Urim and Thummim

Kept in the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:30), the Urim and Thummim were used to determine God's will in important decisions. Nobody knows exactly what they looked like — possibly sacred lots or stones. The names may mean 'lights and perfections' or 'curses and perfections.' They were consulted before battles and for national decisions. After the exile, they seem to disappear from use. They represent an era when God communicated through specific, priestly channels — before the coming of the Spirit.