in anatomy. See ANATOMY, p. 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 breast-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 breast-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 breast-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 sanhedrim, the general of the army, or some other great personage.