Body: | Jesus the Master Builder and Creator of universe
Architect, Stonemason, Carpenter of the Temple/church
See also: Archeology of Everyday Life and Homes at the time of Jesus
See also: THE HOUSE OF JESUS AT CAPERNAUM
· "You, Lord [Jesus], in the beginning laid the foundation
of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands" (Hebrews
1:8-11)
· "I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three
days I will build another made without hands." (Mark 14:58)
· "Like a wise master builder [archi-tekton] I laid a
foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how
he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
· "Is not this the carpenter [Greek: tekton]" (Mark 6:3)
· Jesus is "the founder [archegos] and completer [teleiotes]
of our faith." Heb 12:2
· "you are of God's household, having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the
corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing
into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together
into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22)
Introduction:
A. Jesus was much more than a mere carpenter!
1. Jesus was the creator and master builder of the universe, so
it should not surprise us that he is described as a "one who
constructs" (lit: Tekton)
2. "If Jesus had in fact been a builder of these houses he
would have been in very good physical shape. This may help explain how he
endured the brutal flagellation before the cross (Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15;
Luke 18:33; John 19:1), an experience that many men did not survive."
(Jesus the Stone Mason?, Brian N. Peterson, Bible and Spade, Vol. 29 No. 1,
p23, 2016 AD)
3. Jesus was a Stonemason known in the first century as a
"tekton" or "architekton" which included knowledge of carpentry.
4. It is fitting that Jesus is a MASTER BUILDER because tore
down the physical temple and rebuilt it HIMSELF in three days as the New
Testament church.
B. Jesus the Master builder:
1. Supernaturally, Jesus laid the foundation of the universe:
Hebrews 1:8-11
2. Providentially in 1446 BC: Jesus provided the literal water
for Israel to drink during the exodus:
3. Secularly, Jesus was an expert at laying foundations who
always finished the job!
4. Messianically, Jesus the secular stonemason was the
messianic "rejected stone" of Old Testament prophecy:
5. Spiritually, Jesus is the master "architect" stonemason,
who laid the foundation of the temple/church and places every
Christian/stone in its place in the temple/church wall:
6. Eschatology, Jesus gives us a special smooth stone: "To him
who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give
him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone [psēphos: polished
smooth worn pebble] which no one knows but he who receives it.'"
(Revelation 2:17)
7. Unique Facts About Jesus' House: "When you get the
archeology right, the date right, the history right and the geography
right, you get the bible story right."
a. The miracle of the lame man being lowered through the torn
up roof was JESUS house where he lived.
b. It was the only house in the bible that had ceramic tiles and
pitched roof. Most other houses had flat mud roofs. This may be due to the
fact that Jesus was a Master Builder [archi-tekton] and specialized in just
this kind of roofing.
c. Jesus and his mother and brothers and sisters moved to
Capernaum after the Cana miracle of John 3. It appears that Joseph was dead
at this time because he is not mentioned as making the move.
d. It was located in Capernaum not Nazareth.
e. Jesus may have owned or rented this house, or it may have been
purchased by Mary after they sold their family house in Nazareth that
Joseph, also a builder [tekton], had constructed.
C. Housebuilding and general contracting details in the Bible:
1. The ceramic tile roofed house that Jesus owned or rented: Lk
5:19
2. Cisterns: 2 Kings 18:31; Jeremiah 2:13
3. Lime kilns: Dan 3:22; Jer 23:29
4. Plastered (whitewashed) tombs and walls: Ezekiel 13:10-16;
Matthew 23:27; Acts 23:3
5. Nails: 1 Chronicles 22:34; Ecclesiastes 12:11; John 20:25;
Colossians 2:14
6. Roofs:
a. Flat Roofs (Wattle and daub) mud and thatch: Deuteronomy
22:8; Daniel 4:29; Mt 7:3
b. Pitched Roofs with ceramic tiles: Lk 5:19
E. Housebuilding and construction allusions in the Bible:
1. Wood Carpenter allusions in the New Testament:
a. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will
give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke
is easy and My burden is light."" (Matthew 11:28-30)
b. "But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to
the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."" (Luke 9:62)
c. Roofing beams vs. roof dust in the eyes: "dokos" vs.
roof dust "karphos": Mt 7:3-5; Lk 6:41-42 Log vs. spec in eye
2. Stonemason allusions in the New Testament:
a. "like a wise master builder [archi-tekton] I laid a
foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how
he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
b. "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on
them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house,
who dug deep and laid a foundation [themelion: large foundation
stone/megalith] on the rock [petra: bedrock]; and when a flood occurred,
the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had
been well built. "But the one who has heard and has not acted
accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any
foundation [themelion: large foundation stone/megalith]; and the torrent
burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house
was great." (Luke 6:47-49)
c. Lk 6 "without foundation" = Mt 7:26 "on the sand":
"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be
like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." (Matthew 7:26)
d. As a contractor, Jesus was aware of many stories of others who
laid foundations but were unable to complete: "For which one of you, when
he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if he has enough to complete it? "Otherwise, when he has laid a
foundation [themelion] and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin
to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to
finish.'" (Luke 14:28-30)
e. "This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for
those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, This became
the very corner stone [akrogōniaios: corner stone]," and, "A stone
[Lithos: wall stone] of stumbling and a rock [petra: bedrock] of
offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and
to this doom they were also appointed." (1 Peter 2:7-8)
f. "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock
[petra: bedrock] I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not
overpower it." (Matthew 16:18)
g. "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been
built on the foundation [themelion: large foundation stone] of the apostles
and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone [akrogōniaios:
corner stone], in whom the whole building, being fitted together [Lithos:
wall stone, not in Greek but implied], is growing into a holy temple in the
Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in
the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22)
h. "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field,
God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like
a wise master builder [archi-tekton] I laid a foundation [themelion: large
foundation stone], and another is building on it. But each man must be
careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation [themelion:
large foundation stone] other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation [themelion: large
foundation stone] with gold, silver, precious stones [Lithos: wall stone],
wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will
show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will
test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has
built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is
burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as
through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:9-15)
i. "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where
Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's
foundation [themelion: large foundation stone]" (Romans 15:20)
j. "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of
all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish [themelion: large foundation
stone/megalith] you." (1 Peter 5:10)
I. Jesus the Master Builder: Architect (Stonemason and Carpenter)
A. Jesus is explicitly called a "builder": Tekton = "one who
constructs"
1. Two bible passages describe Jesus and his father Joseph as a
builder (tekton):
a. Joseph was a "Tekton": "Is not this the carpenter's
[Greek: tekton] son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James
and Joseph and Simon and Judas?" (Matthew 13:55)
b. ""Is not this the carpenter [Greek: tekton], the son of
Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His
sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him." (Mark 6:3)
2. The English word translated CARPENTER in the Bible is from the
Greek word TEKTON
a. Tekton is only used twice in the New Testament and is a
generic word that means "constructor".
b. We get our English words "technician" and "technical"
from the Greek word Tekton.
c. The Greek alone gives no specific indication if Jesus was a
builder of stone or wood.
