Ancieut E^p ptiau Sandals.
SANDAL
836
SANDAL-TREE
Aucieut Assj'rian Sandals.
I. Embroidered Shoe of Queen of Sardnnnpalus III. 2. Shoe of a Priest.— Both from Kuvunjik siulptures, Britisli Museum. X. Shoe of Jewish Captive.— Bhuk Obelislt, from Nimrud. 4, 6, 6. Assyrian Sandals.— Sculptures, British Museum.
loaves and papyrus stalks, were used in addition to leather (Herod, ii, 37; Wilkinson, ii, 332, 333), while in Assyria wood or leather was employed (Layard, Xln. ii, 323, 324). In Egypt the sandals were usually turned up at the toe like our skates, though other forms, round- ed and pointed, are also e.xhibitcd. In Assyria the heel and the side of the foot were encased, and sometimes the sandal consisted of little else than this. This does not appear to have been the case in Palestine, for a heel-strap was essential to a proper sandal (Jtbam. xii, 1). Ladies' sandals were made of the skin of an ani- mal named tachash (Ezek. xvi, 10), whether a hyena or a seal (A. V. " badger") is doubtful; the skins of a fish (a species of Ilalicore) are used for this purpose ill the peninsula of Sinai (IJoliinson, Bibl. Res. i, Ufi). Ladies of rank especially appear to have paid great at- tention to the beauty of their sandals (Cant, vii, 1) ; though if the bride in that book was an Egyptian prin- cess, as most think, the exclamation, " How beautiful are tliy feet with sandals, O prince's daughter!" may imply admiration of a luxury properly Egyptian, as the ladies of that country were noted for their sumptuous sandals (Wilkinson, A7ic. Egypt, iii, 364). But this taste was probably general; for at the present day the dress slippers of ladies of rank are among the richest articles of their attire, being elaborately embroidered with flow- ers and other figures wrought in silk, silver, and gold. See Dress. The thongs, those at least in Hebrew times, were handsomely embroidered (.Judith x, 4 ; xvi, 9), as were those of the Greek ladies (Smith, Did. of Antiq.
Ancient Greek and Uoman Sandals.
s. V. " Sandalium"). Sandals were worn by all classes of society in I'alestine, even liy the very (loor (Amos viii, C). and both the sandal and the tlioiig or shoe-latchet were so cheap and common that tlicy passed into a proverb for the most insignificant thing ((ion. xiv, 23; Eccliis. xlvi, 19). They were not, however, worn at all periods; they were dispensed witli indoors, and were only put on by persons about to undertake .some business away from their homes, such as a military expedition (Isa. v. 27; Eph. vi, 15), or a jouriipy (I^xod. xii, 11 ; Josh, ix, 5, 13: Acts xii, 8); on such occasions ]ier.snns carried an extra pair, a practice which our Lord objected to as far as the apostles were concerned (JIatt. x, 10; comp. Mark vi, 9, and the expression in Luke x, 4, "do not carry," which harmonizes the passages). An e.xtra
pair might in certain cases be needed, as the soles were liable to be soon worn out (Josh, ix, 5), or the thongs to be broken (Isa. v, 27). During meal-times the feet were undoubtedly uncovered, as implied in Luke vii, 38 ; John xiii, 5, 6, and in the exceptions specially made hi reference to the paschal feast (Exod. xii, 11); the same custom must have prevailed wherever reclining at meals was practised (comp. Plato, Sympos. p. 213). It was a mark of reverence to cast off the shoes in ap- proaching a place or person of eminent sanctity: hence the command to Moses at the bush (Exod. iii, 5) and to Joshua in the presence of the angel (Josh, v, 15). In deference to these injunctions the priests are said to have conducted their ministrations in the Temple bare- foot (Theodoret, ad Ex. iii, quoest. 7), and the Talmud- ists even forbade any person to pass through the Tem- ple with shoes on (Mishiia, Beraeh. 9, § 5). This rever- ential act was not peculiar to the Jews; in ancient times we have instances of it in the worship of Cybele at Rome (Prudent. Peris. 154), in the worship of Isis as represented in a picture at Ilerculaneum {Ant. d'Ercol, ii, 320), and in the practice of the Egyptian priests, ac- cording to Sil. Ital. (iii, 28). In modern times we may compare the similar practice of the Mohammedans of Palestine before entering a mosque (Robinson, Bibl. Res. ii, 3G), and particularly before entering the Kaaba at Mecca (Burckhardt, .4/-«itV/, i, 270); of the Yezidis of Jlesopotamia before entering the tomb of their patron saint (Layard, Kin. i, 282) ; and of the Samaritans as they tread the summit of Mount Gerizim (Robinson, ii, 278). The practice of the modern Egyptians, who take off their shoes before stepping on the carpeted lewdn, appears to be dictated by a feeling of reverence rather than cleanliness, that spot being devoted t« prayer (Lane, i, 35). It was also an indication of violent emo- tion, or of mourning, if a person appeared barefoot in public (2 Sam. xv, 30; Isa. xx, 2; Ezek. xxiv, 17, 23). This, again, was held in common with other nations, as instanced at the funeral of Augustus (.Sueton. Aufj. 100), and on the occasion of the solemn processions which derived their name of Nudipedalia from this feature (Tertull. Apol. 40). To carry or to unloose a person's sandal was a menial oflice, betokening great inferiority on the part of the person performing it; it was hence selected by John the Baptist to express his relation to the jMessiah (iNIatt. iii, 11 ; Mark i, 7; John i, 27; Acts xiii, 25). The expression in Psa. Ix, 8; cviii, 9, "over Edom will I cast out my shoe," evidently signifies the subjection of that country; but the exact point of the comparison is obscure, for it may refer cither to tlie custom of handing the sandal to a slave, or to that of claiining possession of a property by planting the foot on it, or of acquiring it by the symbolical action of casting the shoe; or, again, Edom may be regarded in the still more subordinate position of a shelf on which the sandals were rested while their owner bathed his feet. Tiie use of the shoe in the transfer of property is noticed in Ruth iv. 7, 8, and a similar significance was attached to the act in connection with the repudiation of a Levirate marriage (I)eut. xxv, 9). Shoe-making, or rather strap-making (i. e. making the straps for the sandals), was a recognised trade among the Jews (Mish- na, Pesac/i. 4, § 0). — Smith; Kitto. See Shoe.