Stoo said:
Heh, details straight from the source, Goodeknight. One thing that I've always wanted to do was to identify each
gem on Belloq's plate in order to determine how close the layout matches the Biblical description. Would you (or anyone else) be interested in helping to do that?
Here's another description, focusing on the gems, from Exodus chapter 39:
10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; 11 the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 12 the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; 13 the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.[c] They were mounted in gold filigree settings. 14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.
And here is a recreation of the breastplate, created by the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. This is an organization that's actually prepping for the construction of the Third Temple.
http://www.templeinstitute.org/beged/priestly_garments-6.htm
While Belloq's looks a lot snazzier, I'd guess the Temple Institute's is closer to the real thing.
The Temple Institute has recreated a number of Temple artifacts for eventual priestly use, including the priest's garments, ephod, breastplate, and crown; pitchers and cups; the menorah;...and the Ark of the Covenant. Here's their Ark:
An organization
like this plays a prominent role in a novel I am completing right now. It's the story of a reporter's adventures abroad. This first book (I'm writing it as a series) takes place in Israel. I've written it completely, and am in the final editing stage while working on the cover layout.