URETHRA, in anatomy. See ANATOMY, n° 107.
URIM and THUMMIM, among the ancient Hebrews, a certain oracular manner of conſulting God, which was done by the high prieſt dreſſed in his robes, and having on his pectoral or breſt-plate.
Various have been the ſentiments of commentators concerning the urim and thummim. Joſephus, and ſeveral others, maintain, that it meant the precious ſtones ſet in the high-prieſt's breſt-plate, which by extraordinary luſtre made known the will of God to thoſe who conſulted him. Spencer believes that the urim and thummim were two little golden figures ſhut up in the pectoral as in a purſe, which gave reſponſes with an articulate voice. In ſhort, there are as many opinions concerning the urim and thummim as there are particular authors that wrote about them. The ſafest opinion, according to Broughton, ſeems to be, that the words urim and thummim ſignify ſome divine virtue and power annexed to the breſt-plate of the high-prieſt, by which an oracular anſwer was obtained from God when he was conſulted by the high-prieſt; and that this was called urim and thummim, to expreſs the clearneſs and perfection which theſe oracular anſwers always carried with them; for urim ſignifies "light," and thummim "perfection;" theſe anſwers not being imperfect and ambiguous, like the heathen oracles, but clear and evident. The uſe made of the urim and thummim was to conſult God in difficult caſes relating to the whole ſtate of Iſrael; and ſometimes in caſes relating to the king, the fanhedrim, the general of the army, or ſome other great perſonage.