Otherwise the royal dignity went, as a matter of course, by inheritance from father to

The high-priests 'by investiture' had not any more the real Urim and Thummim (their

meaning even being unknown), though a breast-plate, with twelve stones, was made

and worn, in order to complete the eight sacred vestments. This was just double the

number of those worn by an ordinary priest, viz. the linen breeches, the coat, the girdle,

and the bonnet. To these the high-priest added other four distinctive articles of dress,

called 'golden vestments,' because, unlike the robes of the ordinary priests, gold, the

symbol of splendour, appeard in them. They were the Meil, or robe of the ephod, wholly

of 'woven work,' of dark blue colour, descending to the knees, and adorned at the hem

by alternate blossoms of the pomegranate in blue, purple, and scarlet, and golden bells,

the latter, according to tradition, seventy-two in number; the Ephod with the breast-

plate, the former of the four colours of the sanctuary (white, blue, purple, and scarlet),

and inwrought with threads of gold; the Mitre; and, lastly, the Ziz, or golden frontlet. If

either a priest or the high-priest officiated without wearing the full number of his

vestments, his service would be invalid, as also if anything, however trifling (such, for

instance, as a plaster), had intervened between the body and the dress of the priest. The

material of which the four vestments of the ordinary priest were made was 'linen,' or,

more accurately, 'byssus,' the white shining cotton-stuff of Egypt. These two qualities

of the byssus are specially marked as characteristic (Rev 15:6, 'clothed in pure and

shining linen.'), and on them part of the symbolic meaning depended. Hence we read in

Revelation 19:8, 'And to her'--the wife of the Lamb made ready--'was granted that she

should be arrayed in byssus vestments, shining and pure; for the byssus vestment is

the righteousness of the saints.'

We add some further particulars, chiefly in illustration of allusions in the New

Testament. The priest's 'coat' was woven of one piece, like the seamless robe of the

Saviour (John 19:23). As it was close-fitting, the girdle could not, strictly speaking, have

been necessary. Besides, although the account of the Rabbis, that the priest's girdle was

three fingers broad and sixteen yards long (!), is exaggerated, no doubt it really reached

beyond the feet, and required to be thrown over the shoulder during ministration. Hence

its object must chiefly have been symbolical. In point of fact, it may be regarded as the

most distinctive priestly vestment, since it was only put on during actual ministration,

and put off immediately afterwards. Accordingly, when in Revelation 1:13, the Saviour is

seen 'in the midst of the candlesticks,' 'girt about the paps with a golden girdle,' we are to

understand by it that our heavenly High-Priest is there engaged in actual ministry for us.

Similarly, the girdle is described as 'about the paps,' or (as in Rev 15:6) about the

'breasts,' as both the girdle of the ordinary priest and that on the ephod which the high-

priest wore were girded there, and not round the loins (compare Eze 44:18). Lastly, the

expression 'golden girdle' may bear reference to the circumstance that the dress peculiar

of the high-priest was called his 'golden vestments,' in contradistinction to the 'linen

vestments,' which he wore on the Day of Atonement.

Of the four distinctive articles in the high-priest's dress, the breast-plate, alike from its

square form and the twelve jewels on it, bearing the names of the tribes, suggest 'the

city four-square,' whose 'foundations' are twelve precious stones (Rev 21:16,19,20). The