Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

The third story is when the prodigal son returned home and the father gave the boy a ring:

But the father said to his servants, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” —L UKE 15:22–24

All of these stories have one thing in common—a ring was given. Two were presented by the ruler of the nation, Pharaoh and the king of Persia, and the other by a wealthy father to his youngest son. The word signet is from the Latin word signum , meaning “sign.” The signet dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, the land of Abraham, where special rings were worn by the leaders and men of the house to seal legal documents and letters. The rings were commonly made of brass, but could be made of gold, and in the middle of the metal was an emblem or seal that had either been impressed in the metal or carved and inserted as a precious stone or ivory. For example, wills were rolled and wrapped with leather straps around the parchment and then sealed with the signet ring, which had been dipped in hot wax. Once the signet ring was used, it was illegal for