Living, Working & Warfare

Agriculture in Israel was the most important source of income, just as in other countries in the ancient Near East. There were, however, significant differences in terrain type and climate. Not all regions were as suitable for growing crops, because there was little rainfall for a large proportion of the year. In those areas livestock farming was very important.

A baking plate was a round plate made of pottery or metal, which was used to bake bread on. The baking plate was placed above the fire on a few stones. After that, a thin round slab of dough was placed on it and baked into bread.

Bread was baked on a griddle or in an oven. A bread oven could be located next to the house, inside the house in the courtyard, or close to the door.

The city gate was the entrance to the city. The gate was part of the city wall. A large city like Jerusalem had several city gates. The city gate was the weakest part of the city wall, which is why it was usually fortified with towers.
A city gate usually consisted of several areas. In the time of the kings, there were usually two or three spaces on either side of the wall.
In front of the city gate there was often a second, outer gate.

The production of fabric for clothing was generally the task of women. In Proverbs 31:19 it is said of the “strong woman”, “She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth.” Women made the cloth primarily for use in their own home, but occasionally they also sold some, as we are told in Proverbs 31:24.

Spinning and weaving were mostly done at home. But 2 Kings 23:7 tells us that there were women in the Temple who had to make clothing for the statues of the goddess Ashera.

There were also men who wove and worked on cloth, for example, cloth for the decoration of the tabernacle. Spinning was seen as women’s work.

Cooking pots were used to boil water or cook food. They were deep pots made of earthenware or metal, such as bronze or copper.
The cooking pot could be hung above the fire by a rope, or be placed on stones positioned around the fire. The cooking pot could also be placed at the round opening of a bread oven.

In Old Testament times, ordinary people did not tend to use a table. They normally sat on a straw mat or an animal skin on the floor. People sat or reclined around it.
Wealthier people often did have a table, for example the Canaanite ruler Adonibezek in Judges 1:7.

Earthenware was used frequently in the ancient Middle East. It was cheap and relatively easy to work with. Pots, pans, plates and jugs are just some examples of the end products, but there were also oil lamps and other objects for use in and around the house.

Boats were used when fishing on the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Galilee. Thanks to archaeological finds, we have a good idea of {fishing boats in the time of Jesus.

According to 1 Samuel 17:6, the Philistine soldier Goliath wore bronze greaves, in addition to a bronze helmet and armour. The Hebrew word for greaves is only used in this passage in the Bible. In depictions from the ancient Near East, soldiers are always shown with unprotected legs, so the greaves in the description of Goliath are unusual.

The harp belongs to the family of stringed instruments. It is mentioned in the Bible nearly always in conjunction with a lyre, as in 2 Samuel 6:5. The Hebrew word for harp is nevel.

2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:30 both mention the tunnel that King Hezekiah made to lead water to the city. This was probably prompted by the fact that King Sennacherib of Assyria was threatening to lay siege to Jerusalem.

A hoe was used in agriculture to weed or to loosen the earth. A plow was used for larger areas of land.

In the Old Testament period the so-called four-room house was the most common type of house. In New Testament times the houses were often built around an inner courtyard.

The lampstand or menorah was a stand on which one or more oil lamps could be placed.

In the Bible, linen mainly features as material for priestly garments and clothing for rich, influential people, such as Joseph at the Egyptian court (Genesis 41:42). Linen was also used in the tabernacle and in the Temple. According to the Gospels, Joseph of Arimathea used linen to wrap Jesus’ body.