Ornament is the usual and proper rendering in the O. T. of the Hebrew "'"'"t "rf* (Sept. usually Kucrpog). The Israelites, like other Oriental nations, have always been remarkable for their love of ornament (Gen. xxiv, 47 ; li^xod. xxxii, 2 ; xxxiii, 4, etc.), not only in costly garments and braiding the hair (I Peter iii, 3 [see Haiu]), but also in jewelry and gold (Ezek. xxviii, 13 sq.). The men were usually content to wear simply seal-rings [see Skal], and indulged in expensive attire only on solemn or public occasions ; unless their posi- tion, as in the case of princes, required more display (Psa. xlv, 5 ; 2 Sam. xii, 30 ; 2 :\Iacc. iv, 38, etc.). But the women, especially young damsels and brides, wore many and very valuable ornaments (2 Sam. i, 24; Jer. ii, 32; Isa. iii, 17 sq. ; Ixi. 10; .Judith x, 4; xii, 16; comp. Esth. ii, 12), generally in the form of rings, chains, and bracelets. Sometimes the y<iung women purposely made themselves publicly conspicuous by their adorn- ments (Baruch vi, 8 ; i. e. Epist. Jerem. 8). During times of mourning, in obedience to a natural impulse, all ornaments were laid aside (Exod. xxxiii, 4 sq. ; 2 Sam. i, 24 ; Ezek. xxiv, 17, 22). Ornaments are enu- merated in various passages (see Isa. iii, 18 sq. ; Hos. ii, 12; Ezek. xvi, 11). Among the ornaments peculiar to
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females was the golden head-dress in the form of the holy city (see Mishna, Ediijoth, ii, 7, 3nT >i:5 T'3', so ex- plained by the rabbins). Idols were also adorned with gold and jewels (Jer. x, 4 ; Baruch vi, 10, 23 ; 2 Mace, ii, 2), as now the images of the Virgin in the Roman churches. — Winer, ii, 418. See Attire ; Epiiod.
The number, variety, and weight of the ornaments ordinarily worn upon the person form one of the char- acteristic features of Oriental costume, both in ancient and "modern times (see Thomson, Land and Book; i, 184 sq. ; Van Lennep, Bible Lands, p. 531 sq.). The monuments of ancient Egypt exhibit the hands of ladies loaded with rings, ear-rings of very great size, anklets, armlets, bracelets of the most varied character, and frequently inlaid with precious stones or enamel, handsome and richly ornamented necklaces, either of gold or of beads, and chains of various kinds (Wilkin- son, ii, 335-341). The modern Egyptians retain to the full the same taste, and vie with their progenitors in the number and beauty of their ornaments (Lane, vol. iii, Appendix A). Nor is the display confined, as with us, to the upper classes ; we are told that " even most of the women of the lower orders wear a variety of trumpery ornaments, such as ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc., and sometimes a nose-ring" (Lane, i, 78). There is suf- ficient evidence in the Bible that the inhabitants of Pal- estine were equally devoted to finerj\ In the Old Tes- tament, Isaiah (iii, 18-23) supplies us with a detailed description of the articles with which the luxurious women of his day were decorated, and the picture is filled up by incidental notices in other places; in the Kew Testament the apostles load us to infer the prev- alence of the same habit when they recommend the women to adorn themselves, " not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but with good works" (I Tim. ii, 9, 10), even with "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Pet. iii, 4). Ornaments were most lavishly displayed at festivals, -whether of a public (Hos. ii, 13) or a private character, particularly on the occasion of a wedding (Isa. Ixi, 10; Jer. ii, 32). In times of public mourning they were, on the other hand, laid aside (Exod. xxxiii, 4-6).
With regard to the particular articles noticed in the Old Testament, it is sometimes difficult to explain their form or use, as the name is the only source of informa- tion open to us. Much illustration may, however, be gleaned both from the monuments of Egypt and As- syria and from the statements of modern travellers; and we are in all respects in a better position to explain the meaning of the Hebrew terms than were the learned men of the Keformation ajra. We propose, therefore, to review the passages in which the personal ornaments are described, substituting, where necessary, for the readings of the A. V. the more correct sense in italics, and referring for more detailed descriptions of the arti- cles to the various heads under which they may be found. The notices which occur in the early books of the Bible imply the weight and abundance of the orna- ments worn at that period. Eliezer decorated Kebekah with "a golden nose-ring (CtJ, nezem) of half a shekel weiglit, and two bracelets O^"^"^, tsamid) for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold" (Gen. xxiv, 22) ; and he afterwards added " trinkets ("'bsi, Iceli, articles in gen- eral) of silver and trinkets of gold" (verse 53). Ear- rings (Dtl'^iTNa CT3 "7iezem in their ears") were worn by Jacob's wives, apparently as charms, for they are mentioned in connection with idols : " They gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and their ear-rings which were in their ears" (Gen. XXXV, 4). The ornaments worn by the patriarch Judah were a " signet" (Dmn, chothdni), which was suspended by a string (h''T^Q, j)athil) round the neck, and a "staff" (Gen. xxxvii, 18) : the staff itself was probably orna-