In biblical times, roofing played a significant role in the architecture and daily life of the people in the ancient Near East. The construction and use of roofs are mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, reflecting both practical and symbolic aspects.

Materials and Construction

Roofs in biblical times were typically flat and constructed using materials readily available in the region. The most common materials included wooden beams, reeds, and clay. In some cases, stone slabs were used for more durable structures. The flat roofs were often covered with a layer of clay or mud, which was then compacted to create a hard surface. This construction method is evident in the account of the paralytic man being lowered through the roof to reach Jesus, as described in Mark 2:4: "Since they were unable to get to Jesus through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Him, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic on his mat."

Functions of Roofs

Roofs served multiple purposes in biblical times. They were not only protective structures but also functional spaces for various activities. The flat roofs provided an area for drying produce, such as figs and grains, and for collecting rainwater. Additionally, roofs were used as places of rest and relaxation, as seen in 1 Samuel 9:25, where Samuel and Saul conversed on the roof.

Roofs also held religious and social significance. In Deuteronomy 22:8, the law instructed the Israelites to build a parapet around their roofs to prevent accidents, highlighting the importance of safety and responsibility: "When you build a new house, you are to construct a parapet around your roof, so that you do not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from it."

Symbolic and Spiritual Significance

Roofs in the Bible often carry symbolic meanings. They are sometimes associated with prayer and divine encounters. In Acts 10:9, Peter went up on the roof to pray, where he received a vision from God: "The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray."

Roofs also appear in prophetic and apocalyptic imagery. In Isaiah 22:1, the "Valley of Vision" is described with people going up to the roofs in a time of distress: "What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the rooftops?"

Cultural Practices

The use of roofs for social and communal activities is evident in the biblical narrative. In Joshua 2:6, Rahab hid the Israelite spies under stalks of flax on her roof, demonstrating the roof's role as a place for storage and concealment: "But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there."

Roofs were also places for public announcements and proclamations. In Matthew 10:27, Jesus instructed His disciples to proclaim His teachings from the rooftops: "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops."

Conclusion

The concept of roofing in the Bible encompasses practical, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. From providing shelter and safety to serving as a place for prayer and proclamation, roofs were integral to the lives of biblical peoples, reflecting their daily practices and spiritual aspirations.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Roof.

2. (n.) The act of covering with a roof.

3. (n.) The materials of which a roof is composed; materials for a roof.

4. (n.) Hence, the roof itself; figuratively, shelter.

5. (n.) The wedging, as of a horse or car, against the top of an underground passage.

1846. exorusso -- to dig out or up
... extract, pluck out. From ek and orusso; to dig out, ie (by extension) to extract
(an eye), remove (roofing) -- break up, pluck out. see GREEK ek. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1846.htm - 6k

Letter xvi. --To Amphilochius.
... It is the scarcity of wood that brings us to this device of roofing the whole fabric
with stone; because the place supplies no timber for roofing. ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/letter xvi to amphilochius.htm

In the Sod Cellar
... The home of John's uncle was provided with just such a cellar"a deep hole dug in
the ground and covered over with a dense roofing of brush, mud, and sod. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/byrum/how john became a man/chapter ii in the sod.htm

And in the Morning of that Day He Went Out Very Early...
... when they found no way to bring him in because of the multitude of people, they
went up to the roof, and let him down with his bed from the roofing, [544] into ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section vii and in the.htm

The Longbeards' Saga. AD 400
... window stands open; Its sill is the snow-peaks, Its posts are the waterspouts,
Storm-rack its lintel; Gold cloud-flakes above Are piled for the roofing, Far up ...
/.../kingsley/andromeda and other poems/the longbeards saga a d 400.htm

The Sign for Man and the Remembrancer for God
... Now, as then, when any great convulsions shake what seems permanent, and bring home
to men the thinness of the crust of use and wont roofing an infinite depth ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the sign for man and.htm

Appendix 1 Massecheth Middoth
... 4. And the lowermost (chamber) was 5 cubits, and the roofing (extension, platitude)
6; the middle (chamber) 6, and the roofing 7; and the uppermost 7, as it is ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/appendix 1 massecheth middoth.htm

Christ's Authority to Forgive
... No doubt their act was inconvenient; for, however light the roofing, some rubbish
must have come down on the heads of some of the notabilities below. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/christs authority to forgive.htm

Jesus Heals a Paralytic at Capernaum.
... he was lowered. The tiles were plates of burnt clay, suitable for roofing
rather than for building walls or parapets. We are not ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxv jesus heals a paralytic.htm

Sheep among Wolves
... and custom, and determined by external circumstances. So there is a film
of roofing thrown over the gulf. You can make up a crack ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/sheep among wolves.htm

Acts xx. 17-21
... "Enough done on my part: three years have I:remained:" they had establishing
enough, he says; enough of roofing. "With tears," he says. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xliv acts xx 17-21.htm

Roofing (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Roofing (2 Occurrences). 1 Kings 6:9 So he put up the
house and made it complete, roofing it with boards of cedar-wood. (BBE NIV). ...
/r/roofing.htm - 7k

Roof (55 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The cover of any building, including the roofing (see Roofing) and all the
materials and construction necessary to carry and maintain the same upon the ...
/r/roof.htm - 24k

Roofs (13 Occurrences)

/r/roofs.htm - 10k

Fir-tree (5 Occurrences)
... were wide and great (Ezekiel 31:8); it was evergreen (Hosea 14:8); it could supply
boards and timber for doors (1 Kings 6:15, 24); beams for roofing the temple ...
/f/fir-tree.htm - 11k

Firtree
... were wide and great (Ezekiel 31:8); it was evergreen (Hosea 14:8); it could supply
boards and timber for doors (1 Kings 6:15, 24); beams for roofing the temple ...
/f/firtree.htm - 9k

Fir (22 Occurrences)
... were wide and great (Ezekiel 31:8); it was evergreen (Hosea 14:8); it could supply
boards and timber for doors (1 Kings 6:15, 24); beams for roofing the temple ...
/f/fir.htm - 19k

Flashing (12 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Pieces of metal, built into the joints of a wall, so as to lap over the
edge of the gutters or to cover the edge of the roofing; also, similar pieces ...
/f/flashing.htm - 10k

Tile (1 Occurrence)
... mantel works. 3. (n.) A small slab of marble or other material used for
flooring. 4. (n.) A plate of metal used for roofing. 5. (n ...
/t/tile.htm - 7k

Roofed (3 Occurrences)

/r/roofed.htm - 7k

Bare (250 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) Surface; body; substance. 9. (n.) That part of a roofing slate, shingle,
tile, or metal plate, which is exposed to the weather. 10. ...
/b/bare.htm - 35k

What is a metanarrative? | GotQuestions.org

Roofing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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