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of one case for covering the said chair, as appears His sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were adopted by
from the particulars of the wardrobe book, L1 19s 7d.' Jacob, who gave them his sacred name, "Israel" (Gene-
sis 48:5), and he laid the blessings of Isaac and Abra-
"The chair is of solid oak, and still firm and sound, ham upon them, placing Ephraim before Manasseh.
though much disfigured by wanton mutilations, as well Bearing this and the origin of the Stone in mind, we
as by the hand of time. Immediately under the flat seat conclude that the ten shields originally placed around
the stone rests on a kind of middle frame, supported at the Stone, identified the Biblical House to whom the
the corners by four crouching lions; on a bottom Stone belonged; the original tribe of Joseph who gave
frame, all around, on a level with the stone, ran for- way to his two sons. By the act of crowning their mon-
merly a beautiful piece of tracery in quarterly divi- archs on the stone the Britannic people show they are
sions, each containing a shield, originally descendants of the northern "House of Israel."
emblazoned; but there are no vestiges of the arms suf-
fiently distinct to be identified. Of those shields only The Sacred Stone Reveals Our Name
four out of ten remain, all the rest have broken away;
and even the tracery itself is entirely gone in front, so Judah was chosen by God to furnish Israel with their
that the stone is there fully exposed to view. The kings, when he was given the sceptre (Genesis
whole chair has been completely covered with gilding 49:9-10). We look at the Coronation Chair and recog-
and work, much of which may yet be distinguished on nize him immediately in his proper place; the lion, his
close inspection. On the inside of the back are some primary emblem, supporting the entire chair and the
faint traces of a man in a royal robe -- the foot and Stone. We see old Jacob's Stone, and have evidence of
shoe are quite visible; the shoe was a sharp pointed the emblems of the ten tribes surrounding it. The in-
one. formed, need no more proof that the "House of Israel"
exists today.
"The entire height of the chair is 5 feet nine inches; the
breadth at the bottom 3 feet 2 inches, width 2 feet, In Westminster Abbey, rests this very precious thing; a
breadth of the seat 2 feet 5 inches, depth 1 foot 6 treasure pointing the way by reminding us we are the
inches; from the seat to the ground 2 feet 3 1/2 inches; Lord's. This is Jacob's sacred Stone on which he laid
height of elbows 1 foot 2 inches." his head and saw the stairway to heaven, and in the
morning called that place Bethel, the "House of God."
Continuity of the Biblical Link is Maintained
It is possible that Mr. Planch believed in the Israelite
In a Complete Guide to Heraldry, by A.C. Fox- origin of the British people, because he referred to the
Davies, we learn that the shield is the vital part of her- Stone as a fragment of the old Hebrew race, but what
aldry, "for on it are depicted the signs and emblems of did Edward I know about the biblical background of the
the house to which it appertains." This reference also Britannic people? In his book, Robert the Bruce, King
shows that heraldry's roots are in the Bible (Numbers of Scots, Ronald McNair Scott states (page 18) that
1:2-18-52; 2:2 and 34). Edward I was a Christian and constant in his religious
devotions.
Mr. Planch noted ten panels containing identifying
shields, formerly in colour, around the sacred Stone, Though the acknowledged purpose of the Crusades was
called Jacob's Pillar. At that time, only four shields to free Jerusalem from the infidels there is a stronger
remained, the others had been broken from their oak motive for our kindred to feel an attachment to such
frames. But the four were too dim to identify the em- action. It is likely that they knew their ancestors origi-
blems. He states that they were entirely gone in front, nated in Palestine and held irrevocable title to those
"leaving the Stone fully exposed to view." Yet there is lands by God's decree. Knowing he led a Crusade there
significance in the number ten. It was the number of in 1272, when his father, Henry III died, we may as-
tribes in the northern "House of Israel," among whom sume that Edward was aquainted with the history of the
was Joseph, who received the "Birthright" from his fa- Children of Israel and their former home.
ther, Jacob, and possession of his sacred Stone (Gene-
sis 49:24). Edward I was an Ambitious Monarch
He was aware of the sacred Stone of Scotland and its
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