About the Jewels of the Biblical Ephod of Aaron

The Holy Scriptures furnish us with at account of the jewels which distinguished the ephod of Aaron. This is described as having a front part and a back part, instead of shoulder-pieces. On the top of each shoulder was an onyx stone set in gold sockets, each having engraved upon it six of the names of the children of Israel, according to the precedence of birth, to memorialize the Lord of the promise made to them (Exod. xxviii. 6, 12, 29). The breastplate, or gorget, ten inches square, was made of the same sort of cloth as the ephod, and doubled, so as to form a kind of pouch, or bag, in which the Urim and Thummim were placed (Exod. xxxix. 9). The external part of this gorget was set with four rows of precious stones--the first row, a sardius, a topaz, a carbuncle, and a diamond; the third, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper--each set in a golden socket, and having engraved on them the name of one of the sons of Jacob.