Lesson 5:Trades & Crafts in the Bible From Wayne Jackson’s book

Trades & Crafts• From the beginning, God desired honest labor– Man’s first job – tend & keep the garden (Gen. 2:15)– Man’s work intensified because of sin (Gen. 3:18)– 10 Commandments emphasized labor (Ex. 20:9)– Jesus rebuked laziness, Parable of Laborers (Mt. 20:6)– Working gives man a sense of dignity• Provide for his family (1 Tim. 5:8)• Help those who cannot help themselves (Eph. 4:28)• Connection between working and eating (2 Thess. 3:10)

• Agriculture– Early occupations including farming (Gen. 2:15; 4:2)

Trades & Crafts• Metal Worker– Tubal-Cain was “an instructor of every craftsman in

bronze and iron” (Gen. 4:22).• Contrary to evolutionary assumptions regarding the

primitive nature of early humanity, the Scriptures place man’s skills with metal back near the creation.

– Evolutionists present early man as “dumb cavemen”• There were many in Bible times who dwelt in caves (Gen.

19:30; Judg. 6:2; 1 Sam. 14:11; 22:1-2; 23:29; 1 Kgs. 18:4; 19:9; etc.).• The type of domicile in which a being dwells says nothing

about his “humanity” or his intelligence.

Trades & Crafts• Metal Worker– Evolutionists present early man as “dumb cavemen”• Anthropological evidence from many cave sites reveals a

strictly “human” & intelligent mode of habitation, with evidence of cooking, sewing, tools, pottery, art work, religious artifacts and even furniture.• More isolated and primitive peoples have continued to live

in caves even in modern times. The Pueblo Indians lived in caves. A century ago people still were living in caves in Palestine. • Some anthropologists have found that “the Neanderthal

race” had a higher level of culture than some 20th century tribes—a superior tool maker, skilled as a hunter, employed paint, and had many uses for flint.

Trades & Crafts• Metal Worker– Archaeology confirms the early use of iron.• Near Bogazkoy in Asia Minor, an iron dagger was

discovered in the tomb of an Antolian ruler dating from 2400 to 2200 B.C.• Iron beads have been found in pre-dynastic Egyptian

remains (4000-3200 B.C.).• “These two widespread occurrences of the use of iron at

least a millennium earlier than 1200 B.C., the usual date for the beginning of the Iron Age in the Middle East, should teach us caution in making pronouncements such as ‘It’s impossible!” to the usage of this or any other material” (Harold Stigers, Commentary on Genesis, p. 91).

Trades & Crafts• Metal Worker– Bible emphasizes the abundance of iron in Palestine• The Israelites certainly had iron instruments before they

came into Canaan, for God instructed them not to use iron tools in building the altar of the tabernacle (Deut. 27:5).• The Jews had iron axe heads (2 Kings 6:5-6), spear tips (1

Sam. 17:7), picks (2 Sam. 12:31), and other tools & weapons.• In showing the utter absurdity of idolatry, Isaiah made this

description of an iron worker: “The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms” (Isa. 44:12).

Trades & Crafts• Pottery Making– Early pottery was quite fragile• Archaeologists find rich deposits of pottery fragments• Job sat among the ashes (the city dump) and scraped

himself with a potsherd (Job 2:8).– Forming pottery eventually was done on “wheels”• Clay put on upper wheel & turned by feet on lower wheel

– God used this craft to teach vivid lessons • Jeremiah 18:1-11• Jeremiah 19:10-13• Isaiah 29:15-16

Trades & Crafts• Building Trades– Brick-Makers & Brick-Layers• Sun-dried bricks were the most common building materials

of the old world.– Babel was constructed of brick (Gen. 11:3).– In Egypt, brick was extensively used.

» Exodus 5:16-19 accurately reflects the brick-making enterprise of that time.

• Kiln-baked bricks were used early in Mesopotamia.– The “fiery furnace” in Daniel 3 was likely a brick-kiln.

Trades & Crafts• Building Trades– Stonemasons• Palestine was an extremely rocky country.• Solomon’s temple (90 ft long, 30 ft wide, 45 ft high).

– The temple was constructed of “stone made ready at the quarry” (1 Kings 6:7).

– Some of those stones were 12-15 feet long (1 Kings 7:10).• Sturdy walls around the cities of Israel

– Herod the Great, most prolific builder in Palestinian history» His best work was at Jerusalem, and it may still be seen in the

massive 150-ft high retraining wall at the SE corner of the temple area, where stones 22-feet in length are still visible above the debris that hides half the height of his wall

Trades & Crafts• Building Trades– Stonemasons• The “Siloam Tunnel”

– This underground tunnel was carved through solid rock in the reign of Hezekiah (8th century B.C.)

