The high priest wore over the "broidered coat" the "robe of the ephod," which was one entire piece of woven work, all of blue, parted where the hands came out, and with an aperture for the neck in the mid dle of the upper part, having its rim strengthened with a "binding of woven work." It was decorated on the lower edge with tassels in the form of "pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet;" between every two pomegranates there was a small golden bell, so that there was a bell and a pomegranate alternately all around (Exod. xxviii. 31-35).
The ephod, a short cloak consisting of two parts, covering the shoulders and breast and girded at the waist, completed the costume. The ephod was "of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen," richly embroidered. On the top of each shoulder was an onyx stone set in gold, each stone having engraved upon it six of the names of the tribes. Where the epliod crossed the breast was an ornament called the breastplate, in which was put the URIM AND 1111;313nm, and on the external part of which were set in golden sockets four rows of precious stones, three stones in each row, and upon each of these stones was engraved the name of one of the sons of Jacob.
The mitre (turban) of the high priest was of fine linen, and had upon its forefront a plate of pure gold ("the holy crown") engraved with a "writing, like the engraving of a signet, iioLY TO THE LORD." This •Y, erallov, lamina, extended from one ear to the other, being bound to the forehead with strings tied behind, and further secured in its position by a blue ribbon attached to the mitre.
The Architecture of the Israelites differed but little from that of the other Asiatic peoples. Their writings convey to us detailed information concerning it, and the construction of the dwellings in the smaller towns of Palestine remains at the present day unaltered from the style in vogue two thousand years ago. Large and beautiful cities are indeed spoken of in the fifth book of Moses, but they belonged to subjugated races who had been extirpated and whose seats had been for the most part destroyed.
conquerors retained for a long time the tents which they had used in their nomadic life; in fact, they never wholly dispensed with them in those regions which, like the eastern boundaries of the ter ritory, were but little favorable to agriculture or to settlement. In the more fertile districts and in fortified places they lived in brick huts which had a walled court in front. But the dark huts served only for the storage of property or as a shelter against the severe weather which was of rare occurrence; the usual abode of the family was on the flat roof or in the court. The latter generally contained a cistern. On the roofs, as a pro
tection against the sun, the Hebrews first used their tents, but later they erected upper apartments which are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. The law required the roof to be surrounded by a railing, lest accidents by falling should occur.
In the Phoenician cities, where great numbers of people were crowded •into a small space, houses of several stories were common, and their showy furniture is especially mentioned. The mode of construction was the same as that described above. Among the Phoenicians, as well as among the Israelites, the simplicity of construction did not prevent a costly style of building and luxurious embellishment. The prophets mention stately palaces and houses of ivory Kings xxii. 39; Ps. xiv. 8; Amos iii. 15).
The primitive hut, consisting of a single room, was but repeated, as we have noted in the case of the Egyptians (p. 126), in ranges around the interior of the court. These rooms were variously furnished and were devoted to different uses, but they were never developed into a connected house in our sense of the word. The simple upper room became, by the addition of others next to it, a second dwelling of lighter construction than the brick ground-story, but still strong enough to furnish on its flat roof an open place of resort. A flight of stairs led directly from the court, or even from the street, to the roof or to the upper story, which was expressly denoted as the "summer house," in distinction from the "win ter house" beneath. The former had, in accordance with its purpose, windows; that is, small air-holes which could be closed by gratings in the Egyptian style or covered with tapestries in the Tyrian manner. When the original court was completely built over, another was often laid out iu front; and we find instances of gardens adjacent to the houses.
The walls of the more common dwellings were tint-washed; those of the rich were painted, the interior panelled with wood, faced with marble, or hung with tapestry. The floor was flagged or paved with brick. All entrances were narrow and low; the doors turned on their centre, and were fastened in the extremely primitive manner still prevalent in the East. Our illustration represents a portion of the present town of Naz areth (pl. IS, fig. IS), and exhibits, as we have already indicated, the appearance of an ancient Israelitish settlement. What has been said of the house-furniture of the Egyptians and Assyrians obtains here also.