708. The manner of dress in the Eastern countries is largely the same as it was centuries ago. There is a prevalent view in the Bible lands that it is morally wrong to change anything that is ancient.
709. The inner garment. The tunic was a shirt worn next to the skin. It was made of leather, haircloth, wool, linen, or in modern times, usually cotton. The simplest style was without sleeves and reached to the knees or ankles. The well-to-do wore it with sleeves and it extended to the ankles. Both men and women wore this garment, although there was no doubt a difference in style and pattern in what was worn. The garment of Jesus for which the Roman soldiers cast lots was a tunic without seams.
710. The garment Jacob gave to Joseph (Gen. 37:3), translated in the Septuagint and Vulgate Bible as the "coat of many colors," is the same expression used for the garment worn by Tamar, the daughter of King David. It is translated in Greek and Latin as "a sleeved tunic" (2 Sam. 13:18). For this reason, many Bible scholars believe it was a long undergarment with sleeves. The working classes usually wore a short tunic, whereas the aristocracy wore a long tunic with sleeves.
711. The girdle. If the tunic was ungirded (or untied) it would interfere with a person's ability to walk freely, and so a girdle was always worn when leaving home (2 Kings 4:29; Acts 12:8). There were and still are two types. A common variety is made of leather, usually six inches wide, with clasps. This was the kind worn by Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), and by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4). The other, a more valuable type, is made of linen or sometimes silk or embroidered material. The girdle served as a pouch to carry money and other things, as well as to fasten a man's sword to his body.
712. The outer garment or "mantle." The outer garment that a Palestinian villager wears is a large cloak that serves as an overcoat. It is made of wool or goat's hair and serves as a shelter from the wind and rain, as well as a blanket at night. It was this outer garment or mantle with which Elijah smote the waters of the Jordan and crossed over. When Elijah was taken up to Heaven this mantle was thrown down to Elisha (2 Kings 2:8-13).
713. Because the outer garment was a man's covering by night, the law did not allow anybody to take this as pledge or security on a loan because it would deprive him of his means of keeping warm while sleeping. When a garment was taken, it had to be returned by sunset (Exod. 22:26-27).
714. Hair. The Jews of the Bible gave much attention to the care of their hair. The young people loved to wear it long and curled (Song of Sol. 5:11), and they were proud to have thick hair (2 Sam. 14:25-26). Middle-aged men and priests would occasionally cut their hair, but not often.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Manners and Customs
707. Knowing the Manners and Customs of the East (those living in countries east of Europe) is necessary for a thorough understanding of the Bible. Westerners can easily misunderstand the motives and meanings of why our ancient Israelite forefathers and mothers did and said what they did in the Scriptures.
Bearing Children lll
703. Many cultures in the world today practice circumcision for hygienic reasons. Some primitive tribes perform the operation on infants and young boys, while others wait until the boys reach puberty or are ready for marriage. These traditions have remained unchanged for centuries. For the Israelites, circumcision signified that the infant was being taken into the covenant community. This ritual remains a hallmark of Judaism today. Flint knives were used until New Testament times when they were finally replaced by metal. Jewish boys are circumcised on the eighth day.
704. Recent studies have confirmed that the safest time to perform circumcision is on the eighth day of life. Vitamin K, which causes blood to coagulate, is not produced in sufficient amounts until the fifth to seventh day. On the eighth day the body contains 10 percent more prothrombin than normal; prothrombin is also important in the clotting of blood.
705. Since all firstborns are God's possession, it was necessary for the Israelite family to redeem, or buy back, the firstborn infant from God. The redemption price was five shekels of silver, given to the priests when the child was one month old-possibly an amount of time to be certain the child would live (Num.18:15-16). Scripture doesn't tell us about the redemption ceremony itself.
706. By rabbinic times the redemption ceremony took place in the child's home with a priest and other guests present. The rite began when the father presented the child to the priest. The priest would then ask the father, "Do you wish to redeem the child or do you want to leave him with me?" The father answered that he would redeem the child and handed the priest five silver coins. The priest would than declare, "Your son is redeemed!" After the priest pronounced a blessing on the child, he joined the invited guests at a banquet table.
704. Recent studies have confirmed that the safest time to perform circumcision is on the eighth day of life. Vitamin K, which causes blood to coagulate, is not produced in sufficient amounts until the fifth to seventh day. On the eighth day the body contains 10 percent more prothrombin than normal; prothrombin is also important in the clotting of blood.
