Esther, viii. 15, of fine linen, purple in colour, and enriched with gold; the other resembled a triangle in form, being pointed at the top, though not always made in the same manner; it is denominated in Dan. iii. 21, 72, and in the Greek, kúpßaois and kupßaría. Josephus speaks of a piece of cloth, which was rolled round the head above the turban, Antiq. book iii. ch. 7. §. 3, and 7; but of this article of head-dress there is no express mention made in Scripture. Probably it was introduced at a late period, certainly after the captivity. The Hebrew word was applied to the turbans in common use worn by both sexes; the word to the turbans or mitres of priests, which were of greater height, Exod. xxviii. 40; xxix. 9; xxxix. 28. The mitre of the high priest, called, was distinguished from that of the priests by a plate of gold bound in front of it. The mitres worn by princes and illustrious men, were the same with those of the priests and the high priests, Exod. xxviii. 4, 37; xxix. 6; xxxix. 31; Lev. viii. 9; xvi. 4. In the progress of time, new and more elegant head-dresses, called, were introduced, and were common to both sexes.

צְפִירָת The phrase

, and the word, mean a head-dress or turban of much splendour; the words and 7, mean a diadem, and not a mitre. Both men and women, as is now common in the east, remained with their heads covered both at prayers and in the temple.

§. 127. OF The Veil.

The difference between the dress of the men and the women consisted chiefly in the fineness of the materials, and the length of the garment. The dress of the hair, in the two sexes, was different, as before observed; and another mark of distinction was, that the women wore a veil. This distinction of dress, small as it was, was the ground of the command, prohibiting the assumption by one sex of the dress, which was appropriated to the other, Deut. xxii. 5. All females, except servants and others in a low condition in life, wore the veil; nor did they ever lay it aside, except in the presence of servants, and those relations with whom nuptials were interdicted, Lev. xviii.; comp. Koran, xxiv. 34; xxxiii. 54. This custom in regard to the veil still prevails in the east. When journeying, the ladies threw the veil over the hinder part of the head; but if they saw a man

approaching they restored it to its original position, Gen. xxiv. 65. When at home they did not speak with a guest without being veiled, and in the presence of female servants. They never entered the guest's chamber, but standing at the door, made known to the servant what they wanted, 2 Kings, iv. 13. This is observed to be the case in Homer. Prostitutes were always unveiled. Tamar, who was one of that class, assumed a veil merely for the purpose of concealing herself from her father-inlaw, Judah. The position, which some maintain from Gen. xx. 16; viz. that virgins did not wear the veil, is not clear from that passage, and it is the less so, when the fact is taken into consideration, that the custom of modern orientals is an evidence that they did. In Asia there are various kinds of veils in use, which correspond with those mentioned in the Bible.

I. 777. It somewhat resembled the hood of the French country women, covering the top of the head, and extending down behind the back, Cant. v. 7; Isaiah, iii. 23.

II. . This covered the breast, neck, and chin to the nose, Cant. iv, 1, 3; vi. 7; Isaiah, xlvii. 2.

III. . It hung down from the eyes over the face, [called in the English version mufflers,] Isaiah, iii. 19. IV. The fourth kind of veil received different names, viz. for the fashion of the winter, and for that of the summer. It covered the whole body from the top of the head to the sole of the foot, Isaiah, iii. 22; Ruth, iii. 15; Gen. xxxviii. 14.

V., or the double veil, so called because it served the purpose of two other veils, covering the top of the head, and falling down both behind and before. It was so large, that in many countries the matrons who wore it dispensed with any other.

VI., of a thin gauze-like texture, [denominated in the English version a caul,] which was used as a veil, comp. the corresponding Arabic. The phrase, DD, Gen. xx. 16. probably does not mean a veil; perhaps the reading, as Michaelis conjectures, should be ; that is, the fine or punishment of the eyes, viz. of Abimelech. What kind of veil that was which is called in the Greek of the New Testament é§ovoía ènì tñs xepadñs, is not known, 1 Cor. xi. 10.

§ 128. STAFF, SEAL, AND RINGS.

The Hebrews bore a staff,,, etc.; not only the traveller, as a help on his journey, but others also, who, like the Babylonians, must have carried one merely for ornament, Exod. xii. 11; Gen. xxxviii. 18, 25. The Hebrews wore also, in imitation of the Babylonians, a seal or signet, n, which was suspended from the neck over the breast, Gen. xxxviii. 18; Cant. viii. 6; Hag. ii. 23. Sometimes merely the name of the owner, and sometimes an additional sentence was engraved upon the signet. If a door or box was to be sealed, it was first fastened with some ligament, over which was placed some clay or wax for receiving an impression from the seal or signet. Frequently a ring, with some inscription upon it, was used as a seal, by a delivery or transfer of which, from a monarch, the highest offices of the kingdom were created, Gen. xli. 42; Esth. iii. 10, 12; viii. 2; Jer. xxii. 24; Dan. vi. 10, 13, 17. Rings, from the circumstance of their being employed for the same purpose as seals, were called, which is derived from a verb, signifying to imprint, and also to seal; they were worn commonly as an ornament on a finger of the right hand, Exod. xxxv. 22; Luke, xv. 22; James, ii. 2.

