The priestly undergarments ( hbo, מִכְנְסֵי־בָד, miḵnəsē-ḇāḏ) were "

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

breeches Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Western men's c ...

" (

KJV The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...

) worn by the

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and the

High Priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rev ...

ancient Israel The history of ancient Israel and Judah begins in the Southern Levant during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. "Israel" as a people or tribal confederation (see Israelites) appears for the first time in the Merneptah Stele, an inscri ...

. They reached from the waist to the knees and so were not visible, being entirely hidden by the

priestly tunic The priestly tunic ( he, כֻּתֹּנֶת ''kutonet'') was as an undergarment or shirt worn by the High Priest and priests when they served in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem.Theological Dictionary of Rabbinic Judaism: Part Three Pag ...

Hebrew Bible

The biblical

commandment Commandment may refer to: * The Ten Commandments * One of the 613 mitzvot of Judaism * The Great Commandment * The New Commandment The New Commandment is a term used in Christianity to describe Jesus's commandment to "love one another" which, ac ...

instituting their use is found in the

Book of Exodus The Book of Exodus (from grc, Ἔξοδος, translit=Éxodos; he, שְׁמוֹת ''Šəmōṯ'', "Names") is the second book of the Bible. It narrates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through ...

28:42:

You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs.

Unlike the other priestly vestments which were "for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2), the purpose of the () was for modesty, "to hide their nakedness". In the

Book of Leviticus The book of Leviticus (, from grc, Λευιτικόν, ; he, וַיִּקְרָא, , "And He called") is the third book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and of the Old Testament, also known as the Third Book of Moses. Scholars generally agree ...

when

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...

consecrate Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

and his sons as High Priest and priests, respectively, the linen undergarments are not mentioned (Leviticus 8:7, Leviticus 8:13), though their use is obviously presumed. There were four holy garments worn by both the priests and the High Priest alike: * Linen breeches to cover their nakedness when they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to officiate in the sanctuary. *

Priestly tunic The priestly tunic ( he, כֻּתֹּנֶת ''kutonet'') was as an undergarment or shirt worn by the High Priest and priests when they served in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem.Theological Dictionary of Rabbinic Judaism: Part Three Pag ...

, a fringed tunic made of fine linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (Exodus 28:39). *

Priestly sash The priestly sash or girdle (Hebrew ''avnet'') was part of the ritual garments worn by Jewish high priests who served in the Temple in Jerusalem. The "sash" or "girdle" worn by the High Priest was of fine linen with " embroidered work" in bl ...

of the High Priest was of linen with "embroidered work" (Exodus 28:39); sashes were made for other priests also. *

Priestly turban The priestly mitre or turban ( he, מִצְנֶפֶת ''mitznefet'') was the head covering worn by the High Priest of Israel when he served in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem. Etymology The Hebrew word ''mitznefet'' () has been t ...

, according to

Rabbinic literature Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic w ...

that of the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a .

Talmud

The Talmud records the worn out undergarments and

priestly sash The priestly sash or girdle (Hebrew ''avnet'') was part of the ritual garments worn by Jewish high priests who served in the Temple in Jerusalem. The "sash" or "girdle" worn by the High Priest was of fine linen with " embroidered work" in bl ...

es were used for torch wicks in the Temple. The linen undergarments symbolized the abolition of the distinction between the heavenly and the mortal part of man, as contrasted with the divine nature, which is absolutely holy and living. According to the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

, the undergarments atone for the sin of sexual transgressions on the part of the

Children of Israel The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

(B.

Zevachim Zevachim ( he, זְבָחִים; lit. "Sacrifices") is the first tractate of Seder Kodashim ("Holy Things") of the Mishnah, the Talmud and the Tosefta. This tractate discusses the topics related to the sacrificial system of the Temple in Jerusale ...

88b).

References

{{Reflist

Hebrew Bible

Talmud

References

See also