Coelho has a
gift of combining biblical symbolism with magicalin his novel . The Urim
and Thummim appear in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 1 Samuel, Ezra, and
Nehemiah in the Bible. They mean "lights and perfections" in Hebrew. They were stones
through which prophets saw revelations from God. More specifically, seers used the stones to
translate texts from one language to another, thus shedding a perfect light on
translations.
Coelho, however, uses the stones like compasses to help
Santiago if he ever has a problem interpreting the omens sent by God through dreams and nature.
The King of Salem, Melchizedek, takes the stones off of his gold breastplate and says the
following:
"They are called Urim and Thummim. The
black signifies 'yes,' and the white 'no.' When you are unable to read the omens, they will help
you to do so. Always ask an objective question"(30).
The only time that Santiago uses the stones is right after he has landed in Africa and
thieves have stolen his money. Down and distraught, the boy asks the stones "if the old
man's blessing was still with him"(41). The answer turns up yes, but when he asks if he
will find his treasure, the stones slip through an unknown hole in the pouch and drop to the
ground. In the midst of , the boy decides that omens are all around him and he should rely on
himself. The Urim and Thummim remind him that a king once took stock in him and has faith in him
and that keeps him moving forward. So even though the Urim and Thummim may have had magical
powers, Santiago uses them as omens once and as objects of comfort for the rest of his
journey.
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