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Creative Bible Study
People wore long flowing robes in order to keep cool. The material of the robe was decided by wealth. The wealthy could afford brightly dyed cloth. Often clothes indicated a man's profession. For example, the priests wore special clothing and the rabbi (religious leader of Israel) wore a blue-fringed robe. Shoes were made of cow hide soles with leather thongs which fastened to the ankle.
Marriages were arranged by parents and there was little social mixing between young people. Because the bride was a working asset, she had to be paid for with a bride price. Domestic life centered in the home.
In Old Testament times there was no school for common men's children. They were taught skills and religion by their parents. By the time of Jesus, a girl's education was still entirely her mother's responsibility. Boys went to a school at the synagogue from age six on. The Old Testament was the textbook they used to learn history, geography, literature, and law. Exceptional students were sent to Jerusalem to learn from the Rabbis. Each boy also had to learn a trade. When a boy became 13 years old, he became "Bar Mitzvah" which is Jewish for "a son of the law." This meant that he was considered to be a man.
Death among the people of Israel called for elaborate ceremonies of mourning. Sometimes professional mourners would be hired. In New Testament times bodies were anointed and wrapped in special grave clothes. Poor people were buried in common graves or caves, but the wealthy had tombs dug out of rocks and sealed with a flat boulder.
There was no division between civil and religious law in Israel. The gate of the city or village was the place where problems were formally judged. The highest court in New Testament times was the Sanhedrin which consisted of 70 men who met in the temple. The Roman authorities, who were in control of Israel during New Testament times, allowed the Israelites to pass any sentence under their law except the death penalty.
The religious life of Israel centered first on the tabernacle and later on the temple in Jerusalem. Old Testament religious regulations were administered by the priests and the Levites. The greatest religious day of the year was the day of Atonement. On this day the high priest entered the innermost room of the temple to make atonement for his own sins and the sins of the people.
Other festivals included the Passover, which was a way of remembering Israel's escape from Egypt. The feast of Pentecost marked the beginning of harvest and the feast of Tabernacles was the harvest festival. The feast of Purim recalled Esther's deliverance of Israel, and the feast of trumpets marked the start of the new year.