3. The Greek Septuagint Old Testament uses the word TEKTON for
both carpenters and stonemasons:
a. "And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David and cedar
wood and craftsman [Greek: tekton] of wood [Greek: xylon] and craftsman
[Greek: tekton] of stone [lithos] and they built a house for David." (2
Kingdoms 5:11, LXX)
b. Tekton, therefore is a generic word for "one who
constructs" or a builder.
c. "In the LXX a number of terms are used for craftsmen
(carpenters included). In 2 Sm. 5:11 stone masons and carpenters are both
labeled tekton but are distinguished by the word that follows tekton. For a
carpenter "wood" (zulon) follows tekton and for the stone mason
"stone" (lithos) follows it. Hence we have builders with wood, and
builders with stone. This is very similar to the appearances of tekton in 2
Kgs. 2:12 and 1 Chron. 14:1. In both cases the word "wood" (zulon)
follows tekton to clarify the type of tekton meant. This is also true in
Isa. 44:13 where Isaiah is clearly speaking about a skilled craftsman in
wood. Here he uses both tekton and zulon together. When the word
"mason" is not accompanied by the term "carpenter" in English
translations of the OT it is most frequently paired with "stone cutter"
and translated from the words teichistes or latomos. These two terms are
used somewhat interchangeably (cf. 2 Kgs. 12:12; 2 Chron. 22:2 cf. 2 Kgs.
22:6). In these situations a "stone mason" is clearly someone who works
exclusively with quarrying and/or dressing stones for urban construction
projects, not the building of rural houses with field stones. This
conclusion is further bolstered by the texts of 2 Chron. 24:12 and Ezra
3:7. In these texts, "mason" is translated from latomos which again
means "a stone-cutter" in the contexts. Further, in both verses tekton
also appears. The KJV and the NASB translate tekton in both cases as
carpenter; however because no clarifying word appears (i.e., zulon), a
craftsman in general may be the best rendering as attested in the Jewish
Tanach. This rendering is reinforced by the way the NASB translates tekton
(with no clarifiers) in Zech. 2:3 as "craftsmen." Finally, while the
KJV translates technites as "carpenter" in Jer. 24:1 and 29:2, this
term is actually a synonym for "craftsmen" as well, and is duly
rendered as such by the NASB translators. We may summarize our above survey
by concluding that tekton without the qualifying term for "wood"
(zulon) has the general meaning of "craftsman" in the OT (cf. NASB Isa.
41:7). When tekton and zulon appear together, then a carpenter is clearly
to be understood. If we follow this understanding from the OT Greek usage
now to the New Testament, we will find that when Jesus is called a tekton,
the word zulon ("wood") does not follow. Therefore, Jesus must have
been a craftsman/builder in general (stones included). There is no clear
connection to him being a "woodworker" per se!" (Jesus the Stone
Mason?, Brian N. Peterson, Bible and Spade, Vol. 29 No. 1, p22, 2016 AD)
4. The bible indicates that Jesus' secular job as a
"tekton" primarily involved laying foundations of buildings as a
"stonemason".
a. "Like a wise master builder [archi-tekton] I laid a
foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how
he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
b. Jesus was the "archi-tekton" who laid himself as the
foundation of the church.
c. Notice "tekton" is only used twice in scripture of Jesus
and his father mistranslated "carpenter".
d. Notice "archi-tekton" is only used once in scripture and
it involves LAYING FOUNDATION STONES as a STONE mason not a WOOD carpenter.
5. Jesus secular job was a master stone mason (architect:
"archi-tekton) who first laid the foundations of houses, then built the
walls and roof until completed!
B Stonemason allusions and imagery used by Jesus "the master builder"
[tekton] in the Bible:
1. Jesus understood the exact method of laying a foundation and
used the exact terminology as an experienced stonemason.
2. Dig foundation to bedrock: Notice in Lk 6:48 Jesus
specifically speaks of DIGGING DEEP down to bedrock [petra: bedrock]
a. "And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen
cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock
[petra: bedrock]; and he rolled a large stone [Lithos: wall stone] against
the entrance of the tomb and went away." (Matthew 27:59-60)
3. Lay the corner stone: akrogōniaios: corner stone
4. Laying the megalith foundation stones to form perimeter of
building: themelion: large foundation stone/megalith
5. Build the walls with smaller stones: Lithos: wall stone.
a. "And He withdrew from them about a stone's [Lithos: wall
stone] throw, and He knelt down and began to pray," (Luke 22:41)
b. "The Jews picked up stones [Lithos: wall stone] again to
stone Him." (John 10:31)
C. Jesus is the spiritual founder [foundation] and completer of our faith:
Heb 12:2 "the founder [archegos] and completer [teleiotes] of our
faith."
1. Supernaturally, Jesus laid the foundation of the universe:
Hebrews 1:8-11
a. "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him
nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:3)
b. "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him." (John 1:10)
c. "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are
all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are
all things, and we exist through Him." (1 Corinthians 8:6)
d. "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and
on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him."
(Colossians 1:16)
e. "in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He
appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."
(Hebrews 1:2)
f. "But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever
and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. "You
have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God,
has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions." And,
"You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the
heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And
they all will become old like a garment" (Hebrews 1:8-11)
2. Providentially in 1446 BC: Jesus provided the literal water
for Israel to drink during the exodus:
a. Twice God gave Israel water to drink through Moses: At Sinai
(11 months) and Kadesh Barnea (38 years)
b. "and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were
drinking from a spiritual rock [petra: bedrock] which followed them; and
the rock [petra: bedrock] was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4)
3. Secularly, Jesus was an expert at laying foundations who
always finished the job!
a. "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on
them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house,
who dug deep and laid a foundation [themelion: large foundation
stone/megalith] on the rock [petra: bedrock]; and when a flood occurred,
the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had
been well built. "But the one who has heard and has not acted
accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any
foundation [themelion: large foundation stone/megalith]; and the torrent
burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house
was great." (Luke 6:47-49)
b. Lk 6 "without foundation" = Mt 7:26 "on the sand":
"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be
like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." (Matthew 7:26)
c. As a contractor, Jesus was aware of many stories of others
who laid foundations but were unable to complete: "For which one of you,
when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the
cost to see if he has enough to complete it? "Otherwise, when he has laid
a foundation [themelion] and is not able to finish, all who observe it
begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able
to finish.'" (Luke 14:28-30)
d. Remember, Jesus not only dug the foundation as a stonemason,
but also completing the job by building stone walls and wooden roof trusses
as a wood carpenter.
4. Messianically, Jesus the secular stonemason was the messianic
"rejected stone" of Old Testament prophecy:
a. Daniels visions of five kingdoms traces the path of
God's grace from Mosaic Judaism to Christianity: Babylon, Persia, Greece,
Rome, the Church: "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up
a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left
for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but
it will itself endure forever. "Inasmuch as you saw that a stone [Lithos:
wall stone] (Jesus Christ) was cut out of the mountain without hands and
that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold,
the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the
future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.""
(Daniel 2:44-45)
b. "Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the
Scriptures, 'The stone [Lithos: wall stone] which the builders rejected,
This became the chief corner stone [akrogōniaios: corner stone]; This
came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? "Therefore
I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a
people, producing the fruit of it. "And he who falls on this stone
[Lithos: wall stone] will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it
will scatter him like dust." When the chief priests and the Pharisees
heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them."
