Palestine, are Levit. xiii. 47, 48. 52. 59, where linen garments are four times mentioned in opposition to woollen.
Proverbs xxi. 13. The virtuous woman, so admirably described in this chapter, "seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." (See Part First, Chapter I. p. 13.). This proves, that flax was still an important article of cultivation in Palestine.
In 1 Chron. iv. 21. there is an allusion to a great establishment for dressing the fine flax, called Butz, or Byssus. It was conducted by certain families of the tribe of Judah[1].
Jeremiah (xiii. 1.) mentions (
Hebrew characters), "a linen girdle;"
Lumbare lineum, Vulgate; (Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: perizôma linoun) LXX. (Hebrew characters) Jonathan;
(Hebrew characters) (sudarium) Syriac.
Hosea (ii. 5. 9.) mentions wool and flax as the two chief articles of clothing for the Jews in his time.
Ezekiel (xliv. 17, 18.), in his description of the temple which he saw in vision, says, the priests on entering the inner court would put on linen garments, including a turban and drawers of linen[2]. The use of wool is here prohibited and linen prescribed for those who were to be engaged in sacred services, on account of its superior cleanliness and purity. They were not to "gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat." On returning to the outer court, so as to be in contact with the people, they were to put on the common dress, which was at least in part woollen.
In the Old Testament we also find flax used for making cords, Judges xv. xvi.; for the wicks of lamps, Is. xiii. 17.; and for a measuring line, Ezek. xl. 3[3].
According to Herodotus vii. 25, 34, 36, the Phœnicians furnished Xerxes with ropes of flax for constructing his bridge,
- ↑ Hebr. (
Hebrew characters), i. e. "the families, or perhaps the partnerships,
of the manufactory of Byssus;" Vulg. "Cognationes domus operantium byssum."
- ↑ It is remarkable that the Chaldee Paraphrast Jonathan here uses (Hebrew characters) (byssus) for the Hebrew (Hebrew characters).
- ↑ The use of the cord of flax (linea) for measuring, &c. is the origin of the word line. "Linea genere suo appellata, quia ex lino fit." Isidori Hisp. Etymol. l. xix. c. 18. De instrumentis ædificiorum.
