November 2024
Problem of the Month

Urim and Thummim
idea from Janet S. Milton in the Mathematics Teacher



In Biblical times, the primary function of the priests was that of divining the will of God by the use of "Urim and Thummim."   The sacred container used for divining Urim and Thummim was a small box.   "Yes-no" type questions were brought to the priest.

He would place six stones, three white and three black, in the sacred container.
The black stones might represent "no" and the white, "yes."
The stones were mixed and three drawn at random.   If all three were white then God's answer to the question was "yes"; three blacks implied a "no" answer; and a mix indicated that God gave no response that day.

What is the probability of getting a "yes" answer to a given question?
What is the probability of God not answering on that day?

Click here for a more detailed explanation of the Urim and Thummim.




Send your solution by the end of the month to: mathpage@gmail.com