Reference: Handicraft
Fausets
(See CIVILIZATION; BRASS.) Jewish workmen, as distinguished from the pagan workmen in ancient times, were not slaves, nor were their trades hereditary. After the captivity it was deemed at once honourable and necessary for a father to teach his son a trade. (Mishna, Pirke, ab. 2:2). Hence, Joseph the carpenter taught the holy Jesus his trade; and many of His own country marveled that works so mighty should be wrought by one like themselves, an artisan: "is not this the carpenter?" (Mr 6:3).
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Is not this that carpenter: Mary's son, the brother of James, and Joseph and of Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they were offended by the reason of him.
Smith
Handicraft.
A trade was taught to ail the Jewish boys as a necessary part of their education. Even the greatest rabbis maintained themselves by trades (Delitzsch). Says Rabbi Jehuda, "He who does not teach his son a trade is much the same as if he taught him to be a thief". In the present article brief notice only can be given of such handicraft trades as are mentioned in Scripture.
1. Smiths or metal-workers. --The preparation of iron for use either in war, in agriculture or for domestic purposes was doubtless one of the earliest applications of labor; and together with iron, working in brass, or rather copper alloyed with tin (bronze), is mentioned as practiced in antediluvian times.
After the establishment of the Jews in Canaan, the occupation of a smith became recognized as a distinct employment-
The smith's work and its results are often mentioned in Scripture.
2Sa 12:31; 1Ki 6:7; 2Ch 26:14; Isa 44:12; 54:16
The worker in gold and silver must have found employment among both the Hebrews and the neighboring nations in very early times.
Various processes of the goldsmith's work are illustrated by Egyptian monuments. After the conquest frequent notices are found of both moulded and wrought metal, including soldering.
2. Carpenters are often mentioned in Scripture.
In the palace built by David for himself the workmen employed were chiefly foreigners.
That the Jewish carpenters must have been able to carve with some skill is evident from
In the New Testament the occupation of a carpenter is mentioned in connection with Joseph the husband of the Virgin Mary, and ascribed to our Lord himself.
The trade included our cabinet work as well as carpentering.
3. The masons employed by David and Solomon, at least the chief of them, were Phoenicians.
The large stones used in Solomon's temple are said by Josephus to have been fitted together exactly without either mortar or clamps, but the foundation stones to have been fastened with lead. For ordinary building mortar was used; sometimes, perhaps, bitumen, as was the case at Babylon.
The wall "daubed with untempered mortar" of
was perhaps a sort of cob-wall of mud or clay without lime, which would give way under heavy rain. The use of whitewash on tombs is remarked by our Lord.
4. Ship-building must have been exercised to some extent for the fishing-vessels on the Lake of Gennesaret.
Solomon built ships for his foreign trade.
1Ki 9:26-27; 22:48; 2Ch 20:36-37
5. Apothecaries or perfumers appear to have formed a guild or association.
Ex 30:25,35; 2Ch 16:14; Ne 3:8; Ec 7:1; 10:1
Ecclus 38:8.
6. Weavers. --The arts of spinning and weaving both wool and linen were carried on in early times, as they usually are still among the Bedouins, by women.
Ex 35:20,26; Le 19:19; De 22:11; 2Ki 23:7; Eze 16:16; Pr 31:13-14
The loom with its beam,
pin,
and shuttles
was perhaps introduced later, but as early as David's time.
7. Dyeing and dressing cloth were practiced in Palestine, as were also tanning and dressing leather.
Jos 2:15-18; 2Ki 1:8; Mt 3:4; Ac 9:43
8. Barbers.
9. Tentmakers are noticed in
10. Potters are frequently alluded to.
11. Bakers are noticed in Scripture,
and the well-known valley Tyropoeon probably derived its name from the occupation of the cheese-makers, its inhabitants.
12. Butchers, not Jewish, are spoken of
Shoemakers, tailors, glaziers and glass vessels painters and gold workers are mentioned in the Mishna. Chel. viii. 9; xxix. 3,4; xxx. 1.
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And Zillah she also bare Tubalcain; a worker in metal and a father of all that grave in brass and iron. And Tubalcain's sister was called Naamah.
