similar division occurred at the ceremony of the blessings and curses on Gerizim and Ebal, and this event was probably well known by the time Ex. 28 was written. It may have been common practice to refer to half the tribes as “the cursers” and to the other half as “the blessers”; this is how each of the names Urim and Thummim refers to the six tribes engraved on one of the stones.

Jacob’s sons’ names were engraved on the stones כתולדותם “by their birth”. I suggest that the UT were used as dice: each name received a numerical value by the order of his birth. This provides a clue to their use: each answer was assigned to a die. The dice were rolled, and the answer whose die had the higher value was pronounced. But when both dice showed the same value, no answer was given.