HANDICRAFT. In the early periods to which the Scriptural history refers, the entire circle of achievement which man had effected in the natural world, was too immediately and too ob viously connected with the labour of the hands, which is, in truth, the great primary source of wealth, for any feeling regarding it to prevail but one of high estimation. When hand-labourers were seen on every side, and found in every grade of life, and when the products of their skill and in dustry were the chief, if not the sole, advantages which civilization gave, handicraftsmen, as they vvere among the great benefactors, so were they among the chief favourites of human kind. Ac cordingly, even the creation of the world is spoken of as the work of God's hands, and the firmament is said to shew his handy-work (Ps. viii. 3 ; xix. 1; Gen. ii. 2 ; Job xxxiv. 19). The primitive history, too, which the Bible presents is the history of hand labourers. Adam dressed the garden in which God had placed him (Gen. ii. 15), Abel was a keeper of sheep, Cain a tiller of the ground (Gen. iv. 3), Tubal-Cain a smith (Gen. iv. 22). These refe rences prove how soon men gave themselves to the labours of the hand, and these and similar passages serve to shew what were the earliest employments, did not the nature of the case suffice to assure us that the most necessary arts would be first culti vated. The general nature of this article does not require any extensive or detailed inquiry into the hand-labours which the Israelites practised before their descent into Egypt ; but the high and varied culture which they found there declares that any history of hand-labour must be very defective the sources of which are found exclusively in the Bible. The shepherd-life which the patriarchs previously led in their own pasture-grounds, was not favour able to the cultivation of the practical arts of life, much less of those arts by which it is embellished. Egypt, in consequence, must have presented to Joseph and his father not only a land of wonders, but a source of rich and attractive knowledge. And though the herdsman-sort of life which the Hebrews continued to lead would not be condu cive to their advancement in either science or art ; yet it cannot be doubted that they derived in no slight degree those advantages which have always been reaped by a less cultured people, when brought into proximity or contact with a high state of civilization.
Another source of knowledge to the Hebrews of handicrafts were the maritime and commercial Phcenicians. Commerce and navigation imply great skill in art and science ; and the pursuits to which they lead largely increase the skill whence they emanate. It is not, therefore, surprising that the origin of so many arts has been referred to the north-eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sca ; nor is there any difficulty in understanding how arts and letters should be propagated from the coast to the interior, conferring high advantages on the inhabitants of Syria in general, as well before as after the settlement of the Hebrew tribes in the land of promise. At first the division of labour was only very partial. The master of the family himself exercised such arts as were found of absolute necessity. Among these may be reckoned not
only those which pasturage and tillage required, but most of those which were of that rough and severe nature which demand strength as well as skill ; such, for instance, as the preparation of wood-work for the dwelling, the slaying of animals for food, which every householder understood, together with the art of extracting the blood from the entire carcass. The lighter labours of the hand fell to the share of the housewife ; such as baking bread (2 Sam. xiii. S)—for it was only in large towns that baking was carried on as a trade— such, also, as cooking in general, supplying the house with water, no very easy office, as the foun tains often lay at a considerable distance from the dwelling : moreover, weaving, making of clothes for males as well as females, working in wool, flax, hemp, cotton, tapestry, richly-coloured hangings, and that not only for domestic use, but for merchandise,' were carried on within the pre cincts of the house by the mistress and her maide_ns (Exod. xxxv. 25 ; I Sam. ii. 19 ; 2 Kings xxiii. 7 ; Prov. xxxi.) The skill of the Hebrews during their wander ings in the desert does not appear to have been inconsiderable. In Exodus (xxxv. 30-35) a pas sage occurs which may serve to specify many arts that were practised among the Israelites, though it seems also to intimate that at the time to which it refers artificers of the description referred to were not numerous—' See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel, and bath filled him with the spirit of God, in knowledge and all manner of workman ship, and to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any mariner of cunning work ; and he hath put in his heart that he may teach ; both he and Aholiab ; them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the engraver ; and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer in blue and in purple, in scarlet and in fine linen, and of the weaver.' From the ensuing chapter (ver: 34) it appears that gilding was known before the settle ment in Canaan. The ark (Exod. xxxvii. 2) was overlaid with pure gold within and without. The cherubim were wrought (` beaten,' Exod. xxxvii. 7) in gold. The candlestick was of beaten gold (ver. 17, 22). Wire-drawing was probably under stood (Exod. xxxviii. 4 ; xxxix. 3). Covering with brass (Exod. xxxviii. 2) and with silver (Prov. xxvi. 23) was practised ; but the pursuits of war and the entire absorption of the energies of the nation in the one great work of pining the land which had been given to them, may have led to their falling off in the arts of peace ; and from a passage in Sam. (xiii. 2o) it would appear that not long after they had taken possession of the country they were in a low condition as to the instruments of handicraft. A comparatively set tled state of society, however, soon led to the revival of skill by the encouragement of industry. A more minute division of labour ensued. Trades, strictly so called, arose, carried on by persons ex clusively devoted to one pursuit. Thus in Judg.