Make thee an ark of pine tree, and make chambers in the ark, and pitch it, within and without, with pitch.
And they said, one to another, "Come on, let us make brick and burn it with fire." So brick was their stone and slime was their mortar.
And as the camels had left drinking, he took an earring of half a sicle weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of ten sicles weight of gold,
And the servant took forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: But unto her brother and to her mother, he gave spices.
And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were under their hands, and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under an oak at Shechem.
Then said he, "What pledge shall I give thee?" And she said, "Thy signet, thy necklace, and thy staff that is in thy hand." And he gave it her and lay by her, and she was with child by him.
And make of them holy anointing oil even an oil compound after the craft of the apothecary.
and make cense of them compounded after the craft of the apothecary, mingled together, that it may be made pure and holy.
And all the company of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
"'Keep mine ordinances. Let none of thy cattle gender with a contrary kind, neither sow thy field with mingled seed, neither shalt thou put on any garment of linen and woollen.
And as long as the vow of his abstinence endureth, there shall no razor nor shears come upon his head, until his days be out which he fasteth unto the LORD, and he shall be holy and shall let the locks of his hair grow.
Then the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram and one sweet cake out of the basket and one sweet wafer also and put them in the hand of the abstainer after he hath shaven his abstinence off,
Thou shalt not wear a garment made of wool and flax together.
And then she let them down with a cord through the window. For her house stood in the town wall. And she dwelt in the town wall. And she said unto them, get you into the mountains, lest the followers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned, and then may ye go your ways. read more. And the men said unto her, "We will be blameless of thy oath, which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come unto the land, thou shalt bind this purple threaden cord in the window, which thou lettest us down by. And thou shalt bring thy father, thy mother, thy brethren, and all thy father's household, even into the house to thee.
And she said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked and went away with the nail that was in the plaiting and with the hair lace.
But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears.
And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spearhead weighed six hundred sicles of iron. And one bearing a shield went before him.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and masons, to build David a house.
And he brought out the people that was therein and sawed them and drew harrows of iron upon them, and shred some of them with shredding knives of iron, and thrust some into furnaces. And so he served all the cities of the children of Ammon. And then David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
And Solomon's masons and the masons of Hiram did hew them, with them of the borders. And so they prepared both in timber and stone to build the house.
he made ships in Eziongeber which is beside Eloth, on the brink of the reed sea, in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent by ship also of his servants, that were shipmen and expert in the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
And Jehoshaphat made ships in the sea to go to Ophir for gold, but they went not: for the ships brake at Eziongeber.
Next unto him builded Uzziel the son of Harhaiah the goldsmith. Next unto him builded Hananiah the Apothecary's son, and they repaired Jerusalem unto the broad wall.
my days pass over more speedily than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
She occupieth wool and flax, and laboureth gladly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ship, that bringeth her victuals from afar.
A good name is more worth than a precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
Dead flies corrupt sweet ointment and make it to stink. Even so, oft times, he that hath been had in estimation for wisdom and honour is abhorred because of a little foolishness.
The Smith comforted the molder, and the Ironsmith the hammer man, saying, 'It shall be good, that we fasten this cast work,' and then they fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
The smith taketh iron, and tempereth it with hot coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and maketh it with all the strength of his arms: yea, sometimes he is faint for very hunger, and so thirsty, that he hath no more power. The carpenter or image carver taketh meat of the timber, and spreadeth forth his line; he marketh it with some colour; he planeth it, he ruleth it, and squareth it, and maketh it after the image of a man; and according to the beauty of a man that it may stand in the temple.
The carpenter or image carver taketh meat of the timber, and spreadeth forth his line; he marketh it with some colour; he planeth it, he ruleth it, and squareth it, and maketh it after the image of a man; and according to the beauty of a man that it may stand in the temple.
