WEAVING (אָרַג, H755; related words: עֵ֫רֶב֒, H6849, “woof” or “weft,” from a word meaning to mix; שְׁתִי֒, H9274, “warp,” cf. Lev 13:48). The interlacing of a series of threads called the warp, with another series called the woof or weft. The warp threads are stretched in a loom for weaving; the weft threads are then passed over and under them. One of the most important and well-developed crafts of Biblical times.
It is impossible to determine when man first learned the art of weaving, for its origin lies far back in prehistory. In Paleolithic times, 20,000 to 40,000 years ago, man was already skilled in matting and basketry, the forerunners of weaving. It must have been in Neolithic times that the loom and spinning devices were invented; weaving was quite common by the time of the Bronze Age.
The oldest known paintings of looms and weavers come from Egypt about 2000 b.c. where weaving was already a highly developed craft; in Egypt the weavers were usually men. The tomb at Beni-Hassan of a government servant shows people dressed in clothes that were woven or embroidered with bright colors.
Various materials were used, depending on their availability and the geographical location. Neolithic villagers in the Faiyum grew flax in order to make linen from it. Cotton was grown in the Indus Valley civilization before 2500 b.c. Wool, silk, and goats hair were also commonly used. Families wove all their own textiles, from coarse tent cloth to warm woolen garments for the family. Cloth that would compare favorably with today’s best grades of muslin have been found among Egyp. mummy wrappings. A Babylonian ruler of c. 2320 b.c. had a factory for weaving materials.
Long before the arrival of the Hebrews, the Canaanites wove and dyed their own fabrics. The description of the curtains woven for the Tabernacle (Exod 26:1ff.) and priestly garments (28:39) indicate that the Hebrews at an early stage were skillful at weaving, prob. having learned it in Egypt (cf. 35:35). Weaving was common in the time of the Judges, as shown in the story of Delilah weaving in Samson’s locks as strands of the weft on her loom while he slept (Judg 16:13, 14). Evidence of the weaver’s art comes from Ugarit, Byblos (a city particularly famous for its woven materials), Tell Beit-Mirsim (which archeological evidence shows to have been the center of a professional textile industry), and Lachish (where a weaving establishment was in operation at the time of the destruction of the city). The Edomites also had a textile industry (Ezek 27:16). In fact, most of the provincial sites which have been excavated in Judah have produced evidence of textile production. Whorls and perforated loom weights in stone and clay used for spinning and weaving have been found, as well as rock-cut vats with basins and drains which were used for dyeing. Carpet looming was also common (Prov 7:15).
The basic structure of looms has not altered in 5,000 years. The first looms were simple; they were made of a pair of sturdy upright beams secured to the floor and united at the top with a crossbeam. Long thread was loosely guided from top to bottom over the crossbeam. In order to hold the yarn taut, small bunches of it were weighted with stones or other heavy objects (this type appears on Gr. vases, c. 600 b.c.). Three kinds of looms were commonly used in Biblical times: the Gr. vertical two-beamed loom (just described); the Egyp. vertical which required two weavers standing on either side of the loom to pass the shuttle back and forth through alternating sheds as they beat the weft down; and the horizontal groundloom, a type commonly used by nomadic peoples even today. The latter type was made of two beams held in place by four pegs driven into the ground. The weaver sat in front of the loom. The spacing of the warp threads on the loom governed largely the texture of the fabric to be woven. The tension had to be uniform or else the fabric would be uneven.
The shaft of Goliath’s spear was compared with a weaver’s beam (1 Sam 17:7), suggesting a diameter of two or two and one-half inches. Leviticus 19:19 prob. is a prohibition against weaving two fibers together; at least two could not be worn together. Josiah tore down the houses of those who were weaving hangings for the Asherah (2 Kings 23:7). Isaiah made fig. use of weaving (Isa 19:9; 38:12; 59:5) as did Job (Job 7:6). See Cloth; Linen.
Bibliography L. Blumenau, The Art and Craft of Hand Weaving (1955); R. J. Forbes, Studies in Ancient Technology, IV (1956); M. du Buit, Biblical Archaeology (1960), 82; K. Kenyon, Archaeology in the Holy Land (1960), 273, 293; J. Gray, Archaeology and the Old Testament World (1962), 17, 173; M. Noth, The Old Testament World (1966), 165.