1 Cor 11:4

Paul Toseland toseland at blueyonder.co.uk
Sun Sep 8 05:37:37 EDT 2002


On Fri 6 Sep 2002 (13:59:39), greg at forgetreality.com wrote:
> My question is regarding 1 Cor 11:4. I want to understand exactly 
>what is meant by "having his head covered" KATA KEFALHS ECWN. 
>I have heard explainations of "covered" ranging from a kippa on the 
>head, to a veil hanging down the head.

On Sat, 7 Sep 2002 18:58:57 +0100 Ben Crick replied:

>An object has to be supplied for the present participle ECWN in the 
>Phrase KATA KEFALHS ECWN; very reasonably a word such as 
>KALUMMA (taken from the 2nd epistle to the same Church 3:14-16) 
>needs to be understood. Pious Jewish men always used the Tallith 
>or prayer shawl (and phylacteries, etc). 

>KATA KEFALHS ECWN parallels AKATAKALUPTWi THi KEFALHi 
>in the next verse (5). A KALUYIS is a concealment; a KALUMMA 
>effects such concealment. This is more plausibly a hat or a veil than 
>a woman's hair. It is precisely her hair (which is her glory, verse 15) 
>which should be covered. A veil achieves this.

I wonder if the answer to Greg’s question might lie in the Roman 
culture of 1st century Corinth. Maybe the following might be
relevant: 

“The earliest representations of togas depict the simple toga exigua 
and date to the late republic. By Rome's Golden Age, the toga had 
increased in complexity to include the sinus and umbo. The sinus 
was used as a pocket for storing small items and consisted of the 
folds draping from the left shoulder to below the right arm. The umbo
 was a clump of drapery drawn up from under the wearer's left arm 
and over his head to form a hood worn during religious rites. A 
Roman wearing the umbo in this way was described as capite velato 
(with a veiled head)."
(http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/6946/party.html)

What was the symbolic significance of the umbo in Roman religious
ritual? In the context of Christian worship, Could it possibly
be Construed as a symbol that in some way undermines the 
authority of Christ as the Head of the man?

Paul Toseland
Bristol, England  



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