Behold, I make the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and he maketh a weapon after his handy work. I make also the waster to destroy:
"Arise, and go down into the Potter's house, and there shall I tell thee more of my mind." Now when I came to the Potter's house, I found him making his work upon a wheel. read more. The vessel that the Potter made of clay, brake among his hands: So he began anew, and made another vessel, according to his mind. Then said the LORD thus unto me, "May not I do with you, as this Potter doth, O ye house of Israel, sayeth the LORD? Behold, ye house of Israel: ye are in my hand, even as the clay in the Potter's hand. When I take in hand to root out, to destroy, or to waste away any people or kingdom; if that people against whom I have thus devised convert from their wickedness: Immediately, I repent of the plague, that I devised to bring upon them. Again. When I take in hand, to build, or to plant a people or a kingdom: if the same people do evil before me, and hear not my voice: Immediately, I repent of the good, that I devised to do for them. "Speak now therefore unto whole Judah, and to them that dwell at Jerusalem. Thus sayeth the LORD: Behold, I am devising a plague for you, and am taking a thing in hand against you. Therefore let every man turn from his evil way, take upon you the thing that is good, and do right. But they say, 'No more of this, we will follow our own imaginations, and do every man according to the wilfulness of his own mind.' Therefore thus sayeth the LORD: Ask among the Heathen, if any man hath heard such horrible things, as the Daughter of Zion hath done. Shall not the snow that melteth upon the stony rocks of Lebanon moisten the fields? Or may the springs of waters be so graven away, that they run no more, give moistness, nor make fruitful? But my people hath so forgotten me, that they have made sacrifice unto vain gods. And while they followed their own ways they are come out of the high street, and gone into a foot way not used to be trodden. Wherethrough they have brought their land into an everlasting wilderness and scorn: So that whosoever traveleth thereby, shall be abashed, and wag their heads. With an East wind will I scatter them, before their enemies. And when their destruction cometh, I will turn my back upon them, but not my face." Then said they, "Come, let us imagine something against this Jeremiah." Yea, this did even the priests, to whom the law was committed: the Senators, that were the wisest: and the prophets, which wanted not the word of God. "Come," said they, "let us cut out his tongue, and let us not regard his words." Consider me, O LORD, and hear the voice of mine enemies! Do they not recompense evil for good, when they dig a pit for my soul? Remember, how that I stood before thee, to speak for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. Therefore let their children die of hunger, and let them be oppressed with the sword. Let their wives be robbed of their children, and become widows: let their husbands be slain, let their young men be killed with the sword in the field. Let the noise be heard out of their houses, when the murderer cometh suddenly upon them: For they have digged a pit to take me, and laid snares for my feet. Yet LORD, thou knowest all their counsel that they have devised, to slay me. And therefore forgive them not their wickedness, and let not their sin be put out of thy sight: but let them be judged before thee as the guilty: This shalt thou do unto them in the time of thy indignation.
Then Zedekiah the king commanded to put Jeremiah in the fore entry of the prison, and daily to be given him a cake of bread of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was eaten up. Thus Jeremiah remained in the fore entry of the prison.
"'And that for this cause: they have deceived my people, and told them of peace, where no peace was. One setteth up a wall, and they daub it with loose clay.
Yea, thou hast taken thy garments of divers colors, and decked thine altars therewith, whereupon thou mightest fulfill thine whoredom, of such a fashion as never was done, nor shall be.
The eldest and wisest at Gebal were they, that mended and stopped thy ships. All ships of the sea with their shipment occupied their merchandise in thee.
All these burn in adultery, as it were an oven that the baker heateth when he hath left kneading, till the dough be leavened.
This John had his garment of camel's hair, and a girdle of a skin about his loins; his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren be called, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like unto painted tombs which appear beautiful outwards: but are within full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness.
Is not this that carpenter: Mary's son, the brother of James, and Joseph and of Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they were offended by the reason of him.
Simon Peter said unto them, "I go a fishing." They said unto him, "We also will go with thee." They went their way and entered into a ship straightway, and that night caught they nothing.
The other disciples came by ship: For they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits; And they drew the net with fishes.
And because he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought: their craft was to make tents.
which he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs ye know that by this craft we have vantage.
Whatsoever is sold in the market, that eat, and ask no questions for conscience sake.
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more in thee: and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee, and the sound of a mill shall be heard no more in thee,