VEIL. There are several words denoting veil in the Hebrew Scripture, showing that, as at pre sent, there were different kinds of this essential article of an Eastern female's attire. These are essentially of two descriptions. The first, and which alone offer any resemblance to the veils used among us, are those which the Eastern women wear in-doors, and which are usually of muslin or other light texture, attached to the head-dress and falling down over the back. They arc of dif ferent kinds and names, some descending only to the waist, while others reach nearly to the ground. These are not used to conceal the face.
The veils mentioned in Scripture were, no doubt, mostly analogous to the wrappers of different kinds in which the Eastern women envelop themselves probably of finer materials, from the manner in which it is mentioned in this text and in Cant. v. 7. The latter passage shows that it was an out door veil, which the lady had cast around her when she went forth to seek her beloved. In Is. iii. 22, this word is rendered by the old English and now obsolete term wimple,' which means a kind of hood or veil in use at the time the transla tion was made, and was not a bad representative of the original. The word occurs in Spenser For she had laid her mournful stole aside, And widow-like sad winzple thrown away.' But (she) the same did hide Under a veil that wimp/ed was full low ; And over all a black stole she did throw, As one that inly mourned.' Another kind of veil, called rICV, tzamah, is named in Cant. iv. r, 3 ; vi. 7, and Is. xlvii. 2, in which places the word is rendered locks' in the A. V. ; but in these texts, according to the best critics, we should read, Thou host dove's eyes within thy veil ;' not within thy locks." Thy
when they quit their houses. These are of great amplitude, and, among the common people, of strong and coarse texture, like that in which Ruth carried home her corn (Ruth iii. 15). The word here is nntton, mitpachat, and is rightly rendered veil' by our translators, although some graphers, not understanding Eastern veils, have considered it a mantle or cloak. The cuts will show how sufficient the out-door 'veils' of the Eastern women are for such a. use. The word which indicates Ruth's ample and strong veil is that which also occurs in Is. iii. 22, and is there translated mantle.' In the same verse we find raclid, which denotes another kind of veil, temples within thy veil ;' not within thy locks.' Raise thy veil ;' not uncover thy locks.' And as these pass:ages refer mostly to the effect of the veil as connected with the head-dress, it may per haps have been one of those veils, which have been already described as a part of in-door dress ; al though it must be admitted that the expressions are almost equally applicable to some kind of street-veil. Of this the reader can judge from the engravings.
Another veil, called WY, tzaiph, is mentioned in Gen. xxiv. 65 ; xxxviii. 14, /9, under circum stances which show that it was one of those ample wrappers which women wore out of doors. The etymology, referred to the Arabic c, sub du plicavit, suggests that it was doubled' over the shoulders, or folded about the body, in some pecu liar manner which distinguished it from other veils. It is clear that it concealed the face, as Judah could not recognise Tamar when she had wrapped herself in a tzaph.—J.