The priestly breastplate or breastpiece of judgment ( ḥōšen) was a sacred breastplate worn by the High Priest of the Israelites, according to the Book of Exodus. In the biblical account, the breastplate is termed the breastplate of judgment ( ḥōšen mišpāṭ - ), because the Urim and Thummim ( hāʾūrīm wəhattummīm) were placed upon it.(). These elements of the breastplate are said in the Exodus verse to carry the judgement ( mišpāṭ) of God concerning the Israelites at all times. Hebrew Bible According to the description in Exodus, this breastplate was attached to the tunic-like garment known as an ephod by gold chains/cords tied to the gold rings on the ephod's shoulder straps, and by blue ribbon tied to the gold rings at the belt of the ephod. The biblical description states that the breastplate was also to be made from the same material as the Ephod—embroidery of 3 colors of dyed wool and linen—and was to be of a cubit squared, two layers thick, and with four rows of three engraved gems embedded in gold settings upon it, one setting for each stone. The description states that the square breastplate was to be formed from one rectangular piece of cloth— of a cubit by of a cubit, folded so that it formed a pouch to contain the Urim and Thummim. The Hebrew term for the breastplate, (ḥōšen), appears to be named from its appearance, The 19th-century German biblical scholar August Dillmann thought that it was likely to be derived from the Hebrew word (ḥōṣen), meaning "fold", relating to its function. According to the Talmud, the wearing of the Hoshen atoned for the sin of errors in judgment on the part of the Children of Israel. The jewels The twelve jewels in the breastplate were each, according to the Biblical description, to be made from specific minerals, none of them the same as another, and each of them representative of a specific tribe, whose name was to be inscribed on the stone. According to a rabbinic tradition, the names of the twelve tribes were engraved upon the stones with what is called in Hebrew: שמיר = shamir, which, according to Rashi, was a small, rare creature which could cut through the toughest surfaces, but according to Rabbi David Kimhi and Rabbi Jonah ibn Janah, was a stone stronger than iron (possibly Naxian stone). The word has its equivalent in