§. 129. LADIES' RINGS AND PENDANTS,,.

The ladies wore a number of rings upon their fingers, also pendants in the ear and nose, Gen. xxiv, 22; Exod. xxxii. 2, 3; xxxv. 22; Isaiah, iii. 21; Ezek. xvi. 12. The rings were made of silver, gold, or other metal, according to the rank or wealth of the wearer; the pendants sometimes consisted of pearls which were suspended by a thread. When they were of gold, they were denominated ; when of precious stones,

, Numb. xxxi. 50; Ezek. xvi. 12. Ear-pendants may be seen sculptured on the ruins of Persepolis, for they were worn by men as well as women among other nations. This was not often the case among the Hebrews, Pliny ii. 50; Judg. viii. 24. The women wore rings of silver, gold, and other materials round the ancles, Hebrew D. The rings of the two ancles were sometimes connected with each other by a chain, called ys; probably the chain was comprehended also under the name above given for the rings, Isaiah, iii. 18.

§. 130. NECKLACES, BRACELETS, ETC.

The dress of the ladies in the east was always expensive, Gen. xxiv. 22, 30, 53; Numb. xxxi. 50; Isaiah, iii. 16-24; Ezek. xvi. 10; et seq. They wear at the present day, as formerly, not only rings and pendants, but necklaces, bracelets, etc. These ornaments were sometimes worn by distinguished men, as a present from the monarch, as may be seen on the Persepolitan figures, Gen. xli. 42; Prov. iii. 3, 22; vi. 21; Cant. i. 11; Dan. v. 7. Necklaces and bracelets were made of silver or gold; sometimes of jewels, or coral, , Numb. xxxi. 50; Exod. xxxv. 22. Three necklaces were commonly worn; one reaching lower than the other. From the one that was suspended to the waist, there was hung a bottle of perfume, filled with amber and musk, called in Isaiah, iii. 20; . Half-moons also of silver and gold were suspended in this manner, as may be inferred from the word. With these the Arabians ornamented the necks of their camels, Isaiah, iii. 18; Judg. viii. 21, 26.

§. 131. AMULETS, ibi.

The orientals from the earliest ages have believed in the influence of the stars, in incantations, and other magic arts. To defend themselves against them, they wore amulets, which consisted of precious stones, gems, gold, and sometimes of pieces of parchment, on which was written some inscription. The small gold images of serpents,, which the Hebrew women carried in their hands were amulets, which were considered as ornamental, as well as preventives of magical influence, Isaiah, iii. 20; Exod. xiii. 9, 16; Deut. vi. 8; xi. 18.

§. 132. MIRRORS, MIN72, 87.

Mirrors were made of molten brass polished; hence they were called or shining. In Job, xxxvii. 18; the heavens are compared to a molten mirror. The ladies carried their mirrors in their hands. Their chambers were not ornamented with them; but the chamber doors, in later times were made of a polished stone, in which objects might be obscurely seen, 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

§. 133. PURSE AND NAPKIN.

The

A man's girdle answered all the purposes of a purse. purse of a lady, which was suspended from her girdle, was made of solid metal, sometimes of pure gold, and fashioned like a cone with a border of rich cloth at the top; these purses were called in Hebrew, Isaiah, iii. 22; 2 Kings, v. 23. Both sexes had napkins attached to their girdle, or wore them upon the hand or left arm those of the rich and powerful were valuable, and ornamented with embroidery. They were frequently employed as pockets, and were wrapped round the heads of those who had departed from life, Luke xix. 20; John, xi. 44. The apron, so called in Acts, xix. 12; was a napkin placed round the neck, and used as a sudarium.

§. 134. PAINTING AND BRANDIng, or Sealing.

Various kinds of painting have been practised by all nations in all ages. It is our object, however, at the present time, to speak only of that mode of painting, which in the Bible is denominated. The principal material used in giving a dark tint to the eyebrows, is a sort of black lead, which is used throughout all the east as far as India. It is applied to the eyebrows by a silver instrument, and so painted as to give them the appearance of being very long, which is deemed a great ornament, 2 Kings, ix. 30; Jer. iv. 30; Ezek. xxiii. 40. The paint, which is prepared from the ashes of the plant alkanet, and which is used by oriental matrons to communicate a yellow colour to the arms and feet, and a tint of redness to the nails, though very ancient, is not mentioned in the Bible; a mere allusion to it occurs in Jer. ii. 22, under the word ?. The red paint in use among the Roman matrons, which was spread upon the idols on festival days, is mentioned in the Book of Wisdom, xiii. 14. A custom which prevailed in the east anciently, and which is connected with this subject, has been perpetuated in that region even to the present day; viz. that whoever visited a temple should either devote himself to some god, or brand the image of the temple or the name of the god on his right arm. This custom, as far as concerned the Hebrews, was interdicted in Lev. xix. 28; but the words 'branding,' 'marking,' and 'sealing,' frequently occur with a figurative signification, Gal. vi. 17;