(Matthew 21:42-45)
c. Jesus when He laid foundations as a stonemason (tekton),
would have rejected many stones as the cornerstone. The irony is that the
Jews rejected what they thought was a worthless small rock [lithos] which
in fact WAS the very bedrock [petra: bedrock] and cornerstone
[akrogōniaios: corner stone].
d. "The stone [Lithos: wall stone] which the builders
rejected Has become the chief corner stone [akrogōniaios: corner stone]."
(Psalm 118:22, LXX)
e. "let it be known to all of you and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead-by this name this man stands here before
you in good health. "He is the stone [Lithos: wall stone] which was
rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone
[akrogōniaios: corner stone]. "And there is salvation in no one else;
for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by
which we must be saved."" (Acts 4:10-12)
f. "This precious value, then, is for you who believe;
but for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone [akrogōniaios: corner stone]," and,
"A stone [Lithos: wall stone] of stumbling and a rock [petra: bedrock] of
offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and
to this doom they were also appointed." (1 Peter 2:7-8)
g. "but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not
arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as
though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone [Lithos:
wall stone], just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone
[Lithos: wall stone] of stumbling and a rock [petra: bedrock] of offense,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."" (Romans 9:31-33)
5. Spiritually, Jesus is the master "architect" stonemason,
who laid the foundation of the temple/church and places every
Christian/stone in its place in the temple/church wall:
a. "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock
[petra: bedrock] I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not
overpower it." (Matthew 16:18)
b. "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been
built on the foundation [themelion: large foundation stone] of the apostles
and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone [akrogōniaios:
corner stone], in whom the whole building, being fitted together [Lithos:
wall stone, not in Greek but implied], is growing into a holy temple in the
Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in
the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22)
c. "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field,
God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like
a wise master builder [archi-tekton] I laid a foundation [themelion: large
foundation stone], and another is building on it. But each man must be
careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation [themelion:
large foundation stone] other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation [themelion: large
foundation stone] with gold, silver, precious stones [Lithos: wall stone],
wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will
show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will
test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has
built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is
burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as
through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:9-15)
d. "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was
already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation
[themelion: large foundation stone]" (Romans 15:20)
c. "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all
grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect,
confirm, strengthen and establish [themelion: large foundation
stone/megalith] you." (1 Peter 5:10)
6. Eschatology, Jesus gives us a special smooth stone: "To him
who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give
him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone [psēphos: polished
smooth worn pebble] which no one knows but he who receives it.'"
(Revelation 2:17)
a. Ancient juries acquitted with white stones and convicted
with black stones: "When judgement should bee given it was the guyse in
auncient tyme With whyght stones to acquit the cleere, and eeke with blacke
to cast The giltye. That tyme also so the heavy sentence past. The stones
were cast unmercifull all blacke into the pot. But when the stones were
powred out to number, there was not A blacke among them. All were whyght.
And so through Hercles powre A gentle judgement did proceede, and he was
quit that howre. Then gave he thankes to Hercules, and having prosprous
blast, Cut over the Ionian sea, and so by Tarent past" (Metamorphosis, P.
Ovidius Naso 15.48-56, 1567 AD)
b. "New" is used of a future age, "Behold I make all things
new" (Rev 21:5), always in pairs:
i. Our new name: Rev 2:17; Christ's new name: Rev 3:12
ii. New song: Rev 5:9; 14:3
iii. New Jerusalem" Rev 3:12; 21:2
c. Naming rights show lordship over the person named:
iv. Adam named the animals and was like "god" over them on
earth.
v. Adam named Eve and this became one of 8 reasons she submitted
to him.
vi. Nebuchadnezzar renamed the last 3 kings of Judah and the
deportees who went to Babylon: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were
all given pagan Babylonian names after the God's Bel and Nebu.
vii. Jesus often gave new names to his disciples: Simon was
renamed Cephas/Peter = rock. James and John he named them Boanerges = Sons
of Thunder)
D. Wood Carpenter allusions and imagery used by Jesus "the builder"
[tekton] in the bible:
1. 150 BC: Justin Martyr: "When Jesus came to the Jordan,
therefore, being considered the son of Joseph the carpenter, and having no
comeliness, as the Scriptures affirmed, He was thought to be a carpenter
(for, when He was on earth He used to work as a carpenter, making ploughs
and yokes, and thereby giving us symbolic lessons of the necessity of
leading a just and active life)" (Justin, Dialogue 88)
a. Justin calls Jesus a wood carpenter who built ploughs and
yokes, both of which are needed for plowing soil in preparation for sewing
the seed.
2. If Jesus manufactured wooden yokes and plows for oxen in
tilling the ground in preparation for planting seed, he was a first hand
expert in these areas.
a. Jesus understood first hand how to carve yoke to the perfect
dimensions to ensure the two oxen work optimally together as one force.
b. Jesus was an expert in getting oxen to plow strait furrows
since he needed to understand the exact angle and pitch of the plow blade.
c. Jesus understood directly that throwing seed on plowed
ground would yield a higher crop output than sewing the seed on hard
unplowed ground where the birds would easily eat the seed.
3. It was very powerful for Him to say, "Take my yoke upon
you" as a spiritual metaphor while holding an actual wooden yoke he made
and sold for oxen.
a. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will
give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke
is easy and My burden is light."" (Matthew 11:28-30)
4. Jesus was an expert in how to make a plow turn strait furrows:
a. "But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to
the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."" (Luke 9:62)
b. If you look back while plowing you create a crooked zag in the
furrow.
5. Roofing beams vs. roof dust in the eyes: "dokos" vs. roof
dust "karphos": Mt 7:3-5; Lk 6:41-42
a. Jesus would be very familiar as a master workman stone mason
(who would also know the carpentry trade) about the roof beams needed to
build a house.
b. Everyone living under flat roofs would have frequently
experienced little bits of dried roof thatch falling in their eyes while
living indoors.
c. Getting roof dust in your eyes was familiar and sometimes
required the assistance of others to remove it.
d. "And why do you look at the speck [Greek: karphos, ie
sawdust] that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log [Greek:
dokos] that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log [Greek:
dokos] is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log [Greek:
dokos] out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck
out of your brother's eye." (Mt 7:3-5; Lk 6:41-42)
E. Jesus as a first century "architect" equivalent to a "general
contractor" today: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
1. "like a wise master builder [archi-tekton] I laid a
foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how
he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
a. "In the Jewish sources, the mason is accordingly
considered to be an expert craftsman in the building trade." In addition to
their role in construction, masons were also employed for the systematic
dismantling of structures." In fact, the various technical terms used in
rabbinic literature to describe the professional builder indicate the wide
range of activities included in the craft, from stone-dressing to planning
to architectural decoration. Sometimes the mason was referred to by the
general term "craftsman" and sometimes "architect". More rarely, the Greek
term architekton was used." (The Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman to
Byzantine Period, Yizhar Hirschfeld, p227, 1995 AD)
b. "Although the dwelling, is not discussed as a separate
subject in the Jewish sources, many legal discussions in the Halakha and
traditions in the Midrash contain important details pertaining to the
structure of the house. It is clear from these sources that many terms
connected with house construction are derived. from Greek and Latin
terminology. Some of these terms describe specific parts of the house, such
as kiton (bedroom), traklin (entertaining room), and exedra. Other terms
relate to technical aspects of house construction, such as dimos (course),
diatona (tie stone), and architekton (mason). Such penetration of
terminology provides evidence for the influence of Greek and Roman
traditions and practices on the architecture of the dwelling in Palestine.
