Urim

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sacred object or set of objects used in ancient Hebrew culture for divination and decision-making by casting lots or seeking divine guidance
2. An artifact traditionally associated with priestly functions to reveal answers to questions through supernatural means or interpretations during religious ceremonies
3. A religious tool referenced in biblical texts, employed by priests to obtain judgment or insight by means believed to involve divine intervention or oracle-like responses

Etymology: Urim is a Hebrew word, "ʼurim," usually understood as the plural of "ʼor," meaning "light." Together with the "thummim," it names the sacred lots that the high priest kept in a pouch on the breastplate of judgment, described in Exodus 28 and Leviticus 8. Their exact form is not described, and they were used to obtain yes-or-no answers from God on questions of national or priestly concern. The word entered English through Bible translation, where it appears in the King James Version and earlier versions that followed the Hebrew text. Because the plural ending is Hebrew rather than English, the word is usually left untranslated, and the pair is so familiar in religious writing that "Urim and Thummim" often appears as a fixed phrase.

Synonyms: Urim and Thummim