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uniform or insignia to identify them. What then was For the reasons just noted it seems certain that a
the emblem of the tribe of Levi, and therefore of the replica of this Breastplate was the emblem of the tribe
priesthood and the civil service of ancient Israel? of Levi. In support of this the writer has before him a
Jewish calendar for the year 5698 (1937-38) issued by
In our study of the Israel tribal emblems we saw that, Messenger Corporation, on which the emblem of the
in giving his dying blessing to his sons, Jacob men- tribe of Levi is shown as the Breastplate of the High
tioned each of them in connection with some object, Priest. A such it was the emblem of both the priest-
animal or personal characteristic and this became the hood and the civil service of ancient Israel.
heraldic emblem of that son and of the tribe descended
from him. In the case of Levi, however, the object The headquarters of both the civil and religious gov-
mentioned in connection with him is the same as that ernments of the nation was administered by the tribe of
of Simeon -- a Sword. This was evidently appropriated Levi under the direction of the High Priest. As the em-
by Simeon, for we have been unable to find any evi- blem of this tribe and of the High Priest's authority
dence that it was ever used by Levi. was a replica of the Breastplate, it followed that this
emblem also became the emblem of the Temple area.
In following the Bible story in search of evidence As such, it remained in use for about four hundred
pointing to what Levi's emblem might be, we should years.
keep in mind that the Israel people were brought into
being to be God's own kingdom-nation. With Him as The Bible repeatedly and emphatically declares that
their King and their Lawmaker they were, in fact, the Israel would be regathered in a new homeland and that
Kingdom of God on earth. Consequently, with the a descendant of Judah would continue to reign over her
whole nation being His Kingdom and with His Laws for ever. Obviously, then, the descendants of the Israel
applying to every phase of its life, both religious and people of old must still exist in some other land, and
civil, it follows that those who served Him in either a the Throne of Judah must have been transferred to, and
civil or religious capacity were His ministers or be reigning over, at least a part of them.
priests. As such they would require an emblem which
would express this relationship. In view of the heraldic evidence already noted,
pointing to the Israelitish origin of the Celto-Saxon
While the Bible does not say what this emblem was, peoples and to the Judahite identity of the British
its record of the organizational structure of the nation Royal House and Throne, let us now consider the sig-
seems to indicate that it was a replica of the Breast- nificance of the fact that the emblem of the tribe of
plate of the High Priest. The reason for Levi's use of Levi has a very prominent place among the emblems of
this emblem becomes evident when we remember that certain British institutions, some of them very ancient.
the High Priest was the active head of the whole tribe
of Levi, both those who ministered in the religious life As we saw, the emblem of the tribe of Levi became
of the nation and those who ministered in civil affairs the emblem of an enclave within Jerusalem in which
and, consequently, both the priesthood and the civil was that great building called the Temple of Solomon.
service carried out their duties under his direction and In this building and the area around it, were the head-
authority. Therefore, as the recognized insignia of his quarters of both the religious and civil governments of
office and authority was the Breastplate, so also those Israel. Further, we saw that this great Temple was the
who worked under his direction would require a replica sacred place wherein all services of national worship
of his insignia to identify themselves and the authority were held and in which the Coronation services of the
they derived from him. Kings of the House of Judah took place. Again, let us
note that the emblem of this separate area within Jeru-
As described in the 28th and 39th chapters of Exo- salem was the emblem of the tribe of Levi.
dus, this Breastplate consisted of a plate of pure gold
designed to be worn on the breast of the High Priest, Keeping this in mind, let us turn our attention to
and to be suspended from around his neck by two Britain, the ancestral home of the main section of the
golden chains fastened to two rings inserted in its up- Celto-Saxon family of peoples. There, in London, just
per corners. In this plate were twelve openings in as in ancient Jerusalem, we see a distinct area or en-
which were set twelve jewels, one for each of the clave, the Royal Borough of Westminster. Within this
twelve tribes of Israel. area we see a great and ancient Abbey in which, for a
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