This influence, however, seems to have been limited to the more
technological aspects of house construction, while the general plan and
utilization of domestic space remained bound to local custom." (The
Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman to Byzantine Period, Yizhar Hirschfeld,
p292, 1995 AD)
2. In first century terminology "tekton" was equivalent to a
stonemason who built entire houses with both stone and wood. Therefore,
when Jesus functioned as a "carpenter" (as tradition suggests), this
was in reality a subtrade to his primary function as a stonemason. Jesus
built (tekton) houses of stone and wood. Jesus was a general contractor
able to build entire structures with both stone and wood, since both are
needed in any first century building.
a. "But while they were in this disposition, the king
encouraged them, and told them he would not pull down their temple till all
things were gotten ready for building it up entirely again. And as he
promised them this beforehand, so he did not break his word with them,
(390) but got ready a thousand wagons, that were to bring stones for the
building [Tekton], and chose out ten thousand of the most skilful workmen,
and bought a thousand sacerdotal garments for as many of the priests, and
had some of them taught the arts of stone cutters, and others of
carpenters, and then began to build; but this not till everything was well
prepared for the work. So Herod took away the old foundations, and laid
others, and erected the temple upon them, being in length a hundred cubits,
and in height twenty additional cubits, which [twenty], upon the sinking of
their foundations, fell down: and this part it was that we resolved to
raise again in the days of Nero. Now the temple was built of stones that
were white and strong, and each of their length was twenty-five cubits,
their height was eight, and their breadth about twelve" (Josephus,
Antiquities 15.389-392)
II The ceramic tile roofed house that Jesus owned or rented:
A. Jesus and his father were builders of houses.
1. The Bible says that both Jesus and his father were
"constructors/builders" (tekton).
2. Joseph would have surely built a house for his wife Mary and
their many children
3. Jesus may have lived in the house of his parents until he
was 30 like many millennials are doing today!!!
4. Jesus had a full time job as a "master builder" and was
known as such in his home town of Nazareth.
5. Or Jesus may have moved out and built his own house.
6. If Jesus owned a house of his own, it was likely that he
sold it when he began his ministry.
B. The house the Magi visited when Jesus was born was in Bethlehem not
Nazareth:
1. Jesus was born in the main floor stable of a house, not a
pubic in. There was no room for Mary on the second floor, "hueroon,
kataluma".
2. "After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary
His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening
their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and
myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)
3. This was a temporary residence until Joseph fled to Egypt.
4. Only after the return from Egypt to Nazareth a year later
would Joseph possibly begin building a stone house for the family.
C. Jesus "family house" in Capernaum with the pitched ceramic tile roof
at the beginning of his ministry:
1. Jesus home base was at Capernaum at the beginning of his
ministry:
a. "This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee,
and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. After this He
went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His
disciples; and they stayed there a few days." (John 2:11-12)
b. "Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody,
He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in
Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali."
(Matthew 4:12-13)
c. "When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward,
it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that
there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the
word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four
men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof
above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on
which the paralytic was lying." (Mark 2:1-4)
d. "But not finding any way to bring him in because of the
crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his
stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus." (Luke 5:19)
2. Pitched ceramic tile roofs in 30 AD:
a. The prevailing [wrong] view among archeologists, is that
ceramic tile roofs were not used in Judea during the first century. They
say fired clay tile were not used for roofing until the byzantine period.
b. The problem is that the bible EXPLICITLY says that Jesus'
house had fired clay ceramic tiles.
c. The author has personally excavated hundreds of fragments of
Byzantine clay tiles at Khirbet el-Maqatir in the monastery that dates to
375 AD. Here are some of those actual samples acquired through excavation:
3. The roof of Jesus' house in Luke 5:19 was made of
"keramos" (Ceramic) is used of fired pottery either pottery or roofing
tiles:
a. "But not finding any way to bring him in because of the
crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles [Greek:
keramos] with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of
Jesus." (Luke 5:19)
b. We get our word "ceramic" from the Greek word
"Keramos".
c. The Greek word "keramos" never means raw clay or earth,
as was used in flat roofs.
d. The Greek word "keramos" always means fired pottery or and
is the specific Greek word for ceramic roofing tiles.
4. The Greek word "keramos" used in Luke 5:19 can mean
"ceramic fired pottery":
a. "brought ten beds and rugs and ten caldrons and jars of clay
[Greek: keramos] and wheat and barley and meal and grain and beans and
lentils" (2 Kingdoms 17:28, LXX)
b. 760 BC: "many a jar [Greek: keramos], too, did they broach
of my father's wine" (Homer, Iliad 9.469)
c. 450 BC: "The tribute is stored by the king in this
fashion: he melts it down and pours it into earthen vessels; when the
vessel is full he breaks the earthenware [Greek: keramos] away, and when he
needs money coins as much as serves his purpose." (Herodotus, Hist.
3.96.2)
d. 150 AD: "The size of the beast was about a hundred feet and
its head seemed to be of earthenware. [Greek: keramos]" (Shepherd of
Hermas, Vis. IV, i, 6)
e. 150 AD: "A drop of fluid falling from a jug [Greek: keramos]
onto the ground bores through a stone." (Shepherd of Hermas, Man. XI, 20)
5. The Greek word "keramos" used in Luke 5:19 is the exact
word used to describe "ceramic fired roof tiles":
a. 272 BC: "When the fighting was now taking place by
sanctuaries and houses, and in the narrow lanes, between detached bodies in
different parts of the town, Pyrrhus left by himself was wounded in the
head. It is said that his death (272 BC) was caused by a blow from a tile
[Greek: keramos] thrown by a woman. The Argives however declare that it was
not a woman who killed him but Demeter in the likeness of a woman."
(Pausanias, Gr. Descr. 1.13.8, 180 AD)
b. 450 BC: "Now when the followers of Stasippus perceived what
was going on, they rushed out by the gates leading to Pallantium, gained
refuge in the temple of Artemis before they could be overtaken by their
pursuers, and after shutting themselves in, remained quiet there. But their
foes who had followed after them climbed upon the temple, broke through the
roof, and pelted them with the tiles [Greek: keramos]. And when the people
within realized the hopelessness of their situation, they bade them stop
and said they would come out." (Xenophon, Hellenica, 6.5.9)
c. 250 BC: "But, if we scold even that much, the doorstep
doesn't see him for three days, or he sponges on his grandmother - an
indigent old woman - or he climbs on the roof and sits there with his
feet dangling, like an ape, looking down. And I, unhappy one, who know what
I suffer in my entrails when I see him up there! Not so much for him,
because he rips off the tiles [Greek: keramos] like leaves. And, when
winter comes, in tears I have to pay three half-oboli for each tile [Greek:
keramos], while everybody cries: "That is the work of Kottalos,
Metrotima's boy!" And, being true, I can't stir a tooth in answer."
