HAIR (Jewish Encyclopedia)
From BibleWiki
Contents |
—Biblical Data:
The hair of the ancient Hebrews was generally black (comp. Cant. iv. 1, v. 11). In Eccl. xi. 10 black hair is designated as a sign of youth in contrast with the white hair of age. Josephus narrates ("Ant." xvi. 8, § 1) that Herod dyed his gray hair black in order to appear younger. Black hair was in any case considered beautiful, black being the general color, while light or blond hair was exceptional. David is designated as "admoni" = "ruddy" (I Sam. xvi. 12, xvii. 42), this expression being also applied to Esau's hair (Gen. xxv. 25). The Hebrews had thick hair (Ezek. viii. 3). Long, heavy hair was considered as a sign of vitality. In the case of Samson, traced back to religious reasons (he having been dedicated to God), the connection of long hair and bodily strength was based on the current views. Absalom's famous hair (II Sam. xiv. 25 et seq.) was considered not only as an ornament, but as a token of strength. A bald head, therefore, was an object of mockery (II Kings ii. 23; comp. Isa. iii. 17, 24).
Fashion Among Men.
From the Old Testament it may be gathered that it was customary for the men to have their hair cut from time to time. The Nazarites allowed theirs to grow uncut for religious reasons. Absalom, proud of his thick head of hair, had it cut once a year only. But generally the hair was cut oftener. It was never shaved save on special occasions; the high priests and the priests in general were expressly forbidden to have theirs shaved. They were neither to shave their hair according to heathen custom, nor to allow it to grow uncut like that of the Nazarites (comp. Ezek. xliv. 20). There is no other information in the Bible concerning the care of the hair.
As the ancient Egyptians had combs, and as the Assyrians, also, were very careful in dressing their hair, it may be due to mere chance that combs are not mentioned in the Old Testament. The Hebrews, however, did not follow the Egyptian custom of wearing wigs. The Assyrians wore their hair in several braids reaching down to the nape of theneck. Samson's seven braids ("maḥlefot"; Judges xvi. 13, 19) indicate that this fashion obtained, for a time at least, in Israel.
Fashions Among Women.
Among women long hair is extolled as a mark of beauty (Cant. iv. 1, vii. 6). A woman's hair was never cut except as a sign of deep mourning or of degradation (Jer. vii. 29; comp. Deut. xxi. 12). Women gave much thought to the care and decoration of their hair (II Kings ix. 30; Cant. iv. 1, vi. 4, vii. 5; Judith x. 3). The prophet Isaiah derides the many aids used by the women in curling and tending their hair (Isaiah iii.). Josephus mentions the custom—still obtaining in the East—of sprinkling gold-dust on the hair in order to produce a golden shimmer ("Ant." viii. 7, § 3).
Religious Customs.
As a sign of mourning, part of the head, especially in front, was shaved. Although this was forbidden by the Law as a heathen superstition (Deut. xiv. 1; Lev. xxi. 5), the words of the Prophets indicate that it was customary among the people (Isa. xii. 12; comp. ib. iii. 24; Jer. vii. 29, xvi. 6; Ezek. vii. 18; Amos viii. 10; Micah i. 16; compare also the same custom among Arab women). The practise can not be interpreted as indicating a renunciation of everything considered in ordinary life to be a mere ornament (comp. Jer. vii. 29).
The Law regards it in an entirely different light, as it forbids shaving of the head on the ground that Israel belongs to Yhwh only (Deut. xiv. 1). Originally, shaving in times of mourning indicated that the hair was sacrificed to the dead (comp. Lucian, "De Dea Syria," 60). The Law also regarded as a heathen custom the shaving of the head in a circle, so that only a strand remained in the center (comp. Jer. ix. 26, xxv. 23, xlix. 32), and forbade it as such to the Israelites (Lev. xix. 27). Herodotus (iii. 8) says expressly that the Arabs intended to imitate thereby the fashion of their god Orotal-Dionysus, and he correctly ascribes to the custom a religious reason. The ancient conception, mentioned above, that the continuously growing hair, like the blood, is a sign of vitality sufficiently explains the sacrifice of the hair.
—In Rabbinical Literature:
The hair was regarded by the Rabbis as so powerful an augmentation of beauty that married women were recommended to hide it. In connection with this recommendation the Talmud relates the following: Ḳimḥit, the mother of seven sons who successively held the office of high priest, was once asked by what merit of hers she was so blessed in her sons. "Because," said she, "the beams of my house have never seen my hair" (Yoma 47a). In Talmudical times it was the custom for women to plait their hair. "Because she [the wife accused of adultery] plaited her hair to please him [her alleged paramour] the priest loosened her hair" (Num. R. ix.). A man who curled his hair was regarded as a vain person. At the age of seventeen Joseph was still termed "lad" ("na'ar"), because he was childish enough to curl his hair (Gen. R. xxxiv.). Elijah had naturally curly hair; his enemies, however, mocked him, declaring that he curled it (Pesiḳ. R. 26 [ed. Friedmann, p. 129a]). While Samson was filled by the Holy Spirit his hair made a noise like bells, and the sound was heard from Zorah to Eshtaol (Yer. Soṭah 17b). The Midrash finds in the name "Joel ben Petuel" an indication that the prophet who bore it curled his hair like a maiden (Midr. Teh. lxxx.). Absalom was very vain of his hair, and therefore he was hanged by his hair (Soṭah 9b). One who does not wash his hands after shaving his hair has spells of anxiety for three days (Pes. 112a). In enumerating the wonders of Creation, God pointed out to Job the wisdom shown even in the making of human hair. Each hair ( (image) ) has a separate follicle, for should two hairs derive their nourishment from one follicle, the human eye would be dimmed (B. B. 16a).
Because such was the custom of the heathen the Rabbis forbade the Jews to trim the hair over the forehead, but let it hang down over the temples in curls (Sifre, Aḥare Mot, xiii. 9). A certain Abṭalion ben Reuben, however, was allowed to wear his hair in that fashion ( (image) ) because he associated with the court (B. Ḳ. 83a). David had four hundred children who wore their front hair in that fashion, while their back hair was in long locks, as in a wig ( (image) ; Ḳid. 76b). This way of wearing the back hair is disapproved by the Rabbis. "He who grows his back hair in the form of a wig [ (image) ] does so for an idolatrous purpose" (Deut. R. ii.). The king had his hair cut every day; the high priest, every week; an ordinary priest, once a month. The high priest had his hair cut in the "Lulian" (= "Julian") style ( (image) ), which consisted in having the top of one row of hairs touching the root of the other (Sanh. 22b; Ned. 51a). A penalty of one hundred "sela'im" is imposed by the Rabbis for pulling an antagonist's hair (Shulḥan 'Aruk, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, 420, 41). The washing of the dead ( (image) ) begins with the hair, because human hair is associated with the thoughts ("Sifte Renanot" to "Ma'abar Yabboḳ," ch. xi.). The number of the hairs of the human head is one billion and seven thousand; according to another statement the human head has a billion locks, each lock containing 410 hairs, equivalent to the numerical value of (image) ("holy"); and each hair has 410 worlds (ib.).
