RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Dress and Ornament, Hebrew
tied around the neck (Gen. xxxviii. 18), as still is often the case. The Egyptians wore the signet on the finger (Gen. xli. 42), and later the Is- 6. Signets raelites wore it on a finger of the right and Seals, hand ( Jer. xxii. 24 ). Besides the signetring set with a cut stone, the signet took the form of a cylinder. This kind of seal was common in Babylon, and, as excavations have shown, was in use in Palestine. From remotest antiquity Babylonia was distinguished for gem-cutting, an art which reached there a high degree of excellence shown by the exquisitely carved cylinders that have been preserved. This art was introduced into Syria. A seal-cylinder found at Taanach shows Babylonian and Egyptian characters, thus betraying its Western origin. It is not known to what extent such things were made in Israel, or whether they were not bought through the Phenicians. At all events, in decorative art and in the manner of execution Babylonian influence was always dominant. The handsomest seal extant by a Hebrew hand is one that was discovered in Megiddo by the excavations of the Deutscher Palastina-Verein. It is the seal of Shemai, the minister of state (ebed) of Jeroboam II., made of jasper, oval in form, 3. 7 by 2.7 centimeters, and with a splendidly carved lion, resembling closely the lion figures of Babylonian- Assyrian art (cf. Mittheilungen und Nachrichten des deutschen Paldstina-Vereins, 1904, pp. 1 sqq.).
A jewel was at the same time an amulet. According to the ancient Oriental view, metals and precious stones belonged to certain gods of the mineral world, and possessed, therefore, a mysterious magic power. Aside from this, any 7. Charms, trinket that diverts attention from the wearer to itself still serves as a protection against the evil eye. For this reason every one in the Orient wears an abundance of jewelry. Traces of this superstition are found in the Old Testament. In Isa. iii. 20 a piece of woman's jewelry is designated as an amulet (cf. Gen. xxxv. 4); and it is evident that the ornaments on the camels of the Midianites were charms (Judges viii. 21). In design and execution the various articles of jewelry resemble Babylonian and Egyptian models.
Earrings were the principal article of jewelry for women (Gen. xxxv. 4), and were sometimes worn by children (Ex. xxxii. 2). They were also worn by men, e.g., by the Midianites (Judges viii. 24 sqq.), and Pliny claims that they were worn by all Orientals (Pliny, xi. 136). It is impossible 8. Ear- to distinguish the various kinds of rings and earrings mentioned; still, the excava- Nose-rings. tions at Gezer, Megiddo, and Taanach have brought to light several characteristic forms (cf. PEF, Quarterly Statement, 1903, p. 202). Nose-rings were also quite popular (Gen. xxiv. 22, 47; Isa. iii. 21), finger-rings were less usual. Finally, the toes were also ornamented with rings.
The forehead and hair were beautified by bands of gold or silver ornaments (Isa. iii. 18); and necklaces of various kinds were worn, also strings of rings, pearls, small glass cylinders, bone buttons, metal pendants, etc., were worn around the neck.
Excavations have revealed a great variety of
such articles. Particularly popular as amulet and
bangle were the scarabs, imitations of
9. Orna- the sacred dor-beetle which originated ments for in Egypt. They spread all over the Head and Orient; and excavations in the South
Neck. (e.g., at Gezer) have brought numbers of them to light. Bracelets were simply pieces of wire bent around the arms, and the ends were not fastened together (Gen. xxiv. 22; Ezek. xvi. 13, xxiii. 42). There were also anklets of corresponding form, to which were sometimes attached small chains (Isa. iii. 18). This kind of jewelry for women is peculiar to the Orient, both ancient and modern.
As to the care of the hair, the custom of shaving the head, wide-spread in ancient Egypt and still common, was prohibited in Israel (Lev. xix. 27; Deut. xiv. 1) because it often had a religious significance. However, as a sign of mourn-
10. The ing this custom, perhaps universal Hair. in the oldest period, was preserved
despite the prohibition (Ezek. vii. 18; Amos viii. 10; Mic. i. 16). Priests were commanded to keep their hair cut properly, and not to allow it to grow unrestrained (Ezek. xliv. 20); but no shears were to touch the head of the Nazirite (Num. vi. 18; Judges xiii. 5; I Sam. i. 11). The Egyptian way of dressing the hair with wigs and other artificial accessories was never imitated in anterior Asia. According to ancient Egyptian representations, the Syrian wore his hair rather long. The front hair was brushed down over the forehead; otherwise the hair was caught up in tufts behind, which stood out from the head. Assyrian monuments show long hair worn in plaits hanging about the neck as the prevailing style, and suggest that the better classes paid much attention to the dressing of the hair and beard. For a woman long hair was essential to beauty (Cant. iv. 1, and often); and a bald head was the greatest affliction (Isa. iii. 24). To let the hair down and allow it to hang in disorder denoted extreme humility (Num. v. 18; cf. Luke vii. 38). The arts employed by women to beautify the hair are derided by Isaiah (Isa. iii. 24).
For the Egyptians a beard was something too repulsive to be allowed, accordingly they kept themselves shaved; but the " barbarians " allowed their beards to grow. In Egyptian pictures the Syrians
have round beards, the Bedouins 11. The pointed beards. Assyrian representa- Beard. tions testify to the custom of wearing
a mustache. To cut off any one's beard was a grave insult (II Sam. x. 4), a humiliation to which prisoners of war were subjected (Isa. vii. 20); and often, in deep mourning, this mutilation was self-inflicted (Isa. xv. 2). To cut out the corners of the beard was forbidden in Israel, as being the custom of a strange cult.
I. Benzinger.
Bibliography: H. Weiss, KostiXmkunde, part i., Die Volker des Ostens, Stuttgart, 1860; B. Ugolini, Thesaurus antiquitatum sacrarum, vol. xxix., 34 vols., Venice, 1744-69; A. T. Hartmann, Die Hebraerin am Putztisch und als Braul, Amsterdam, 1809; W. M. Thompson, The Land and the Book, 3 vols., New York, 1880-86; I. Benzinger, Hebraische Archaologie, § § 16-17, Tubingen, 1907; W.
Drews, Paul Gottfried Droste-Vischering