258 THE FLAX CROP. 



fibres, are represented. In the book of Exodus 1 it is noted 

 as one of the principal crops grown in Egypt at that 

 period (1491 B.C.). Being one of the principal crops and 

 chief sources whence the Egyptians derived articles^ of 

 comfort and luxury, it was selected by the Almighty for 

 destruction when he sent the plague of hail as a judgment 

 on that people. From the book of Joshua 2 we find that 

 at about the same period flax was cultivated in Palestine, 

 for it is stated that Kahab used flax to hide the spies sent 

 by Joshua to examine Jericho. 



In the history of Samuel 3 the reference to flax would 

 show that not only its cultivation but its subsequent 

 treatment for textile purposes must have been well under- 

 stood. Many allusions are made to it in its agricultural 

 and manufactured state 4 both in the Old 5 and in the 

 New Testaments, all of which by the various commen- 

 tators are admitted to have reference to the same plant 

 which we now term flax, and which is the same as that 

 known by the Hebrew name " Pishtah," and as " Linon" 

 by the ancient Greeks. 



The Greeks were well acquainted with the plant 

 and the mode of treating it, as linen is more than 

 once mentioned in the pages of Homer, as well as 

 of other Greek authors. But it would appear that 

 although reference is made to linen by both early sacred 

 and profane writers, neither the Egyptians, Phoenicians, 

 nor Greeks were accustomed to apply linen to the same 

 vestiary uses as ourselves. Their underclothing was 

 merely of a finer quality than their outer tunics, and linen 

 was only worn by persons af a certain degree or on cer- 

 tain occasions, or was used for swathing the bodies of the 



1 Exodus ix. 31. 2 Joshua ii. 6. 3 Judges xv. 14. 



* Mummies embalmed 1200 years B.C. have been found wrapped in swathing 

 cloths of fine linen made from flax. 



5 Prov. xxxi. 13-19; Isaiah xix. 9; 1 Sam. ii. 18; 2 Sam. vi. 14; Jer. xiii. 1 

 I Kings x. 28 ; 2 Chron. i. 6 ; Ezek. xiv. 3 ; Hos. ii. 5-9 ; and other places. 



