Engraving
Engraving in Exodus is sacred work. For the priest’s garment, the artisan is told to cut the names of Israel’s children into two onyx stones, “like the engravings of a signet,” six names on each. Twelve more stones, one for each tribe, are set on the breastplate in gold. The high priest wears the names on his shoulders, close to his heart. On his forehead goes a plate of pure gold, engraved “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” Skilled hands, in other words, were making visible who the people belonged to. Exodus 28 describes it all.
6 verses
Exodus
And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.