breastpiece

1 An item of Aaron’s ceremonial garb (Exod 28:15; Exod 22-30:15; Exod 39:8-21; Lev 8:8). A kind of pouch, it was a square (about 9 by 9 inche) made by folding in half a rectangular piece of material. The symbolic nature of the breastpiece emerges further from the assemblage of twelve gemstones attached to it, each inscribed like a signet with the name of an Israelite tribe. In addition, the Urim and Thummim were attached to the breastpiece. 2A military garment, a cuirass or plate of metal or mail worn on the chest (1Kgs 22:34). The metaphoric use of breastpiece in (Isa 59:17) and in the NT (Eph 6:14; 1Thess 5:8; Rev 9:9; Rev 9:17) probably stems from the military, protective sense rather than from the ritual priestly usage.