Jesus of Nazareth

Tunic: In Greek: Kiton. In Hebrew: Ketonet.

Discovery: Ancient tunics from the time of Jesus preserved in caves near the Dead Sea.

Jer. 1:17: And gird up your loins… (Also 1 Kings 18:46, 2 Kings 4:29, etc.)

Matt. 10:9-10: Don’t get...two tunics

John 19:23: Now the tunic [Jesus’ own tunic] was seamless, woven in one piece

BELT

Matt. 3:4: But John himself had...a leather belt about his waist

Matt. 10:9: Don’t get gold, or silver, or copper for your belts

SANDALS

Discovery: Leather sandals from the time of Jesus found in caves near the Dead Sea.

Mark 1:7: One more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down and untie the thong of his sandals.

John 13:8: Peter said to him, You will certainly not ever wash my feet!

John 13:14: You also ought to wash one another’s feet

(Mark 10:42-43: You know that those of the Gentiles who seem to rule lord it over them.... But it is not to be this way among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.)

HEAD COVERING

Ultraviolet radiation: is dangerous in the desert. As a result, a head covering is necessary. Black cloth, surprisingly, keeps you cooler than white cloth, which is why many Bedouin wear black clothes in the desert.

In Hebrew, Sudar. In Arabic, Keffiyeh.

OUTER GARMENT

Cloak: In Greek, Imation. In Hebrew, Tallit.

Tassels: In Hebrew: Tzitzit. Today all tied with the same pattern of loops and knots.

Num. 15:38-39: Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them that they will make for themselves a tassel [tzitzit] on the corners [the wings] of their garments throughout their generations, and they will put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue [techelet--a bluish or purple color]. And it will serve as a tassel for you and you will see it and you will remember all the commandments of the Lord.

Matt. 23:5: But they do all their works to be seen by men; for they...lengthen their tassels.

(Discovery: Israelites can be seen wearing tassels on one of the most ancient artistic representations of the people of the Bible: a relief on the walls of the palace of King Sennacherib at Ninevah, recording the overthrow of the Israelite city of Lachish, 8th century BC.)

Discovery: The royal archives of the palace at Mari in Syria containing thousands of hardened clay tablets (about 1700 BC).

Murex Snails: Found in the Mediterranean Sea, they were used to produce a valuable purple dye.

Mark 15:17-18: And they clothed him in purple...and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

Acts 16:14: And a certain woman by the name of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth...

Exo. 26:1: And you will make the Tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material...

Exo. 19:6: And you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...

Discovery: At Mari, a written prophecy was sent to a king with a lock of the prophet’s hair and a piece of one of his tassels to prove his identity.

1 Kings 19:19-20: And Elijah went over to him [to Elisha] and he threw his cloak to him. And he [Elisha] left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and he said, Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you.

1 Sam. 24:4,11,20: And David got up and he secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.... And look, my father, also look at the corner of your robe in my hand!... And now, look!, I know that you will surely be king, and the kingdom of Israel will rise up in your hand.

Matt. 21:7-8: When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, they brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. But the very large crowd spread out their cloaks in the road...

Zabah: a woman with a flow of blood or other discharge (Lev. 15:25-27).

Luke 8:43-45,47-48: And a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years...having come up behind him, touched the tassel of his cloak.... And Jesus said, Who touched me?....But the woman, having seen that she did not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before him.... But he said to her, Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace.

Mal. 4:2: The sun of righteousness will rise up...and healing will be in his wings [his corners].

Ruth 2:12: May the Lord reward what you have done, and may your wages be peaceful from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.

Psa. 91:4: With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you will seek refuge.

John 14:14: If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.