[B-Greek] Coat of what?
Albert Pietersma
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Tue Jan 13 15:55:50 EST 2004
Herewith a description of a Greek CITWN, from Thomas Hope, Costumes of
the Greeks and Romans xxx-xxxi:
"It was of light tissue, in earliest times made of wool, in latter
periods of flax, and last of all, of flax mixed with silk, or even pure
silk. Its body was in general composed of two square pieces sewed
together on the sides. Sometimes it remained sleeveless, only offered
openings for the bare arms to pass through, and was confined over the
shoulders by means of clasps or buttons; at other times it had very
long and wide sleeves; and these were not unfrequently (sic) . . .
gathered up under the arm-pits, so as to leave the arms in a great
measure bare. Most usually however the body of the tunic branched out
into a pair of tight sleeves reaching to near the elbow, which in the
most ancient dresses were close, with a broad stiff band running down
the seams, and in more modern habiliments open in their whole length,
and only confined by means of small buttons carried down the arms, and
placed so near the edge of the stuff as in their intervals to shew the
skin. In very richly embroidered tunics the sleeves sometimes descended
to the wrists; in others they hardly reached half way down the upper
arm. . . . Often, when the tunic was very long and would otherwise have
entangled the feet, it was drawn over the girdle in such a way as to
conceal the latter entirely underneath its folds."
More than you ever wanted to know . . .
Al
On Jan 13, 2004, at 2:14 PM, Maurice A. O'Sullivan wrote:
> At 18:56 13/01/2004, Eric Weiss wrote:
>
>> I, too, do not envy the translator's task!!
>
> No, indeed.
>
> Freedman, D. N., Myers, A. C., & Beck, A. B. (2000). Eerdmans
> dictionary of the Bible (Page 265). Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans
> on p.265 reads:
> >> The complexity translators face becomes apparent when one compares
> translations; e.g., in Gen. 37:3, 23, 32 Joseph's _ketonet passim_:
> 'tunic of many colors' (NKJV), long robe with sleeves (NRSV, REB),
> long tunic (NAB), decorated tunic (NJB), ornamented tunic (NJPSV),
> richly ornamented robe (NIV).<<
>
> and on p.734:
> >> This robe (ketonet passim) is the traditional 'coat of many
> colors,' although the Hebrew actually refers simply to a sleeved tunic
> or robe reaching to the wrists and ankles (in 2 Sam. 13:18 it is the
> clothing of a princess). The significance of the special robe is that
> it set Joseph apart from his brothers and triggered hatred and
> jealousy in them (Gen. 37:4).<<
>
> and for background:
> Negev, A. (1996, c1990). The Archaeological encyclopedia of the Holy
> Land (3rd ed.). New York: Prentice Hall Press.
>
> >>Another type of loom, much employed in Egypt and also used in
> Palestine, was vertical. Two long posts were driven into the ground
> and a third was placed horizontally on top of them. The warp threads
> were tied to the horizontal post, each thread being suspended by a
> weight. Loom weights made of stonehave been found on almost every site
> in Palestine. The horizontal post of the vertical loom is the
> 'weaver's beam' referred to in I Samuel (17:7). The weaving was done
> at the upper part of the loom, and the woven fabric was rolled on top
> of the beam. Initially it was inserted through the warp with the
> fingers, but later a thin rod, made of wood or bone, was used.
>
> On hand looms such as these either monochrome or polychrome fabrics
> were produced. Joseph's coat of many colors (Gen. 37:3), or Aaron's
> "broidered coat" (Exod. 28:4) may have been of the latter kind, as may
> the 'prey of diverse colors' of Sisera (Judg. 5:30). If multicolored
> cloth was to be made groups of fibers of different colors were tied to
> the horizontal beam. It was not until late in the Roman period that
> more advanced systems of weaving were introduced.<<
>
> And if this doesn't exhaust the topic, it does me. <vbg>
>
>
> Maurice A. O'Sullivan [ Bray, Ireland ]
> mauros at iol.ie
>
>
> ---
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>
>
—
Albert Pietersma
Professor of Septuagint and Hellenistic Greek
Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto
Home: 21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm
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