Headdress, Turbans, and Hair

HEADDRESS The Jews of Bible times gave much attention to the care of their hair. The young people loved to wear it long and curled (Song of Solomon 5:11), and they were proud to have thick and abundant hair (II Samuel 14:25,26). Middle-aged men and priests would occasionally cut their hair but very little. Baldness was scarce and suspicion of leprosy was often attached to it. Thus when the youth said of Elisha, "Go up, thou bald head" (II Kings 2:23), it was using an extreme curse, for the prophet being a young man, may not actually have been bald-headed. Men would not cut their beards, but allow them to grow long (II Samuel 10:4,5). Beards would be anointed with oil often. In public the Jews always wore a turban, for at certain seasons of the year it is dangerous in Israel to expose the head to the rays of the sun. This turban was of thick material and passed several times around the head. It was somewhat like our handkerchief and was made of linen, or recently of cotton. The patriarch Job and the prophet Isaiah mention the use of the turban as a headdress (Job 29:14; Isaiah 3:23). In place of the turban, the Palestinian Arabs today for the most part, wear a head veil called "Kaffieh" which hangs down over part of their garment. *** The Bible teaches that it is a shame for a man to have long hair, and is a sign of rebellion against authority, according to 1 Corinthians 11. Absalom clearly was a rebel. Even in the OT, men (especially the priests, the examples to the rest of Israel) cut their hair short - see Ezekiel 44:20. [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]