– It diverted water from springs outside of Jerusalem into the city’s Pool of Siloam (2 Kings 20:20)

– It was about 1,750 feet in length.– It was so precisely engineered that the craftsmen started at

opposite ends and met in the middle.• Carved tombs in the rock of Canaan

– The Lord’s body was laid in such a tomb (Matt. 27:60)

Trades & Crafts• Building Trades– Stonemasons – very ancient trade• The Great Pyramid was not the work of the later Pharaohs;

it was the work of the 4th Dynasty (2600-2500 B.C.) —long before Abraham! This pyramid contained over two million blocks of stone each weighing about 2 tons. Its vast sides, 756 feet long, are set to the points of the compass to an accuracy of a small fraction of one degree! • The so-called Colossi of Memnon again are not of recent

times—they belong to the 18th Dynasty of Egypt (14th century B.C.). Cut from blocks of sandstone, they weigh 400 tons each and were brought 600 miles to their present position.... (Frederick Filby, The Flood Reconsidered, 1970, p. 92).

Trades & Crafts• Building Trades– Tools of bricklayers and stonemasons• Measuring rods, plumb lines, leveling lines, hammers,

baskets for removing earth and rock-chips, hoisting ropes, chisels, trowels – all mentioned in the Bible • The plumb line is used symbolically for God’s measurement

of men by the Divine standard of truth – Isaiah 28:17– Amos 7:7-8

Trades & Crafts• Building Trades– Carpenters• Most homes in Palestine were made of stone or brick

– Carpenter made doors, window frames, roof beams, furniture, etc.– Carpenters also made farming implements like carts, ploughs,

threshing instruments, ox yokes, etc.• Joseph & Jesus were both carpenters (Mt. 13:55; Mk. 6:3).

– Believed by many scholars that Joseph died during the early life of Christ and that Jesus carried on the family carpentry business until He entered His public ministry

– In ancient times, the carpenter did it all:» Felling tress, sawing planks, planing surface, building piece» This demanded great strength and endurance.» Jesus was obviously a very strong and rugged person.

Trades & Crafts• Tanner– Leather was used for a variety of purposes in ancient world

– thus the profession of tanner was essential– Hides soaked in salt water, then lime (to remove hair)

• Dried in the sun and treated by rubbing with sumach pods, pine or oak leaves and bark, and then rubbed smooth.

• Tremendous stench connected with this trade – Cornelius sent to Joppa for Peter where he was lodging

with “Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea side” (10:6).• Accuracy of Biblical narrative—Simon’s house was by the seaside

– Noted liberal scholar Hugh J. Schonfield commented: “This is an interesting factual detail, because the tanners used sea water in the process of converting hides into leather” (The Bible Was Right, p. 98).

Trades & Crafts• Fullers– The fuller cleansed or bleached cloth, usually working

outside the city near to a ready water supply– Outside Jerusalem’s wall was place, “the fuller’s field”

• Garments were spread out to dry in the sun• Near this place, Rabshakeh (emissary for the Assyrian king

Sannacherib) called upon Jerusalem to surrender (2 Kings 18:17)• God delivered the Jews and Sennacherib’s forces lost 185,000

soldiers in a single night (2 Kings 19:35ff)– In a rebuke of Israel’s priesthood, Malachi warned of the

coming “messenger” (Jesus Christ), who would purge like a refiner’s fire and like “fuller’s soap” (Mal. 3:2).• Fulfilled in the early days of the church (Acts 6:7).

Trades & Crafts• Fishing– The most prevalent method of fishing was by nets

• NT mentions two basic types of nets– The casting net (Matt. 4:18), used from shore– The sagene (English, seine) was used in two ways

» Let down into the water from a boat (John 21:6-8)» Spread out along the shore (Matt. 13:47)

• Also used angling-hooks (Mt. 17:27) and fish-spear (Job 41:7)– Fish were sold in great quantities in Jerusalem

• Transported in tanks of water or cured (smoked, dried and salted, or pickled)

• Jerusalem’s market near the Fish Gate (cf. 2 Chron. 33:14)– Jesus multiplied two fish to feed 5,000

• The word suggests a small fish, no bigger than sardines.

Trades & Crafts• Other Professions & Trades in Scripture– Physicians (Mark 2:17; Col. 4:14)– Bankers (Luke 19:23)– Money-changers (John 2:15)– Tax-collectors (Matt. 9:9)– Tentmakers (Acts 18:3)– Religious leaders—rabbis, scribes, lawyers (Luke 5:17ff)– Bakers and butlers (Gen. 40:1)– Soldiers (Acts 10:1)– Cattle-breeders and herdsmen (Gen. 13:1ff)– Weavers (1 Sam. 17:7)– Shepherds (Psa. 23)

Trades & Crafts• Several Classes of People– The owners, employers, etc.; The hired workers; The slaves

(Matt. 20:1ff; 8:9; Luke 17:7-10)– Estimated the Roman Empire contained 60 million slaves– A slave was not considered a person– Slaves occupied virtually every vocational level

• Doctors, teachers, secretaries, close friends of Emperors, etc.– Many allusions in the Bible to slavery, and to the attitudes

that both servant and master were to have (Eph. 6:5ff; Col. 3:22; Phile. 1ff).

– The nature of Christianity to abolish this evil institution• Not by violent revolution• But by alteration of men’s hearts through such principles as the

“Golden Rule” (Matt. 7:12)