(Mimes Of Herondas, 3:44)
d. 400 BC: "ἀφύας ἄρʼ ἄξεις πριάμενος
Φαληρικὰς ἢ κέραμον [Greek: keramos]" (Aristophanes,
Acharnians 901-902)
e. 400 BC: "But at last, when both the Plataeans themselves
charged them with a great clamour, and their wives also and families
shouted and screeched from the houses [ie. Rooftops] and withal threw
stones and [ie roofing] tiles [Greek: keramos] amongst them" (Thucydides,
Hist. 2.4.2)
D. Evidence that Jesus did not own a house during his later ministry:
1. Jesus stayed in his own place during the ministry of John
near Bethany beyond the Jordan:
a. Jesus may have rented this place for a short time, while
keeping his house at Capernaum.
b. Jesus was living very near the place where John the Baptist
was working at Bethany beyond the Jordan.
c. Bethany beyond the Jordan was 20 north-east of Jerusalem, 8
km east of Jericho and on the east side of the Jordan river.
d. "And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them,
"What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means
Teacher), where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will
see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him
that day, for it was about the tenth hour." (John 1:38-39)
2. Jesus indicated that he had no fixed address: Matthew
8:19-20
a. "Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will
follow You wherever You go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes
and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
His head."" (Matthew 8:19-20)
b. The point of Jesus statement to this man (who thought
following Jesus would bring him material wealth) is that following him was
not a road paved with gold. Jesus did not even own a house. This probably
surprised the man. Jesus likely read his heart seeking personal financial
wealth, which explains the statement. "Look, if you follow me, don't
expect to get rich... I don't even own a house!"
3. Jesus instructed his disciples to be itinerate and nomadic
following His own example:
a. "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money
belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a
staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. "And whatever city or
village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until
you leave that city. "As you enter the house, give it your greeting.
"If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not
worthy, take back your blessing of peace. "Whoever does not receive you,
nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the
dust off your feet. "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for
the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city."
(Matthew 10:9-15)
b. ""Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this
house.' "If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but
if not, it will return to you. "Stay in that house, eating and drinking
what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep
moving from house to house. "Whatever city you enter and they receive
you, eat what is set before you;" (Luke 10:5-8)
c. This was a pattern for the twelve and the 70 to follow.
4. Jesus owned/rented a house in Capernaum, but this banquet
was hosted by Matthew the tax collector and other sinners in Matthew's
house:
a. Mt 9:10 and Mk 2:15 are misused as proof texts that Jesus
owned a house.
b. "As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew,
sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow
Me!" And he got up and followed Him. Then it happened that as Jesus was
reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and
sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples." (Matthew
9:9-10)
c. "And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and
there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were
reclining at the table with them." (Luke 5:29)
d. So the banquet was hosted in Matthew's house.
5. The beautiful conversion story of Zaccheus the tax collector
show that Jesus was itinerate just like he instructed his followers.
a. "He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a
man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was
rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of
the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up
into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through
that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him,
"Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it,
they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man
who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord,
half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded
anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said
to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a
son of Abraham. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that
which was lost."" (Luke 19:1-10)
6. The evidence is very strong that Jesus did not own a house
during his ministry with the exception of his residence at Capernaum.
Archeology of Everyday Life in Homes at the time of Jesus
III. Home building at the time of Jesus the "Master Builder"
(Architect, Mason)
A. The general contractor of the first century:
1. Of all the subtrades in first century house building, the
"master builder" known as the "archi-tekton"
2. "The Role and Status of the Professional Builder. Once all
the building materials were assembled, the houseowner acquired the services
of a master-builder or mason who was entrusted with the supervision of the
construction process. That the mason was a professional whose work was much
appreciated in recent times was clear from our interviews with villagers
and masons in the Hebron hills. The trade, passed down from father to son
and maintaining certain rules and standards of construction, included
expertise in all stages of the work, including stone-dressing, preparation
of the mortar and plaster, and laying the stone 'courses for the walls. The
mason also brought the scaffolding required for the upper parts of the wall
and the ceiling, and his skill in the construction of the ceiling and roof
casting was crucial." (The Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman to Byzantine
Period, Yizhar Hirschfeld, p226, 1995 AD)
3. Builders were responsible for keep safe job sites with a
minimum intrusion to public roads and sidewalks:
a. "A person may bring along his stones and unload them in
the public way at the door of his house, in order to bring them up to the
top layer [of the wall]. But if it is to leave them there, lo, this is
prohibited. And if someone else came along and was injured on them, lo,
this one is liable. [If] the stonecutter had handed them over to a camel
driver, the camel driver is liable" (Jerusalem Talmud, y. B. Mes. 10:5,
I.1.O-U)
B. First century house designs:
1. "The courtyard was an integral part of the house, serving as
the site of the daily household tasks such as cooking, baking, and laundry.
During the warm summer months, the family often ate in the courtyard and
even slept there. The courtyard also contained various installations for
keeping animals and storing their fodder." (The Palestinian Dwelling in
the Roman to Byzantine Period, Yizhar Hirschfeld, p290, 1995 AD)
2. Houses at the time of Jesus were two stories.
a. The upper floor was the private living and sleeping area.
b. The main floor was food preparation, storage
c. The main floor housed animals under the roof.
3. Cooking, weaving and other daily chores were done in an open
courtyard in the middle of the house.
4. Every house had its own cistern for water indoor.
5. There was no toilet inside the house.
a. During the day, everyone went out of the house.
b. At night, pottery was used indoors as a toilet if you had to
get up while sleeping and it would be disposed of outside and buried.
c. The new testament calls these toilet pots "vessels of
dishonor"
d. "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver
vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and
some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things,
he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared
for every good work." (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
C. Both stone and wood was used in the construction of ancient buildings:
1. Basic construction of biblical homes and buildings:
a. Stones were used for foundations and walls
b. Wood was used for first floor ceilings, second floor walls and
roof trusses
c. Roofs were either flat, thatched with mud pressed with
rollers or pitched with fired ceramic roofing tiles.
2. Solomon builds temple:
a. Wood embedded in stone.
b. "Now Solomon had 70,000 transporters, and 80,000 hewers of
stone in the mountains, besides Solomon's 3,300 chief deputies who were
over the project and who ruled over the people who were doing the work.
Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to
lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. So Solomon's builders
and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timbers
and the stones to build the house." (1 Kings 5:15-18)
3. Josiah repairs the Solomon's temple including the flat roof:
(pictured is Herod's temple 18 BC)
a. "They gave the money which was weighed out into the hands of
those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; and
they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house
of the Lord; and to the masons and the stonecutters, and for buying timber
and hewn stone to repair the damages to the house of the Lord, and for all
that was laid out for the house to repair it." (2 Kings 12:11-12)
b. "Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the
oversight of the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the
house of the Lord used it to restore and repair the house. They in turn
gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and
timber for couplings and to make [roof] beams for the houses which the
kings of Judah had let go to ruin." (2 Chronicles 34:10-11)
D. Cisterns were essential for each house, town and date back to the time
of Abraham:
1. Each house would have its own cistern:
a. "'Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of
Assyria, "Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his
vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own
cistern," (2 Kings 18:31)
2. Cisterns are dug out of solid bedrock and often had capstones:
a. "and houses full of all good things which you did not fill,
and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which
you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied," (Deuteronomy 6:11)
b. "He [Uzziah, king of Judah] built towers in the wilderness
and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and
in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and
the fertile fields, for he loved the soil." (2 Chronicles 26:10)
c. ""They captured fortified cities and a fertile land. They
took possession of houses full of every good thing, Hewn cisterns,
vineyards, olive groves, Fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled
and grew fat, And reveled in Your great goodness." (Nehemiah 9:25)
3. Wives are metaphoric cistern whose water is for the husband
alone:
a. "Drink water from your own cistern, and fresh water from
your own well. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in
the streets? Let them be yours alone And not for strangers with you. Let
your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. As a
loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love. For why should you, my son, be
exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?"
(Proverbs 5:15-20)
4. The body in old age is like a collapsed cistern:
a. "Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the
golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel
at the cistern is crushed;" (Ecclesiastes 12:6)
5. Cisterns needed to be cleaned out of mud and sediment at the
bottom:
a. "Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of
Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and
they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water
but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud." (Jeremiah 38:6)
b. Cisterns collect muck, sild, mud, garbage and debris that
needs to cleaned out regularly the same way decorative ponds, pools and
fountains need cleaning today.
c. Pictured is the author excavating a 2000 year old cistern
that was in use form 100 BC down to 69 AD. It had a 1.5 foot deep layer of
water laid mud at the bottom of the 15 foot diameter round bottomed
cistern. Hundreds of pottery sherds were found along with animal bones,
grinding stones, coins that were 2000 years old.
d. Broken pottery sherds were used to lift water from a cistern.
Many "button bottom" bases from "bag storage jars" were found at
the bottom of the cistern which may have fallen in as they were used to
collect water: "Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter's jar,
So ruthlessly shattered That a sherd will not be found among its pieces To
take fire from a hearth Or to scoop water from a cistern."" (Isaiah
30:14)
6. Rock quarried from Cisterns was used in construction then when
complete would be filled with water for mixing mortar.
a. "Preparations for Construction. As noted above, in our
discussion of traditional Palestinian building methods, the construction
process began with the collection of materials by the owner and his family.
These materials, including stones, large quantities of mortar and lime, and
timber for roofing, were usually stored at the site. In addition, a water
cistern was often excavated at the site a year before beginning
construction of the house, in order to ensure sufficient water supply for
the construction process. It is clear, therefore, that considerable time
often elapsed before construction began. ... Sometimes, such piles of
collected building material caused a public nuisance, especially if they
were left in the midst of a residential area for a considerable period of
time." (The Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman to Byzantine Period, Yizhar
Hirschfeld, p217, 1995 AD)
E. Lime Kilns: "Daniel's Furnace of Fire": Turns rock into powder
after heating and hitting with a hammer: Jeremiah 23:29
1. "This construction lime was prepared by "baking" limestone
in specially constructed kilns. The burnt lime was then slaked with water
until a thick white mixture was obtained. A combination of the lime with
aggregates such as sand or crushed quartz produced the lime-based cement.
This high-quality bonding material made possible the construction of stone
walls to full height. Its main function was to bond the stones in the wall
and create a uniform inner and outer face. Layers of this type of mortar
were also placed between the courses and cast into the wall's core." (The
Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman to Byzantine Period, Yizhar Hirschfeld,
p224, 1995 AD)
2. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were thrown into a lime kiln:
a. Nebuchadnezzar's furnace of fire was a lime kiln: "He
commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach,
Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing
fire. Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their
caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace
of blazing fire. For this reason, because the king's command was urgent
and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew
those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. But these three
men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of
blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and
stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men
we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king,
"Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and
walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of
the fourth is like a son of the gods!" Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to
the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said,
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High
God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the
midst of the fire." (Daniel 3:20-26)
b. Pottery kilns were too small to throw a man into.
c. A lime kiln is a huge structure large enough to hold many
men inside.
d. However, Nebuchadnezzar was also a prolific manufacturer of
bricks stamped with his name on it and the furnace of fire in the book of
Daniel might possibly be a special large brink kiln.
3. Lime kilns were factories that heated limestone rocks to high
temperature and produced powered lime for concreate and mortar.
a. Once the rocks were heated, they would be shatter into
powder with the hit of a large sedge hammer.
b. The powder was then mixed with water to create mortar and
concrete.
c. Adding sand created morter for whitewashing.
d. Adding other inclusions like stone and quartz would create
concrete.
4. Allusions to lime kilns destroying rock as a symbol of
spiritual judgement and destruction:
a. "Is not My word like fire?" declares the Lord, "and
like a hammer which shatters a rock?" (Jeremiah 23:29)
b. "His rock [god Ashur] will pass away because of panic, And his
princes will be terrified at the standard," Declares the Lord, whose fire
is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 31:9)
c. If a lime kiln consumes rock, how much more flesh: "Your
gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against
you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you
have stored up your treasure!" (James 5:3)
d. "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt
offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water
that was in the trench." (1 Kings 18:38)
e. "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."
(Deuteronomy 4:24)
f. "Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the
nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they
were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they have
destroyed them." (2 Kings 19:17-18)
g. "Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated all
the countries and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire, for
they were not gods but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. So they
have destroyed them." (Isaiah 37:18-19)
5. Attacking kings would set fires at the foundations of city
walls and gates in order to destroy them and gain access to the city:
a. Here is an allusion of God setting fire to the foundation of
the "mountains" (kingdoms) just like these kings did to the foundations
of walls and city gates!
b. "For a fire is kindled in My anger, And burns to the lowest
part of Sheol, And consumes the earth with its yield, And sets on fire the
foundations of the mountains." (Deuteronomy 32:22)
6. Furnaces of fire were generally used for burning garbage in
the valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem or in each city or even each house.
a. ""If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is
better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go
into hell [Gehenna = valley of Hinnom], into the unquenchable fire," (Mark
9:43)
b. "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so
shall it be at the end of the age. "The Son of Man will send forth His
angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and
those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire;
in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew
13:40-42)
7. Pictured above is the Lime kiln at Kh. Maqatir used to burn
limestone rocks in order to turn them to powdered limestone which was mixed
with water to create mortar.
a. While this one pictured below is a pottery kiln, the lime
kiln is 100 meters away and is about 3 times the diameter with 10 courses
of rocks forming a circle in the bottom.
b. Lime kins were used by the invading Muslims in 650-750 AD to
destroy church buildings by turning their stone walls into lime powder for
plaster.
F. Limestone mortar "whitewashed tombs and walls":
1. Bible passages:
a. "It is definitely because they have misled My people
by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a
wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; so tell those who
plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will
come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out.
"Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the
plaster with which you plastered it?' " Therefore, thus says the Lord
God, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also
be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath. "So
I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring
it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it
falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am the
Lord. "Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have
plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, 'The wall is
gone and its plasterers are gone, along with the prophets of Israel who
prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is
no peace,' declares the Lord God." (Ezekiel 13:10-16)
b. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but
inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." (Matthew
23:27)
c. "Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you,
you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in
violation of the Law order me to be struck?"" (Acts 23:3)
2. Lime mortar in home construction:
a. "A person may bring dirt and pile it up at the door of
his house in the public way to knead it into mortar. [But if it is] to keep
it there, lo, this is prohibited. And if another party came along and was
injured by it, lo, this person is liable. And he should not knead the
mortar on one side and build on the other side. But he should knead on
the side at which he builds [T. B.M. 11:6]." (Jerusalem Talmud, y. B.
Mes. 10:5, I.1.I-N)
b. "In addition to its use in the production of cement,
lime was used to seal the walls of water cisterns as early as the Iron Age,
or perhaps even earlier, in the Middle Bronze Age. Its first systematic use
in private construction, however, came in the 5th-4th centuries B.C.E. In
classical literature, lime is called asbestos or chalix, the latter being
the term from which the Latin word calx [Chalk] is derived. This
construction lime was prepared by "baking" limestone in specially
constructed kilns. The burnt lime was then slaked with water until a thick
white mixture was obtained. A combination of the lime with aggregates such
as sand or crushed quartz produced the lime-based cement. This high-quality
bonding material made possible the construction of stone walls to full
height. Its main function was to bond the stones in the wall and create a
uniform inner and outer face. Layers of this type of mortar were also
placed between the courses and cast into the wall's core." (The
Palestinian Dwelling in the Roman to Byzantine Period, Yizhar Hirschfeld,
p224, 1995 AD)
3. Cisterns could have cracks that leak water Cisterns so they
were often plastered with one or two layers of hydraulic lime mortar:
a. "For My people have committed two evils: They have
forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns That can hold no water." (Jeremiah 2:13)
b. Although dug out of solid rock, fishers, cracks or porous
rock would leak water over time.
c. Plaster was applied which would fix any possibility of
leaks.
d. In 2013, the author was excavating a cistern at Khirbet
el-Maqatir and two coins were found embedded in the plaster of the cistern
dating it to the Hasmonean period (c. 78 BC) that likely fell into the lime
powder, sand and other inclusions they would mix together. Here we have
some workman's coin that fell out of his pocket 2000 years ago!
G. Nails:
"The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd." (Ecclesiastes 12:11)
1. The nails of the first century at the time of Jesus were Roman
Iron nails.
a. Roman nails were made in all sizes from large spikes 12
inches long to sandal tacks ¼ inch long.
b. Jesus was crucified with long Roman nails like the ones
pictured above
2. Nails were used in Solomon's temple:
a. "David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails
for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could
be weighed; and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and
Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David." (1 Chronicles
22:3-4)
b. "The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also
overlaid the upper rooms with gold." (2 Chronicles 3:9)
3. Wooden idols were nailed to keep them from falling over:
a. "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten
it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter. "Like a
scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be
carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no
harm, Nor can they do any good."" (Jeremiah 10:4-5)
4. Jesus was nailed to the cross:
a. "So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen
the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint
of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my
hand into His side, I will not believe."" (John 20:25)
b. "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and
foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and
put Him to death." (Acts 2:23)
5. The old Covenant law of Moses was nailed to the cross
(abolished) and replaced by the law of Christ
a. "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of
decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the
way, having nailed it to the cross." (Colossians 2:14)
H. Flat Roofs: Wattle and daub flat clay roofs with wooden beams and
thatch:
Solomon's Temple
had a flat roof.
1. How flat roofs were constructed in the Bible: "Wattle and
daub construction"
a. Large wooden beams would be placed on the top of stone walls
to carry the entire load of the roof and humans occupying the area.
b. Smaller wooden beams would set perpendicular spaced closely to
hold thatch
c. Thatch mixed with mud would be laid on the smaller beams,
compressed and allowed to dry.
d. Multiple layers of pure mud or clay would be spread on top up
to 6 inches deep.
e. Each layer would be rolled with a 10 kg stone roller and
allowed to dry.
f. Seasonal maintenance is required to fix sags, leaks etc.
by laying new clay and rolling it.
g. In the cooler winter months Oct - March (planting season)
seeds would often sprout on the roof but pulling them out by the roots
would damage the roof, so they were left to die in the scorching heat come
summer. They would be cut and a new layer of clay would be spread and
rolled.
2. Josiah repairs the flat roof on the Temple of Solomon:
a. "Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the
oversight of the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the
house of the Lord used it to restore and repair the house. They in turn
gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and
timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses which the kings of
Judah had let go to ruin." (2 Chronicles 34:10-11)
3. Roofing beams vs. roof dust in the eyes: "dokos" vs. roof
dust "karphos"
a. "And why do you look at the speck [Greek: karphos, ie
sawdust] that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log [Greek:
dokos] that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log [Greek:
dokos] is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log [Greek:
dokos] out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck
out of your brother's eye." (Mt 7:3-5; Lk 6:41-42)
Wattle and daub roof construction at Marisa (photo Brian Peterson)
b. Definitions:
i. dokos: "a piece of heavy timber such as a beam used in roof
construction or to bar a door, beam of wood" (BADG, dokos)
ii. karphos: "any small dry body, esp. dry stalk, as of the dry
sticks of cinnamon; of rice-straw, generally, in plural, dry twigs, chips,
straws, bits of wool, such as birds make their nests of" (A Greek-English
Lexicon, LSJ, Karpos)
c. Other uses of dokos as a large roofing beam:
i. "⌊I have⌋ two daughters who ⌊have not known⌋ a man.
I will bring them out to you, and you may use them how it pleases you.
Only, to these men do not do anything unjust, ⌊because⌋ they entered
under the roof of my beams [Greek: dokos]." (Genesis 19:8, LXX)
ii. "This battering ram is a vast beam of wood [Greek: dokos]
like the mast of a ship; its fore-part is armed with a thick piece of iron
at the head of it, which is so carved as to be like the head of a ram,
whence its name is taken." (Josephus, Wars of the Jews 3.214)
4. Interesting facts about flat clay roofs:
a. In 1446 BC Moses mandated that roofs must have railings to
protect people from falling off:
i. "When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet
(railing) for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your
house if anyone falls from it." (Deuteronomy 22:8)
ii. What is interesting is that all modern law derives from the
law of Moses as a legal system which assigned liability for causing injury
to others due to your own negligence.
iii. For example, if someone trips and is injured because you did
not salt the ice on your property, they can sue for negligence to recoup
hospital expenses and lost wages.
iv. The Workman's Compensation Board will shut down a job site
if men are working on a flat industrial roof that the workers have not set
up a temporary fence around the perimeter.
b. Mud roofs would spout grass until the heat of summer then
they would wither like the parable of the sower in rocky soil:
i. "Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which
withers before it grows up;" (Psalm 129:6)
ii. "'Therefore their inhabitants were short of
strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were as the vegetation
of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is scorched
before it is grown up." (2 Kings 19:26)
iii. ""Therefore their inhabitants were short of
strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were as the vegetation
of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is scorched
before it is grown up." (Isaiah 37:27)
5. Uses of flat clay roofs in the Bible:
a. General living space:
i. "And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel
called to Saul on the roof, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away."
So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street." (1 Samuel
9:26)
ii. "On that day (70 AD), the one who is on the
housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them
out." (Luke 17:31)
iii. "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to
get the things out that are in his house." (Matthew 24:17)
iv. "On the next day, as they were on their way and
approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to
pray." (Acts 10:9)
v. "Now the house was full of men and women, and all
the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were
on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them." (Judges 16:27)
vi. "It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than
in a house shared with a contentious woman." (Proverbs 21:9)
viI. "Twelve months later he was walking on the roof
of the royal palace of Babylon." (Daniel 4:29)
b. Used to dry crops and storage:
i. "But she had brought them up to the roof and
hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof."
(Joshua 2:6)
c. Hiding place at times of war:
i. "But she had brought them up to the roof and
hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof."
(Joshua 2:6)
ii. "The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What
is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?"
(Isaiah 22:1)
d. Watchtower for security:
i. "Now David was sitting between the two gates; and
the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his
eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself." (2 Samuel 18:24)
e. Public broadcasting of messages:
i. "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the
light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the
housetops." (Matthew 10:27)
ii. ""Accordingly, whatever you have said in the
dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner
rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops." (Luke 12:3)
iii. "So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof,
and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all
Israel." (2 Samuel 16:22)
f. Worship of YHWH and pagan shrines:
i. "So the people went out and brought them and made
booths [ie. Feast of Booths] for themselves, each on his roof, and in their
courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the
Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim." (Nehemiah 8:16)
ii. "And those who bow down on the housetops to the
host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear
by Milcom," (Zephaniah 1:5)
I. Pitched Roofs with ceramic tiles: Lk 5:19 (see above, Jesus
house)
Conclusion:
1. While it is popular to call Jesus a carpenter, it is clear
that Jesus was a "master builder" known as a stonemason.
a. Stonemasons (archi-tekon) were the top authority in first
century construction and would also possess carpentry skills as a subtrade.
b. The word "tekton" simply means "constructor" without
telling us whether it was wood or stone.
2. The only indication we have that Jesus was a MERE carpenter as
opposed to a master builder "stonemason" comes from Justin Martyr in
150 AD who says Jesus manufactured yolks and plows.
a. This may be true.
b. A master builder stonemason, had to know how to construct
entire houses including wooden flat or pitched roofs, doors and windows.
3. Jesus used both stonemason and carpentry illusions in His
teaching.
4. Jesus, our master builder:
a. Master builder of the Universe as "creator"
b. Master builder of homes as a secular physical trade for income
as a man on earth.
c. Master builder of the spiritual temple, which is the Church
of Christ!
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Quick links
Ancient Synagogues
Go to: Main Start Page
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Quick links:
Master introduction: Summary overview is the place to start to tie it all together.
Providence: God's eternal plan: The providential transition from Temple to Synagogue to Church
Origin: Synagogues originated at Alexandria Egypt in 280 BC spawned by the Septuagint
Jesus the Messiah of the Tanakh:
1. First Century Jewish Messianic Expectation: As witnessed in the Dead Sea scrolls.
2. Looking for the wrong thing: Mistaken Jewish ideas of the Messiah in 30 AD.
3. Jesus fulfilled Prophecy: Master list of fulfilled messianic prophecies
4. Jesus fulfilled Prophecy: "He shall be called a Nazarene (branch)" Matthew 2:23
5. Jesus fulfilled Prophecy: "Jesus would rise the third day" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Synagogue Architectural Prototypes in the Church:
1. Standard architectural synagogue typology: Introduction, Master Chart
2. Mikveh for Ritual Purity: The Christian Maker
3. Ritual purity stone Vessels: Stoneware cups and wash basins
4. Freestanding Columns: Antitype of Christians
5. Artwork: Heart-Shaped Columns
6. The bema: Prototype of the Church Pulpit
7. Synagogue Benches: Metaphor of Equality in Christ
8. Women Seating in Synagogues: Not segregated from men
9. The Moses' Seat: Metaphor of Pride
10. Niches & Ark of The Scrolls: Prototype of Church Apse
11. Table of the Scrolls: Prototype of Communion Table
12. Byzantine Church Architecture: Octagonal and Basilica
13. Orientation: Early Synagogues did not Point to Jerusalem
14. The Church replaced the Temple: Replacement theology is pure Christianity
Synagogue Worship Prototypes in the Church:
15. Worship prototypes: Introduction and Master Summary Chart
16. Collective Names of Synagogues: House of Prayer, Temple, Church
17. Organization of Synagogues: Elders, officials, attendants, Independent, autonomous
18. Attendance: Weekly Sabbath Assemblies in Synagogues absent from Tanakh
19. Public Bible readings: Preaching and Teaching In Synagogues
20. Greek Septuagint: The Standard Tanakh of every ancient synagogue
21. Greek Septuagint scroll of the Twelve Minor Prophets written in 50 BC
22. Prayer in Synagogues: "House of prayer" Proseuche
23. Food: Sacred Passover Meals, No Common Meals In Synagogues
24. Sermon Topics in Synagogues: How Christians used the Tanakh to convert Jews
25. Singing in Synagogues: Non-Instrumental Acapella Responsive Singing
26. Benevolence Money: Freewill Weekly First fruits Collections for poor in Synagogues
27. Education: Schools and Literacy of Jews In Synagogues
28. Role of Women in Synagogues: Never leaders, preachers but never segregated
29. Sanctuary Status: Refugees seeking Asylum in Synagogues
30. Appendages: Hostels, Housing and Food Banks in Synagogues
31. Civil Court: Judgements, beatings and scourging in Synagogues
32. Civic Meetings: Political Town Hall assemblies in Synagogues
33. Christians replaced Jews: Replacement theology is pure Christianity
Synagogue Occupation Date (SOD)= Excavation date + Inscriptional date + Literary date
Allusions: Synagogue worship allusions and imagery in the New Testament
Master builder Stonemason Jesus: "Upon this Rock I will build My church"
Everyday life: Archeology of Everyday Life and Homes at the time of Jesus
Master List: Master list of First Temple Period, Pre-70 AD Synagogues
Attend a church you can read about in the Bible: Click here to find a church near you.
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
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Master Synagogue List
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Jewish Messianic Expectations in DSS
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Map of Synagogue Sites
Excavations
Inscriptions
Literature
Go to:
Synagogue Excavations
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Synagogue Inscriptions
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Synagogue Literary Sources
Jesus Master Builder of the Church/Temple
Archeology of First Century Houses
By Steve Rudd 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections
Jesus your messiah is waiting for you to come home!
Why not worship with a first century New Testament church near you, that has the same look and feel as the Jewish Synagogue in your own home town. As a Jew, you will find the transition as easy today as it was for the tens of thousands of your forefathers living in Jerusalem 2000 years ago when they believed in Jesus the Nazarene (the branch) as their messiah. It's time to come home!
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