# Biblical Era Tools



## KentS (May 27, 2009)

I wasn't sure where to post this, but tools seemed to be as good as any.

For a long time I have kicked around an idea for a drama to do in church. The premise would be Joseph the Carpenter doing a monalogue while actually dong some sort of woodworking. My question is-I'm having a hard time finding any good history on early Jewish tools. I wanted to keep it as authentic as possible, but don't know where to start. I've found more info on Roman tools from that time frame, including the project that Yorkshire Stewart did some time ago, but not much at all for Israel itself. Maybe some of you from that part of the world could help.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Kent


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

square , compass , plumb , level ,
they were all used to build solomans temple .
check a freemason site for replicas .


----------



## kiwi1969 (Dec 22, 2008)

Try this link, scroll down and you will see the ancient egyptian woodworking page which you can download to pdf. It,s not from palistine but it,s close and would have been very familiar to them. I believe that in palastine, being at the crossroads of the ancient world, they would have known about tools and skills from east and west so egyptian and roman and probably indian tools would have been known. On a curious note, in syria they push their handplanes like europeans and pull their bowsaws like the japanese. http://skillspublish.com.au/Skills%20AWW%20Current.htm


----------



## roadrunner0925 (Jun 26, 2008)

since rome was a power and influence through that time frame, maybe their tools were used by the jewish people. just a thought…


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Hmm.. when they translated the Bible from greek versions long ago, the word for 'builder' they used was the term carpenter. But actually there was very little carpentry and the metal tools needed for that Joseph would never have been able to acquire. They were expensive and only for the rich artisans. Joseph was a mason. Look at the old buildings and ruins in Jerusalem. They were all made of flat stones laid upon each other. All the buildings are made that way. Almost no wood in them as there was very little wood to be had. Joseph was probably the correct term for 'builder' at the time. A laborer, one of the poorest and hardest on the back professions of the time. You can't go by biblical movies or famous art that was made a thousand years later. But because we as a culture have that vision of the holy family in our minds then I suppose it's ok to make him a carpenter.


----------



## MichaelBClark (Apr 19, 2009)

I'd love to see the script. I once wrote an Easter thing that didn't feature Jesus at all, it was all people that had interacted with him. One guy had to play a centurion. Some how, he managed to acquire first century Roman replica armor.

Everybody else had cheap, poorly made robes and turbans.

Back on topic…

I think the tools would be more Roman in style: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~rogerulrich/tools_woodworking.html


----------



## KentS (May 27, 2009)

Thanks for the input guys. I'll check it all out

Michael, When I get it done I'll let you know. It may take me a while. Last year I played a Roman Centurion for Easter. The costume was homemade, but I found a cool helmet on line that was pretty realistic. I had to remove the ear pieces though. I sang a solo, and I couln't hear the monitor.


----------



## timmytimmy (Feb 23, 2008)

I have no idea how much woodworking Joseph did but I was just thinking yesterday how it would have been to work on some of the temple carpentry. I think it was Solomon's temple that had allot of cedar in it. I am amazed at the things people built in ancient times. Well, I was no help to you but I wish you luck in your search. 
Tim
Oh, and I think if you study the original greek manuscripts you will find that Joseph favored Panasonic screw guns…


----------



## woodnut99 (Dec 17, 2007)

The temple of gallilee has a jewish wood carver mosaic on the floor,The hebrew and palestinian craftsmen of the time, carved quite a bit, Torah scroll handles they must have shaped them with some sort of bow turning tool.
You could make a prop line turning bench, Ivory and wood carving where common by jewish artisans. Just small thing I remember reading. I think it would be interesting to have a (saw pit ) as a stage prop one man above one below. But I'm not sure at all the date these where first used. I'm interested in this let me know what you find out.
Do you have the "my boss is a jewish carpenter" bumpersticker? 
Funny how us humans made better work with less technology. Up until 100 years ago woodworking Blows my mind. Now it all seems, I don't know? Not as good. There's something to be said for putting in 5,000 hours on one piece.


----------



## rgmcinnis (Jul 5, 2009)

on my website, http://www.woodworkinghistory.com, i have numerous references to tools of the biblical era, and the egyptian, etc.

the egyptians were making dovetail joints and cabriole legs when they constructed the pyramids. even the concept of * sanding* was known to the egyptians!

this page-http://www.woodworkinghistory.com/glossary_access.htm -has the key to my glossary of terms in woodworking history, but i haven't gotten it entirely organized yet-all of this takes time .

i have a bibliography on this page: http://www.woodworkinghistory.com/glossary_woodworking_tools.htm/glossary_access.htm

W L Goodman's *History of Woodworking Tools* 1966 is still the best single-volume source; even though it is more comprehensive in its coverage, R A Salaman's *Dictionary of Woodworking Tools* 1975 picks up at 1700, too recent to help with biblical tool technology

let me tell you that gathering info on the research conducted on anything of the biblical era is not an easy task, completed in a few minutes, even on the internet, using the google "book search" tool.

sorting out the findings is time consuming, so if you are serious, expect to invest quite a bit of your time.


----------



## MNWOODWORKER (Aug 1, 2008)

I just love to see that there are so many here that are open to speak about our Lord and the biblical times along with woodworking. So many seem to hide thier feeling because it may not be politicaly correct. Hats off to all of you.
Nate


----------



## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Kent, have a word to Yorkshire Stewart. He's a LJ that replicates ancient tools.


----------



## bauerwood (Mar 1, 2010)

I think you should stick with the Freemason idea. Part of what led me to Freemasonry was the ancient connection with tools and the advanced level of knowledge it took to construct such grand structures so long ago. The square, compass, level, trowel and so on have such a strong tie to the Grand Architect and the use of geometry.


----------



## JoelMartin (Jun 22, 2010)

This is a great Forum!
Very interesting.
You are right MNWOODWORKER, it is great to see people talk about Christ.
Who wants to be politically correct anyways?
Thanks alot for the topic Kent!


----------



## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

This is a VERY NICE Post. "bauerwood" "Happy To Meet."

The Picture below might not have a lot to Directly Connect with Kent's Actual Topic, but Maybe Close. Hope I'm not too far "Off Track" Kent.

A Copy of this Painting was given to me by a Very Close Friend (Since Departed) more than 40 Years Ago.

To this Day it remains My Favorite of many that I have. It is almost Hypnotic to sit, look at it and let your Mind take over, or "Enter" the Picture. Title: "St. Joseph The Carpenter" and a Young Jesus. BY: Georges de la Tour, 1645. Original is in the Louvre, Paris.



Thank You: Rick


----------



## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Permit me to share something here. I have heard that the term "carpenter" entailed not only woodworking but also masonry. It could have had a broad meaning to indicate what we would call "handyman." Looking at the Greek New Testament by Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, et al., and the accompanying dictionary, the Greek word tekton (transliterating from the Greek) defines the word as: woodcraftsman, carpenter. The corresponding Hebrew word, depending on context, carries the meaning of engraver, artificer of iron, brass, stone, wood, i. e., a smith, mason or carpenter. Interesting that cultures of the past had such people invovled in the crafts of the time.
No doubt Joseph would have subscribed to Lumberjocks if it were in existence at that time.
This has been interesting about tools used in the ancient world. Museums are full of weapons and things that pertain to everyday life but I don't recall anything about tools.
Thanks for allowing me to share.


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

"Permit me to share something here. I have heard that the term "carpenter" entailed not only woodworking but also masonry."

Let me reiterate what I said in this thread over 300 days ago. Joseph was a rock layer. The translation of carpenter is wrong. He was a builder. Builders at that time were very lowly rock layers. And builder translate from the early greek versions correctly as 'rock layer'. All the homes. Even some today were of flat shale stones layered to make walls. Metal for tools like the one above were only for a few very wealthy artisans of the day. To say that Joseph was a carpenter would be like saying that he was a master craftsman that worked only for the wealthy and was a rich man himself. Which of course is possible but biblical text says otherwise. Story tellers and artists over the years have perpetuated the carpenter thing as biblical translations and mistranslated it from the early greek texts from an early time.
You may like the romanticism of the carpenter connotation but it's just not true and there's no 'religious' reason why it has to be. Actually, the poor builder view fits the biblical story of poverty much better.


----------



## spclPatrolGroup (Jun 23, 2010)

I have read a few books on the life of JC, there is controversy over if he was truly a carpenter, his father was, so maybe it is assumed that he was as well. In one passage it is said "is this not the carpenter son of Mary" in another it was said "is this not the carpenters son, is his mother not marry". Many of the apostils were fishermen, JC hung out with them enough to make some believe he too was a fisherman. Most of the time Jesus referred to himself as a teacher which would have translated to him being a rabbi. There have been so many translations, compounded by the limitations of ancient Aramaic, certain phrases had to be we written with new words completely so they would make sense in today's language. But really there is a large chunk of his life that is pretty much unrecorded so we may never know, I don't really think it matters in the scope of things, so I say if children like to think of him as a carpenter so be it. Anyway that is my 1 cent of an opinion.


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

The fact that records of his life are obscure from the time he is 12 to around 30 years old is further evidence of an uneventful life. A 'builder' of the time was one of the lowest forms of labor. That alone would probably mean that no records of his life during that time were made.
That being said, I wonder what the reason was for him waiting until around 30 yrs old to begin his ministry. 30 at that time would have put him in the golden years considering the life expectancy of around 40 or so. And 18 yr old man would have been considered a mature adult at the time. Maybe he wanted to live a full life before succumbing to what was ordained for him. More likely he realized that politically the people were ripe for the change he was about to bring.
A very controversial but excellent movie that got bad press was The last temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese. It shows Christ as living among us as a true human and coming to the realization of just who he was over time and accepting it. None of this blue eyed, God figure who acts like a miniature adult even as a small child.
The reason the movie got such bad press was that at his death the devil showed him what he had missed by not marrying, having children, etc. To temp him to save himself. The Holier than though's took it as he having actually done that. They judged the film without actually seeing it. It's a great video. I highly recommend it.
Another great but more traditional movie is the Passion of the Christ done by Mell Gibson a few years ago.
I used to love the old Easter movies they'd play during that time when I was a kid. They were very dramatic and very incorrect regarding the historical aspect of Jesus but they made you feel good. I suppose in the end that's all a lot of people really want.


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Anyone been to Israel? did some historic tours? looked at the materials being used for construction and house building there?

lumber is one commodity not available in that part of the world, not today, and not ever. Jerusalem, and all the biblical cities and constructions were/are all made of stone and mortar to this very day (for a very few exceptions).

just an FYI.


----------



## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Craftsman, what source(s) are you using for your definition of rock layer? (I wasn't on the forum until this year.) I haven't found it in any of my books. You have piqued my curiosity. I'll take some time and research this at Lee University here in town and our church and public library.
Please refer again to my reference books. If you have any other sources, I would be interested in looking at them. Send me a PM and we'll discuss it more, if you like.
Also, I used Marshall's RSV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3, if you are interested.


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Knothead.. not rock layer.. but builder. And at that time builders were rock layers. There were no wooden houses and very little woodworking except among the wealthy for the reasons I gave before. google 'greek translation of carpenter' for example. I first heard about it on the history channel. The translation from the greek is 'builder' that's given. The translators, greek, made that into carpenter because by then much of building was done in wood. And that area of the world had wood to work with.
But, like I said before, it's actually a moot point and everyone has their comfort zone and know when they don't want it crossed. I just find this stuff very interesting and the actual translation sounds much more plausible. Poor people of that time were builders or rock layers. It fits Jesus's MO don't you think?


----------



## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

YEP! Everyone has their "Comfort Zone" and mine has NOTHING to do with the discussion that is now going on.

OOPS! Sorry! I didn't notice that this "Debate Forum" was as OLD as it is and I thought it was about "Tools" NOT Religion.

I'm outta here before I start expanding on my Personal Theories. That would really …..Forget it.

Y'all enjoy yourselves. "Once a Teacher Always A Teacher"


----------

