Fig. 1. Ancient Egyptiai
(2.) Over the drawers was worn the "coat of fine linen" ri"l' ~'T~. ketkdneth shish, tunica byssvna, Exod. xxxix. 27), a close-fitting skirt or cassock, such
as was worn by men in general (Gen. x\x\ii. 3), also by women (2 Sam. xiii. [8; Cant. v. 3), next to the
skin. It was white, but with a diamond or chess-board
pattern on it (Bahr, Symb. vol. ii. ch. iii. v; 2). Ibis
Came nearly to the feet i -oi~ //io/c \(7(.i|'. Josephus, An/.
iii. 7, l). and was to be woven in its garment-shape (not
cut out and then sewed together), like the -iiro'ir dfipa-
<>._ of John xix. 23, in which some interpreters have
even seen a token of the priestl d of him who wore il
(Ewald, Gesck. v. 177; Ugolino, xiii. 218). Here also modern Eastern customs present an analogy in the woven, seamless ihram worn by the Mecca pilgrims
(Ewald,/ifarfAtffn.p.289). Josephus further slates that il sal close to the body, and had sleeves, which were
tied fast to the aims, and was girded to the breast a little above the elbows by a girdle. It had a narrow
aperture about the neck, and was tied with certain strings hanging down from the iA^r over the breast and back, and was fastened above each shoulder (Ant. iii.
PRIEST
571
PRIEST
Fig. '
7, 2). But this gar- ment, in the case of the priests and high- priest, was to be broid- ered(Exod.xxviii,4),
yadn n:h3, "a
broidered coat," by which Gesenius un- derstands a coat of cloth workedin check- ers or cells. Braun compares it to the re- ticulum in the stom- ach of ruminant ani- l|| mals (De Vesiilu, i, 17). The Sept. gives
XtTWV KOOVflfiwTOQ,
which seems to refer
to the tassels or
Ancient Egyptiau Tunic, strings; Vtilg. hnea
stricta, which seems to refer to its close fitting.
(3.) The whole tunic was gathered at the waist by the "girdle" (1333!*, abnet, Exod. xxviii, 40; Sept. Zbjvri; Vulg. balteus; comp. Ezek. xliv, 17-19). This was also worn by magistrates (Isa. xxii, 21). The gir- dle for the priests was to be made of fine twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet of needlework (xxxix, 29). Josephus describes it as often going round, four fingers broad, but so loosely woven that it might be taken for the skin of a serpent ; and that it was em- broidered with flowers of scarlet and purple and blue, but that the warp was nothing but linen. The begin- ning of its circumvolution was at the breast, and when it had gone often round it was there tied, and hung loosely down to the ankles while the priest was not en- gaged in any laborious service, for in that position it appeared in the most agreeable manner to the spec- tators ; but when he was obliged to assist at the offer- ing of sacrifices and to do the appointed service, in order that he might not be hindered in his operations by its motion, he threw it to the left hand and bore it on his right shoulder (Ant. iii. 7, 2). The mode of its hanging down is illus- trated in Fig. 4, where the girdle is also richly embroidered, while the imbricated appearance of the girdle (Sib";? E£"i) may be seen very plainly in Fig. 1. The next "cut (Fig. 3), of a priestly scribe of an- cient Egypt, offers an Fig. 3. Ancient Egyptian Tunic interesting specimen of and Girdle. both tunic and girdle.
See Girdlk. (4.) Upon their head they were to wear a turban (!"IS35E), migbedh; Exod. xxviii, 40; Sept. tcicapig; Vulg. tiara ; A. V. " cap" or " bonnet," which two words are there synonymous) in the form of a cup-shaped flower, also of Hue linen (xxxix, 28). In the time of Josephus it was circular, covering about half the head, something like a crown, made of thick linen swathes doubled round many times and sewed together, surrounded by a linen cover to hide the seams of the swathes, and sat so close that it would not fall off when the bodv was bent down (Ant. iii, 7, 3).
These garments they might wear at any time in the Temple, whether on duty or not, but they were not to
sleep in them (Josephus, War, v, 5, 7). When they be- came soiled they were not washed or used again, but torn up to make wicks for the lamps in the Tabernacle (Selden, Be Synedr. xiii, 11). In Ezek. xlii, 14; xliv, 17-19, there are directions that the priests should take off their garments when they had ministered, and lay them up in the holy chambers, and put on other gar- ments; but these directions occur in a visionary repre- sentation of a temple, which all agree has never been realized, the particulars of which, though sometimes de- rived from known customs, yet at other times differ from them widely. The garments of the inferior priests appear to have been kept in the sacred treasury (Ezra ii, 69; Neh. vii, 70). They had besides them other "clothes of service." which were probably simpler, but are not described (Exod. xxxi, 10 ; Ezra xlii, 14). In all their acts of ministration they were to be barefooted. This is inferred («)from the absence of any direction as to a covering for the feet; (b) from the later custom; (c) from the universal feeling of the East. Shoes were worn as a protection against defilement. In a sanctuary there was nothing that could defile. Then, as now, this was the strongest recognition of the sanctity of a holy place which the Oriental mind could think of (Exod. iii, 5; Josh, v, 15), and throughout the whole existence of the Temple service, even though it drew upon them the scorn of the heathen (Juven. Sat. vi, 159), and serious- ly affected the health of the priests (Ugolino, viii, 976; xiii, 405), it was scrupulously adhered to.