Textiles

Cloth-making was an essential craft of the ancient Near East, as evidenced in the surviving loom weights and spindle whorls used in textile production (King and Stager, Life, 153). Textiles themselves, composed of organic fibers such as cotton, wool, flax, or goat hair, rarely survive in the archaeological record (King and Stager, Life, 147). Textiles could be made into a variety of items, including clothing, tents, and slings used in warfare. Leather could be used in clothing and armor. The Bible presents strict laws for the use and mixing of fibers (Lev 19:19; Deut 22:11).