“…She began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head…” – Luke 7:38. Possible elucidation: Every family owned a tear bottle. The materials ranged from simple pottery to thin glass. All were made with a slender body, broad at the base with a funnel-shaped top. When serious trouble or…
Posts By: Claire F. Demas
“You will be smashed like a piece of pottery, so completely that there will not be a shard left to take coals from the hearth, or to scoop water from a cistern.” – Isaiah 30:14. In the ancient world, broken or damaged terracotta containers were not discarded. A frugal owner would collect the pieces and repurpose…
“What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?” – Luke 15:8. Dowries were an important part of ancient marriage negotiations. The bride’s wardrobe and jewelry were not included in the bargaining as they were deemed her…
“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder…” – Isaiah 22:22. Many doors in antiquity were enormous. Keys were made in proportion to the huge locks, and were often adorned with handles of carved brass, wood or silver. Some buildings had a peculiar security system, whereas the door could only…
“…It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.” – Numbers 18:19. God made an unbreakable guarantee to Aaron and his descendants. The promise, referred to as a covenant of salt, represented a seal of closeness and trust. Binding with salt was never entered into haphazardly, but…
“Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them.” – Genesis 31:34. Under Hebrew law, a female child could only inherit her father’s estate if there were no sons. Rachel had brothers and therefore would not qualify as heir. The household gods, or images, may have represented a…
“…It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24. Eastern walled cities had carefully guarded gates that were closed at night and not reopened until sunrise. When a person had to be admitted or was allowed…
Why do engaged couples refer to their impending marriage as tying the knot? The first century Roman bride wore a straight, floor length tunic made of white cloth. It was gathered at the waist with a special wedding cingulum, or belt, which symbolized her chastity. Constructed of woven wool, it featured an elaborate Herculean Knot, also…
“Part of your jaw is clipped, part is shaved, part is plucked of hairs. Who would imagine this to be a single head?” – Marcus Martialis 41-104 A.D. First century historian, Suetonius, records that Julius Caesar was a Roman dandy. He engaged a personal Tonsor who would keep his hair and beard fastidiously groomed….
“Of such establishments there were great numbers in Rome, for the Roman’s do not appear to have washed at home even their linen clothes.” – Martial, XIV.51. The clothing business was an important part of ancient Roman commerce. By the beginning of the first century, homespun wool tunics and togas gave way to cheaply produced…