4. Arabian Costumes. We may now turn to modern sources of illustration. With the excel, t ions of the foreign Turkish costume and the mod ification thereof, and with certain local excep tions, chiefly in mountainous regions, it may be said that there is one prevailing costume in all the countries of Asia between the Tigris and Mediterranean, and throughout Northern Africa, from the Nile to Morocco and the banks of the Senegal. This costume is substantially Arabian, and owes its extension to the wide conquests of the Arabians under the first caliphs: and it is through the Arabians—the least changed of an cient nations, and almost the only one which (2) Bedouin Head-dress. The distinctive head-dress of the Bedouin, and which has not been adopted by any other nation, or even by the Arabian townsmen, is a kerchief (kcffeh) folded triangularly, and thrown over the head so as to fall down over the neck and shoulders, and hound to the head by a hand of twisted wool or camel's hair. We forbear at the moment from inquiring whether this was or was not in use among the ancient Hebrews.
(3) Cloak. The cloak is called an abba It is made of wool and hair, and of various degrees of fineness. It is sometimes entirely black, or entirely white, hut is more usually marked with broad stripes, the colors of which (never more than two, one of which is always white) are dis tinctive of the tribe by which it is worn. The cloak is altogether shapeless, being like a square sack, with an opening in front, and with slits at the sides to let out the arms. The Arab who wears it by day, sleeps in it by night, as does often the peasant by whom it has been adopted; and in all probability this was the garment similarly used by the ancient Hebrews, and which a benevolent law, delivered while Israel was still in the desert, forbade to be kept in pledge be yond the day, that the poor might not be without a covering at night (Exod. :27).
Among the Arab tribes or Moors of Northern Africa, the outer garment is more generally the bournoos (Fig. 3), a woolen cloak, not unlike the abba, but furnished with a hood, and this is some times strangely confounded with a totally different outer-garment worn in the same regions, usually called the hyke, but which is also, according to its materials, quality, or color, distinguished by various other names; and writers have produced some confusion by not observing that these names refer to an article of raiment which under all these names is essentially the same. Regardless of these minute distinctions, this part of dress may be described as a large woolen blanket, either white or brown, and in summer a cotton sheet (usually blue or white, or both colors together). Putting one corner before over the left shoulder, the wearer brings it behind, and then under the right arm, and so over the body. throwing it be
hind over the left shoulder, and leaving the right arm free for action (Fig. 2). It is sometimes thrown over the head as a protection from the sun or wind (Fig. I), and calls to mind the various passages of Scripture in which per sons are described as covering their heads with their mantles (2 Sam. xv :3o; t Kings xix:t3; Esth. vi :12). This article of dress, originally borrowed from the nomades, is known in Arabia, and extends westward to the shores of the At lantic, being most extensively used by all classes of the population. The seat of this dress, and of the abba respectively, is indicated by the direction of their importation into Egypt. The hykes are imported from the west (i. e., from North Africa), and the abbas from Syria. The close resemblance of the above group of real costume to those in which the traditionary ecclesiastical and traditionary artistica] costumes are displayed, must be obvious to the most cursory observer. It may also be noticed that the hyke is not without some resemblance, as to the manner in which it was worn, to the outer garment of one of the figures in the Egyptian family, supposed to repre sent the arrival of Joseph's brethren in Egypt.
5. Village Costumes. We now turn to the costumes which are seen in the towns and villages of southwestern Asia.
(1) Drawers. In the Scriptures drawers are only mentioned in the injunction that the high priest should wear them (Exod. xxviii :42), which seems to show that they were not generally in use; nor have we any evidence that they ever became common. (See PRIESTS.) Drawers de scending to the middle of the thighs were worn by the ancient Egyptians, and workmen often laid aside all the rest of their dress when occu pied in their labors. As far as this part of dress was used at all by the Hebrews, it was doubtless either like this, or similar to those which are now worn in Western Asia by all, except some among the poorer peasantry, and by many of the Bedouin Arabs. They are of linen or cotton, of ample breadth, tied around the body by a running string, or band, and always worn next the skin, not over the shirt as in Europe.
It will be asked, when the poor Israelite had pawned his outer-garment 'wherein he slept,' what dress was left to him? The answer is probably supplied in the cotton, or woolen frocks or shirts, which often, in warm weather, form the sole dress of the Bedouin peasants, and the lower class of townspeople. To this the abba or 'tyke is the proper outer robe, but is usually, in summer, dig pensed with in the day-time, and in the ordinary pursuits and occupations of life. It is sometimes worn without, but more usually with, a girdle.