705. Since all firstborns are God's possession, it was necessary for the Israelite family to redeem, or buy back, the firstborn infant from God. The redemption price was five shekels of silver, given to the priests when the child was one month old-possibly an amount of time to be certain the child would live (Num.18:15-16). Scripture doesn't tell us about the redemption ceremony itself.
706. By rabbinic times the redemption ceremony took place in the child's home with a priest and other guests present. The rite began when the father presented the child to the priest. The priest would then ask the father, "Do you wish to redeem the child or do you want to leave him with me?" The father answered that he would redeem the child and handed the priest five silver coins. The priest would than declare, "Your son is redeemed!" After the priest pronounced a blessing on the child, he joined the invited guests at a banquet table.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Bearing Children ll
699. Another ancient custom that continues in the East is the care of an infant child. Instead of allowing the baby the free use of it's arms and legs, it is bound hand and foot by swaddling bands, quite like a mummy. At birth the child is washed and rubbed with salt, and with it's legs together and it's arms at it's side, it is wound around tightly with linen or cotton strips, four to five inches wide and five or six yards long. The band is also placed under the chin and over the forehead. Not only does the Bible describe the baby Jesus as swaddled, but Ezekiel also mentions the custom of swaddling (Ezek. 16:4).
700. It was considered a privilege and a duty for the Jewish mother to breastfeed her infant. But sometimes a mother was not physically able to do so. For these women, a wet nurse was secured. This wet nurse (usually unrelated to the baby) fed the baby her own breast milk. When pharaoh's daughter found Moses floating among the reeds of the Nile, one of her first orders was to get a Hebrew woman who could nurse him.
701. The weaning of a child is an important event in the domestic life of the East. In many places it is celebrated by a festive gathering of friends, by feasting, religious ceremonies, and sometimes the formal presentation of rice to a child. Hebrew babies are often nursed for two years and sometimes for four or five. It was probably after age three that Hannah weaned Samuel and brought him to be presented to the Lord, A scriptural example of the weaning feast is found in Gen. 21:8, when Isaac was weaned and dedicated to the Lord.
702. Names were very important in the world of the Old Testament. Hebrew names usually carried meaning about the person's character, praise to God, or the location or circumstances surrounding the child's birth. Jewish people believed that they must first know a person's name before they could know the person. The name Jesus is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means "salvation of Yahweh." The name was given by one or both parents. Scripture indicates that the mother usually named the infant.
700. It was considered a privilege and a duty for the Jewish mother to breastfeed her infant. But sometimes a mother was not physically able to do so. For these women, a wet nurse was secured. This wet nurse (usually unrelated to the baby) fed the baby her own breast milk. When pharaoh's daughter found Moses floating among the reeds of the Nile, one of her first orders was to get a Hebrew woman who could nurse him.
701. The weaning of a child is an important event in the domestic life of the East. In many places it is celebrated by a festive gathering of friends, by feasting, religious ceremonies, and sometimes the formal presentation of rice to a child. Hebrew babies are often nursed for two years and sometimes for four or five. It was probably after age three that Hannah weaned Samuel and brought him to be presented to the Lord, A scriptural example of the weaning feast is found in Gen. 21:8, when Isaac was weaned and dedicated to the Lord.
702. Names were very important in the world of the Old Testament. Hebrew names usually carried meaning about the person's character, praise to God, or the location or circumstances surrounding the child's birth. Jewish people believed that they must first know a person's name before they could know the person. The name Jesus is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means "salvation of Yahweh." The name was given by one or both parents. Scripture indicates that the mother usually named the infant.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Bearing Children l
694. Levirate marriage. The Israelites believed that it was very important for a man to have an heir. To preserve the property inheritance that God had given them, they had to convey it through family lines (Exod. 15:17-18). If a woman's husband died before she had borne an heir, the practice of levirate marriage (which was part of the Law of Moses) began. According to the law, when a woman was widowed, her dead husband's brother would marry her and the children of this marriage became heirs to the deceased brother. If a man refused to marry his widowed sister-in-law, he was publicly disgraced (Deut. 25: 7-10).
695. Many Israelite couples were unable to bear children. Today we know that couples may be childless due to either the husband's or wife's sterility, but in Bible times only the wife was blamed for the problem. Barrenness was more than a physical or social problem. Deep religious meanings were attached to the problem as well. Moses promised the people that if they obeyed the Lord, blessing would follow: "Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle" (Deut. 7:14 KJV). So barrenness was believed to be a result of disobeying God.
