Linen

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.

Linen was made of flax. The dry climate in biblical lands was excellently suited to growing flax, which was renowned for its high quality. The centre of flax production was Arbel in Galilee.

According to the Gezer calendar, flax was harvested in the month of March. After the harvest, the seeds were removed and then the flax was soaked in water. The moisture would break down the pectin, which holds the fibres together. Then the wet flax was beaten with a wooden stick to separate the fibres from the straw. The fibres were spun into yarn and then processed further.

Linen was naturally off-white in colour and was generally not dyed. At the time, they did not yet have the right technique to make the dye bond with vegetable fibres. Linen could, however, be bleached to make it a brighter white.