Jewish Calculator

I whiled away many dull hours in church leafing through My Book of Bible Stories. It was beautifully illustrated and I took note of what each character wore. I thought it such a shame that Jezebel* was thrown out the window to wild dogs wearing the loveliest robes and simply dripping in jewelry. In another story, an Israelite priest (Aaron?) was pictured in his ceremonial garments, wearing something that looked to me like a giant calculator on this chest. I dubbed it the “Jewish calculator.”

It turns out that the ornament’s proper name is “breastplate of the high priest,” but I still think of it as the “Jewish calculator.” In fact, that’s what I exclaimed when I spotted the center necklace at the thrift store. (I've got to take out one column to make it the 12 tribes of Israel. I don't think there were 15.)


Cardigan, Forever 21. Dress (worn as a top), American Apparel. Skirt, Talbot’s. Pumps, Colin Stuart. Nude fishnets, Simply Vera. Bracelets, Epcot Morocco. Jewish calculator necklace and single strand of faux pearls, thrifted. Golden paillette necklace, Body Central. Triple strand faux pearls with medallion, Newport News.



*Actual scanned image from My Book of Bible Stories. As a kid, I also really liked Babylon the Great’s outfit (from Revelation – It’s Grand Climax at hand!). Jezebel and Babylon the Great images courtesy of letslookupandsmile.