696. A barren couple spent a good deal of time examining their past failures to see if any sin had been unconfessed. Childlessness became the main theme of the couple's prayers. Isaac begged the Lord to let his wife bear a child (Gen. 25:21). Hannah sobbed before the Lord and promised that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's service (1 Sam. 1:11). When sin was ruled out as the cause of the problem, the wife would then inquire about different kinds of remedies.
697. Modern excavations in Israel produced many clay fertility figures. These were supposed to help a woman get pregnant by "sympathetic magic." Each figurine was molded to look like a pregnant woman. As the barren woman handled it and kept it near her, she hoped to take on the likeness of the pregnant figure. Women also wore amulets, an ornament or gem worn against the body, to insure fertility.
698. Adoption practices were common in ancient times. Adoption solved many problems. The adopted son would care for the couple in their old age, provide them a proper burial. and inherit the family property. However, if the couple had a natural son after one had been adopted, he would become the rightful heir. After Bilhah's baby was born, it was placed in Rachel's lap. This act was a central part of the adoption ceremony. Other Biblical adoptions include Moses adopted by pharaoh's daughter and Esther adopted by Mordecai.
695. Many Israelite couples were unable to bear children. Today we know that couples may be childless due to either the husband's or wife's sterility, but in Bible times only the wife was blamed for the problem. Barrenness was more than a physical or social problem. Deep religious meanings were attached to the problem as well. Moses promised the people that if they obeyed the Lord, blessing would follow: "Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle" (Deut. 7:14 KJV). So barrenness was believed to be a result of disobeying God.
696. A barren couple spent a good deal of time examining their past failures to see if any sin had been unconfessed. Childlessness became the main theme of the couple's prayers. Isaac begged the Lord to let his wife bear a child (Gen. 25:21). Hannah sobbed before the Lord and promised that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's service (1 Sam. 1:11). When sin was ruled out as the cause of the problem, the wife would then inquire about different kinds of remedies.
697. Modern excavations in Israel produced many clay fertility figures. These were supposed to help a woman get pregnant by "sympathetic magic." Each figurine was molded to look like a pregnant woman. As the barren woman handled it and kept it near her, she hoped to take on the likeness of the pregnant figure. Women also wore amulets, an ornament or gem worn against the body, to insure fertility.
698. Adoption practices were common in ancient times. Adoption solved many problems. The adopted son would care for the couple in their old age, provide them a proper burial. and inherit the family property. However, if the couple had a natural son after one had been adopted, he would become the rightful heir. After Bilhah's baby was born, it was placed in Rachel's lap. This act was a central part of the adoption ceremony. Other Biblical adoptions include Moses adopted by pharaoh's daughter and Esther adopted by Mordecai.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Family Life: The Husband and Wife ll
688. Several cities mentioned in the Old Testament were built above underground springs. Megiddo and Hazor were two of these cities. In Hazor a woman would walk through the streets to a deep shaft. Then she descended thirty feet on five flights of stairs to the water tunnel, along which she proceeded to the water level to fill her large water jug. She needed considerable strength to climb back out of the watershaft with a heavy water jug. Gathering water was also time for the women to socialize.
689. The hum of the handmill grinding grain would be one of the first sounds heard in the early morning of an Israelite village. For those who live in the Holy Lands, this sound is associated with home, comfort, and plenty. This task belonged to the women and began in the early morning because it would often take half the day to finish. When Jeremiah foretold judgment upon Israel for her sins, he said that God would "banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp" (Jer. 25:10, emphasis added).
690. Making clothes for the family from the wool of their flocks was one of the responsibilities of Jewish women. Another task was the washing of clothing. The ancient women of Israel washed their clothes by going to nearby sources of water such as streams, pools, or watering troughs. Like Arab women, they dipped the clothes in and out of the water and then placed them on flat stones to beat them with a club. They carried the water in goatskins and had a vessel for rinsing.
691. Collecting water from a well or spring is another household task of the women. The same practice is used today in many places in the East just as it was done in Genesis: "it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water" (24:11). It is customary for Syrian women to carry the pitcher of water on their shoulders, although sometimes it is carried on their hip. Most Arabs of Palestine carry it on their heads. Scripture says that Rebekah carried her pitcher on her shoulder (Gen. 24:15).
692. "A man carrying a jug of water..." Carrying water was universally done by women. So when Jesus instructed two of His disciples, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him" (Mark 14:13), it was an easy way of identifying the man. However, when larger supplies of water were needed, men used large skins of sheep or goats for carrying it.
