Topical Bible: Summer: Cool Rooms For

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In the ancient Near East, the summer months were characterized by intense heat, making the need for cool and comfortable living spaces a practical concern. The Bible provides glimpses into how people of that time sought relief from the oppressive summer temperatures.

One notable example is found in the account of Eglon, the king of Moab, in the Book of Judges. Judges 3:20 describes how Ehud, the Israelite judge, approached Eglon in his "cool upper room." This room was likely designed to provide respite from the heat, possibly through architectural features such as thick walls, high ceilings, or strategic placement to catch breezes. The use of an upper room suggests an understanding of how elevation could contribute to cooler temperatures, as heat rises and upper levels might catch more wind.

The construction of homes and buildings in biblical times often took into account the need for temperature regulation. Thick stone walls and small windows were common, as they helped to keep the interior cool during the day and retained warmth at night. Courtyards and shaded areas were also integral to the design, providing spaces where families could gather away from the direct sun.

In the Song of Solomon, the imagery of cool and refreshing environments is used metaphorically to describe love and intimacy. Song of Solomon 2:3-4 speaks of sitting in the shade and being refreshed with apples, evoking a sense of comfort and relief from the heat. This poetic language reflects the value placed on cool, pleasant spaces as places of rest and enjoyment.

The need for cool rooms during summer also underscores the biblical theme of hospitality. Providing a comfortable environment for guests was a sign of respect and care. In Genesis 18, when Abraham receives three visitors by the oaks of Mamre, he offers them rest and refreshment under the shade of a tree, illustrating the cultural importance of offering relief from the heat.

Overall, the biblical references to cool rooms and shaded areas during summer highlight the practical and social considerations of ancient life. These spaces were not only essential for physical comfort but also played a role in social interactions and expressions of hospitality.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 3:20,24
And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he arose out of his seat.
Nave's Topical Index

Amos 3:15
And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, said the LORD.
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Library

The First Year --Society and Climate.
... the remark is often made, "We have had no summer!" and in ... an outside view than we
were in our rooms during the ... This wind is cool and bracing in the cold weather ...
/.../chapter vi the first yearsociety.htm

The Next Night Diamond was Seated by his Open Window...
... curving into the bank, that he might look far into the cool stillness. ... part of it
cut up into flower-beds, and the little summer-house with ... The rooms were empty ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 37 the next night.htm

Mission Tours.
... in India in the habit of saying "summer and winter ... budgerows, vessels with two tolerably
sized rooms, available for ... breeze, which made it thoroughly cool in the ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xiv mission tours.htm

1879-1880. Experiences among Indians --Picnic in the Bush ...
... the lovely bright days of a Canadian summer are so ... the Bush as more spacious than
our cottage-rooms. ... Cool breezes tempered the hot sunbeams, and a brilliant ...
/.../lowe/gods answers/chapter viii 1879-1880 experiences among.htm

Lives of Faith and Trust
... 8. In the early part of one Summer, it was found that we ... knowing the necessity of
stoves for some of the upper rooms, as the weather is quite cool, I went ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/lives of faith and trust.htm

The City of Gold
... who could leave the city fled to the summer resorts on ... When they left the tavern
or their squalid rooms, they had ... an African, put him in a place cool and green ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/i the city of gold.htm

The Death of the Famous Actor Miraudin was a Nine Days' Wonder...
... authorities if he only kept a cool head and ... the river before finally returning to
his rooms for the ... flows between unspoilt grassy banks, which in summer are a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/corelli/the master-christian/xxv the death of the.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... The rays of the sun made the forecourt warm in winter, while it was always cool
under the archway in summer; the gates served as resorts for pleasure or ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm

Down the Islands
... sweeps fresh and cool through a wide hall and lofty rooms. Outside, a pleasure-ground
and garden, with the same flowers as we plant out in summer at home; and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter ii down the islands.htm

The Northern Mountains
... in the equal heat of the perpetual summer; awaiting, it may ... and round the next spur,
in cool green darkness ... of course, on stilts, contained two rooms, an inner ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm