CAMEL’s HAIR (τρίχες καμήλου). The longer hair of a camel from the neck and region of the hump, used esp. for weaving.

Mentioned only in the Bible as the material of the outer garment of John the Baptist (Matt 3:4; Mark 1:6), camel’s hair cloth can be a relatively expensive woven material. Since Jesus contrasted John’s attire with the “soft raiment” of noblemen (Matt 11:8; cf. a similar contrast in Jos. War I. 24. 3), some think that John’s hairy mantle may have been of dressed camel’s skin. On the other hand, a scratchy cloak (Arab. ‘abâ’) of camel’s hair is still worn by desert Bedouin. A “hairy mantle” was a mark of a prophet (Zech 13:4); and Elijah, of whom John was the successor (Matt 11:13, 14; 17:10-13), wore a garment of haircloth as well as a leather girdle (2 Kings 1:8). The longer, woolly hair of a camel can easily be pulled away in tufts from the skin as warmer spring weather comes, and is woven into cloth for tents and coats.