693. The hard leather portable bucket with a rope is brought to the well in addition to the pitcher in order to let down the bucket to the level of the water. The Samaritan woman who Jesus met at Jacob's well had brought all this with her, but Jesus did not have anything with Him. This is why she said to Him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep" (John 4:11 NRSV).
689. The hum of the handmill grinding grain would be one of the first sounds heard in the early morning of an Israelite village. For those who live in the Holy Lands, this sound is associated with home, comfort, and plenty. This task belonged to the women and began in the early morning because it would often take half the day to finish. When Jeremiah foretold judgment upon Israel for her sins, he said that God would "banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp" (Jer. 25:10, emphasis added).
690. Making clothes for the family from the wool of their flocks was one of the responsibilities of Jewish women. Another task was the washing of clothing. The ancient women of Israel washed their clothes by going to nearby sources of water such as streams, pools, or watering troughs. Like Arab women, they dipped the clothes in and out of the water and then placed them on flat stones to beat them with a club. They carried the water in goatskins and had a vessel for rinsing.
691. Collecting water from a well or spring is another household task of the women. The same practice is used today in many places in the East just as it was done in Genesis: "it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water" (24:11). It is customary for Syrian women to carry the pitcher of water on their shoulders, although sometimes it is carried on their hip. Most Arabs of Palestine carry it on their heads. Scripture says that Rebekah carried her pitcher on her shoulder (Gen. 24:15).
692. "A man carrying a jug of water..." Carrying water was universally done by women. So when Jesus instructed two of His disciples, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him" (Mark 14:13), it was an easy way of identifying the man. However, when larger supplies of water were needed, men used large skins of sheep or goats for carrying it.
693. The hard leather portable bucket with a rope is brought to the well in addition to the pitcher in order to let down the bucket to the level of the water. The Samaritan woman who Jesus met at Jacob's well had brought all this with her, but Jesus did not have anything with Him. This is why she said to Him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep" (John 4:11 NRSV).
Family Life: The Husband and Wife l
682. In the East, every company of travelers, every tribe, every community, every family must have "a father," who is head of the group. Jabal "was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." Jabal was the "father of such as dwell in tents and...have cattle" (Gen. 4:20-21 KJV). Easterners would not conceive of any band or group without somebody being "the father" of it.
683. Under the patriarchal system, the father is supreme in command. The authority of the father extends to his wife, his children, his children's children, his servants, and all his household. Many of the bedouin Arabs of today are under no government other than this patriarchal rule. When Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tents in the Land of Promise, they were ruled by this same system.
684. Reverence of the children for their parents and especially the father is almost universal in the Bible lands. It is quite customary for a child to greet the father in the morning by kissing his hand and standing before him in an attitude of humility, ready to receive any order, or waiting for permission to leave. After this the child is often pulled up onto the lap of the father.
685. Women were confined to different roles than men. They never ate with the men, and the husband and brothers were served first. While walking, women followed at a respectable distance. The woman was closely confined and watched with jealousy; and when she went out she was veiled from head to foot.
686. The ancient Hebrew women did not have unrestrained freedom, but they did have power in their role and influences within the family. A woman had tremendous influence for good or ill over her husband, and in most cases he showed her great respect. Sarah was treated like a queen by Abraham, and in matters of the household, she ruled in many ways.
687. The tribute to the wife and mother in the Book of Proverbs indicates she was a person of great influence: "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value" (31:11). "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue" (31:26). "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and praises her" (31:28).
683. Under the patriarchal system, the father is supreme in command. The authority of the father extends to his wife, his children, his children's children, his servants, and all his household. Many of the bedouin Arabs of today are under no government other than this patriarchal rule. When Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tents in the Land of Promise, they were ruled by this same system.
684. Reverence of the children for their parents and especially the father is almost universal in the Bible lands. It is quite customary for a child to greet the father in the morning by kissing his hand and standing before him in an attitude of humility, ready to receive any order, or waiting for permission to leave. After this the child is often pulled up onto the lap of the father.
685. Women were confined to different roles than men. They never ate with the men, and the husband and brothers were served first. While walking, women followed at a respectable distance. The woman was closely confined and watched with jealousy; and when she went out she was veiled from head to foot.
686. The ancient Hebrew women did not have unrestrained freedom, but they did have power in their role and influences within the family. A woman had tremendous influence for good or ill over her husband, and in most cases he showed her great respect. Sarah was treated like a queen by Abraham, and in matters of the household, she ruled in many ways.
687. The tribute to the wife and mother in the Book of Proverbs indicates she was a person of great influence: "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value" (31:11). "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue" (31:26). "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and praises her" (31:28).
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