Goatskin holds a significant place in biblical history and culture, serving various practical and symbolic purposes throughout the Scriptures. In the ancient Near East, goats were common livestock, and their skins were highly valued for their durability and versatility.

Biblical References and Uses

1. Tents and Coverings: Goatskin was often used in the construction of tents, providing a durable and weather-resistant material. The nomadic lifestyle of the patriarchs, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would have relied on such materials for their dwellings. While the Bible does not explicitly mention goatskin in the context of tents, it is understood from historical and cultural practices of the time.

2. Tabernacle Construction: In the construction of the Tabernacle, goatskins played a crucial role. Exodus 26:14 states, "Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather." The term "fine leather" is often interpreted by scholars to include goatskin, which was used for its protective qualities.

3. Clothing and Garments: Goatskin was also used for clothing, particularly in the form of sackcloth, a coarse material worn during times of mourning or repentance. While sackcloth is more commonly associated with camel hair, goatskin was another possible material due to its availability and texture.

4. Containers and Utensils: Goatskins were fashioned into containers for liquids, such as wine and water. These skin bottles are referenced in the New Testament, where Jesus uses the metaphor of new wine in old wineskins (Matthew 9:17): "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will spill and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

5. Symbolism and Sacrifice: Goats, and by extension their skins, held symbolic significance in the sacrificial system. Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement, where one goat was sacrificed, and another, the scapegoat, was sent into the wilderness, symbolizing the removal of sin. The use of goatskin in various religious contexts underscores its importance in the sacrificial and atonement rituals of Israel.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the broader cultural context of the ancient Near East, goats were a vital resource, providing milk, meat, and materials for clothing and shelter. The use of goatskin reflects the resourcefulness and adaptability of the people in biblical times, utilizing available resources to meet their daily needs and religious obligations.

The durability and flexibility of goatskin made it an ideal material for various applications, from practical uses in daily life to its role in the sacred rituals of the Israelites. Its presence in the biblical narrative highlights the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual aspects of life in ancient Israel.1. (n.) The skin of a goat, or leather made from it.

2. (a.) Made of the skin of a goat.

Of the Sheepskin and the Goatskin.
... Prolegomena. Chapter VII. Of the Sheepskin and the Goatskin. The last article
of their dress is the goat-skin, which is called melotes ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter vii of the sheepskin.htm

Of the Two Classes of Voluptuous Men, and of their Death, Falling ...
... ruin." Again I went forward a little way, and he showed me a tall shepherd, somewhat
savage in his appearance, clothed in a white goatskin, and having a wallet ...
/.../pastor/the pastor books first second third/similitude sixth of the two.htm

The Demoniac
... He had not even the garment of skin-and-hair over a linen tunic which most of the
solitaries wore. He only had a coarse cincture of goatskin round his loins. ...
/.../chapter vi the demoniac.htm

The Thunderbolt Averted
... this strange assemblage Macedonius strode out, and C??sarius, to his amazement, saw
his bridle and his robe seized by a gaunt old man whose goatskin was grimy ...
/.../chapter viii the thunderbolt averted.htm

On Costly Vessels.
... I affirm that truckle-beds afford no worse repose than the ivory couch; and the
goatskin coverlet being amply sufficient to spread on the bed, there is no need ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter iii on costly vessels.htm

Faustus Rejects the Old Testament Because it Leaves no Room for ...
... In any case, the ark of the Old Testament was a cleaner covering for the
tables of stone than the goatskin of their manuscripts. ...
/.../faustus rejects the old testament.htm

The Final Disillusion
... The holy man, while he preached renunciation, granted himself a good many indulgences:
he lay, for one thing, on feathers, or upon soft goatskin rugs. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the final disillusion.htm

Of the Follies which the Pagans have Indulged in Regarding Jupiter ...
... [578] Jeremiah 23:24. [579] Spiritum, breath. [580] A?�rem. [581] Alluding to the
derivation of the word ??gis = aigis, a goatskin, from the Greek aix = goat. ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxiii of the follies which.htm

Faustus Claims that the Manich??ans and not the Catholics are ...
... from your communion, and are called Mattarians, because they sleep on mats,"a very
different bed from the feathers of Faustus and his goatskin coverlets, and ...
/.../faustus claims that the manichaeans.htm

Chapter xxvi
... cover more than the mere "hand," for since garments were for the most part sleeveless,
the whole forearm might protrude and is therefore enveloped in goatskin. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxvi.htm

Goatskin (7 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The skin of a goat, or leather made from it. 2. (a.) Made of the skin
of a goat. Multi-Version Concordance Goatskin (7 Occurrences). ...
/g/goatskin.htm - 8k

Goatskins (8 Occurrences)

/g/goatskins.htm - 8k

Goats'

/g/goats'.htm - 7k

Goat (92 Occurrences)
... tragos, the ordinary Greek word for "goat"; in Matthew 25:32, 33, eriphos, and its
diminutive eriphion; in Hebrews 11:37 derma aigeion, "goatskin," from aix ...
/g/goat.htm - 48k

Wanderings (7 Occurrences)
... The water is also brought on donkeys and camels to the camps, and carried in goatskin
bags on a journey through waterless districts. See also ARABAH. ...
/w/wanderings.htm - 40k

Israel (27466 Occurrences)
... The water is also brought on donkeys and camels to the camps, and carried in goatskin
bags on a journey through waterless districts. See also ARABAH. ...
/i/israel.htm - 101k

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