DRESS (dre's), is used in Scripture in the follow ing senses: 1. To till the soil (Heb. n;;, ,rw-bad', to serve, Gen. ii:i5; Deut. xxviii:39; Gr. gheh-ore gheh'o, Heb. vi:7).
2. Preparation of food (Heb. aw-saw', to make, Gen. xviii:7, 3; i Sam. xxv:i8; 2 Sam. xii:4, etc.).
3. Trimming lamps (Heb. yaw-tab', make right, Exod. xxx:7).
The subject of the costume of the ancient He brews is involved in much obscurity and doubt.
1. Sources of Information. there are, however, many allusions to dress in the Scrip tures, and these form the only source of our pos itive information. They are often, indeed, ob scure, and of uncertain interpretation; but they are invaluable in so far as they enable us to compare and verify the information derivable from other sources. These sources are : (1) The costume of neighboring ancient nations, as represented in their monuments.
(2) The alleged costume of Jews as represented in the same monuments.
(3) The present costumes (which are known to be ancient) of Syria and Arabia.
(4) Tradition.
2. The AI numents. The range of inquiry into monumental costume is very limited. Syria, Arabia, and Egypt are the only countries where monuments would be likely to afford any useful information; but Arabia has left no monumental figures, and Syria none of sufficiently ancient date; and it is left for Egypt to supply all the informa tion likely to be of use.
(1) Extent and Value. The extent and value of this information, for the particular purpose, we believe to be far less than is usually repre sented. That we are not disposed to undervalue the information derivable from the Egyptian monuments for the purpose of illustrating Biblical history and antiquities, the pages of the present work will sufficiently evince. But the rage for this kind of illustration has been carried to such preposterous lengths, and is so likely in its fur ther progress to confuse our notions of the real position which the Hebrews occupied, that it may not be an unwholesome caution to remind our readers that the Egyptians and the Hebrews were an exceedingly different people—as different in every respect as can well be conceived; and that the climates which they inhabited were so very different as to necessitate a greater difference of food and dress than might be presupposed of countries so near to each other. This considera
tion appears to us to render of little value the very ingenious illustrations of Jewish costume which have been deduced from this source.
(2) Home Manufacture. It is true that the Jewish nation was cradled in Egypt ; and this circumstance may have had some influence on ceremonial dresses, and the ornaments of women; but we do not find that nations circumstanced as the Jews were, readily adopt the costumes of other nations, especially when their residence in Egypt was always regarded by them as temporary, and when their raiment was of home manufacture— spun and woven by the women from the produce of their flocks (Exod. xxxv:25). We find also that, immediately after leaving Egypt, the prin cipal article of dress among the Hebrews was some ample woolen garment, fit to sleep in (Exod. xxii :27), to which nothing similar is to be seen among the costumes of Egypt.
With respect to the supposed representation of Jews in ancient monuments, if any authentu examples could be found, even of a single figure in the ancient costume, it would afford much satisfaction, as tending to elucidate many passages of Scripture which cannot at present be with cer tainty explained. The sculptures and paintings supposed to represent ancient Hebrews are con tained in the painting described below.
(3) Painting at Beni Hassan. A painting at Beni Hassan represents the arrival of some for eigners in Egypt. and is supposed to figure the arrival of Joseph's brethren in that country. The accessories of the scene, the physiognomies of the persons, and the time to which the picture relates, are certainly in unison with that event, and though we must speak with hesitation on the subject, the conjecture is probably correct.