💎 The Urim and the Thummim were mystical stones worn by the High Priest, and were used by to cast lots to reveal the will of Yahweh.

Casting lots, haruspicy, and divination (Ephod, Teraphim, Urim, Thummim etc) in the OT are not special practices created for the Israelites by Yahweh. Rather they are pre-existing cult practices that were common to all cultures at the time and so were naturally part of Israelite practice, and made their way into the narratives (same thing with the ‘evil sea’ myth, animal sacrifices, and the temple furniture).

That is, Israelite religion (as recorded in the bible and in archaeology) grew out of and was influenced by the pre-existing beliefs and religions in the middle east.

When we read of people asking Yahweh for guidance, and the advice is not described as given by visions, scholars think that drawing the Urim and Thummim as lots was the method used, rather than a divine utterance from heaven:

1 Sam 30: “Then David said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of Yahweh; “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

Now imagine how you would put that on screen if you were a film director, perhaps voice coming from heaven, or even Yahweh speaking directly to David? But then you remember that the ephod is basically a fabric bingo cage, which David reached into and pulled out the “Yes” stone or the “No” stone.

In all but two cases, the question is one which is answered by a simple “yes” or “no”. It may be that two exceptions to this pattern (1 Sam 10 and 2 Sam 5), which give more complex answers, were originally also just sequences of “yes” or “no” questions.

Talmudic sources are unanimous in agreeing that the Urim and Thummim stopped functioning when Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonians.

In the Book of Ezra, exiles who couldn’t prove that they descended from the priesthood, were required to wait until priests in possession of Urim and Thummim were discovered. This appears to confirm the statements in the Talmud they they were lost by then.

If you want to see a relaistic recreation of the priestly garments see this: