![]() Jewish men had tassels (called tzitzit) attached to the corners of their mantles, reminding them of the constant presence of the Lord’s commandments. It was worn as a protective covering people did not go out in public without some sort of outer tunic. Sometimes it had sleeves and sometimes was more like a poncho, with the area for the arms cut back. It consisted of a square or oblong strip of cloth with a hole for the head. The outer tunic, also called a mantle or robe, was worn over the inner tunic. The expression signified that the person was ready for service it is largely equivalent to the modern expression, “roll up your sleeves.” The biblical expression “to gird up the loins” meant to put on the belt, thus freeing the lower legs to permit work and easy walking. Its use prevented the flowing robes (often long) from interfering with movement. It was worn around the inner and/or outer garment. The belt (also called a cincture or girdle) was a band of cloth, cord, or leather that could be loosened or tightened. Nothing at all was worn underneath the inner garment (except by Essene men, who wore a close-fitting loincloth). A man wearing only this inner garment was said to be naked (e.g., 1 Samuel 19:24, Isaiah 20:2–4). The earliest of these garments were made without sleeves and reached only to the knees later the garment often extended to the wrists and ankles. For penitential reasons some would occasionally wear inner tunics made of sackcloth or camel hair. It was made of linen, cotton, or sometimes soft wool. The inner garment resembled a long, loose-fitting T-shirt or a kimono. People wore both an inner garment and an outer garment, each with a similar shape. In everyday life, men and women alike wore garments often referred to as “tunics.” A tunic was a simple, one-piece robe, usually belted at the waist, with a hole for the head and two holes for the arms. Although they do not paint a complete picture, they at least provide us with some rudimentary descriptions. We are left to glean details from scriptural references to clothing and descriptions of what was required and forbidden. Second, the Jews almost never represented human figures in their art, so we have nothing comparable to the Egyptian frescoes, or the artwork found from the ancient Greeks and Romans. First, archeology unearths little evidence of ancient clothes, since they do not last like rocks, pottery, and some bones. This difficulty emerges from two basic problems. Even if many of the basics are the same, the details are difficult to determine. The typical form of clothing there now (the women in veils, and both men and women in long, flowing robes) seems very traditional and ancient to us, so we assume that this is how the people of Jesus’ time dressed. First of all, there are many presumptions we make based on how many dress in the Middle East today. I hope you will enjoy reading (or re-reading) them as much as I did.ĭetermining what clothing was worn in Jesus’ day is surprisingly complex. ![]() As my travel schedule is heavy, I am republishing some articles about life in Jesus’ day. N.B.: I am in the Holy Land at this time.
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