Manners & Customs

Sheepskin and Leather

Sheepskins. From ancient times to modern days it has often been customary for pastoral people to make for themselves coats out of the skins of the sheep with wool still adhering to the skins. The Epistle to the Hebrews tells of the persecuted heroes of faith, saying of some of them that they "wandered about in sheepskins" (Hebrews 11:37). The skin ...

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Shepherd's Garments

The shepherd's garb. The dress of an Arab shepherd lad is a simple tunic of cotton that is girded around his body by a leathern girdle, and his outer garment, called aba, is often of camel's hair, like that of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4) The aba keeps the boy warm, is able to shed the rain, and at night is used as a blanket in which to wrap hims...

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Temporary Sheepfolds

A simple improvised sheepfold. Such is sometimes made by the shepherd when he is a distance from his home, or especially when he may be in the territory of mountains. It is a temporary affair that can be taken down easily when it comes time to move on to another location. A fence is built of tangled thorn bushes or rude bowers. This is all the prot...

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The Shepherd and His Sheep

INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHEPHERD AND SHEEP When we learn of the intimate relationship that exists between the shepherd and his sheep, the figure of the LORD as a Shepherd of His people takes on new meaning. [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]...

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Lambs

Special care of baby lambs, and sheep with young ones. When lambing time comes, the shepherd must take great care of his flock. The task is made more difficult because it so often becomes necessary to move to a new location to find pasturage. The sheep that are soon to become mothers, as well as those with their young ones, must be kept close to th...

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Sheep Meat

Sheep for meat or sacrificial purposes, Sheep were often eaten when meat was desired. For the ordinary person, meat was not on the daily menu, but was only used on special occasions of rejoicing, as when a feast was prepared, a wedding supper, or when a guest of honor was being entertained. The animal was usually cooked as soon as it was killed, an...

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Shepherds Pouch

The shepherd's scrip. This is a bag made of dried skin. When he leaves home to go and tend the sheep; his mother will put into it some bread, cheese, dried fruit, and probably some olives. It was into this bag that David placed the five smooth stones when he went to battle with the giant Goliath (I Samuel 17:40). [Manners And Customs of Bible Land...

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Anathoth Scripture - Nehemiah 10:19

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,...

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Naming Sheep

Giving names to the sheep. JESUS said concerning the shepherd of his day: "He calleth his own sheep by name" (John 10:3). Today, the eastern shepherd delights to give names to certain of his sheep, and if his flock is not too large, all of his sheep may be given names. He knows them by means of certain individual characteristics. He names one: "Pur...

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Caring for Sick and Wounded Sheep

Care of sick or wounded sheep. The shepherd is always on the lookout for members of his flock that need personal attention. Sometimes a lamb suffers from the rays of the sun, or its body may have been badly scratched by some thornbush. The most common remedy he uses with these sheep is olive oil, a supply of which he carries in a ram's horn Perhaps...

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