utmost attention; whilst he commanded or directed him by signs."-Bible in Palestine, p. 179.

Rab

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In royal establishments the "cup-bearer was not only a head-servant, but an officer of great importance in the state. It was through the interposition of the chief cup-bearer or butler that Joseph attained to greatness in Egypt (Gen. xl. 1-21; xli. 9). shakeh appears from his name, which means "chief of the cup-bearers," to have held a similar post in the Assyrian court: and so did Nehemiah in the Persian court, as he himself tells us :-"I was the king's cupbearer." "Wine was before him; and I took up the wine and gave it to the king" (Neh. i. 11; ii. 1). The monuments of Assyria exhibit this officer to us. one of the sculptures of Nimroud is "the king seated on a stool or throne of most elegant design and careful workmanship. His feet are placed upon a foot-stool supported by lions' paws. In his elevated right hand he holds a cup; his left rests upon his knee. . . . The robes are covered with the most elaborate embroidery. . . . In front of the king stands an eunuch, holding in one hand, and above the cup, a fly-flapper; and in the other, the cover or the case of the cup which is in the hand of the king. A piece of embroidered linen, or a towel, thrown over his shoulder, is ready to be presented to the king, as is the custom to this day in the East, after drinking or performing ablution."-LAYARD'S Nineveh, i. 136.

The public entertainments of the eastern monarchs were carried out in most magnificent style, as described in Esther i. and Daniel v. On this subject Mr. Layard writes as follows:-" From casual notices in the Bible and in ancient history, we learn that the Assyrians, as well as those who succeeded them in the empire of Asia, were fond of public entertainments and festivities, and that they displayed on such occasions the greatest luxury and magnificence. The Assyrian king, called Nebuchodonosor in the apocryphal book of Judith, on

EASTERN BANQUET.

189

returning from his victorious expedition against Arphaxad, feasted with his whole army for one hundred and twenty days. The same is related by the Greek authors of Sardanapalus, after his great victory over the combined armies of the Medes. The book of Esther describes the splendour of the festivals given by the Babylonian king. The princes and nobles of his vast dominions were feasted for one hundred and eighty days; and for one week all the people of Susa assembled in the gardens of his palace, and were served in vessels of gold. The richest tapestries adorned the halls and tents, and the most costly couches were prepared for the guests. Wine was served in abundance; and women, including even the wives and concubines of the monarch, were frequently present to add to the magnificence of the scene. According to Quintus Curtius, not only did hired female performers exhibit on these occasions, but the wives and daughters of the nobles, forgetting their modesty, danced before the guests. Wine was drunk immoderately. When Babylon was taken by the Persians, the inhabitants were celebrating one of their great festivals, and even the guards were intoxicated. The Babylonian king, ignorant of the approaching fate of his capital, and surrounded by one thousand of his princes and nobles, and by his wives and concubines, drank out of the golden vessels that had been carried away from the Jewish temple. On the walls of the palace at Khorsabad was a bas-relief representing a public feast, probably in celebration of a victory. Men were seen seated on high chairs, with drinkingcups in their hands; whilst attendants were bringing in bowls, goblets, and various fruits and viands for the banquet. At Nimroud part of a similar bas-relief was discovered. Music was not wanting on these occasions." -Nineveh, ii. 410.

It was and still is the custom in these parts to commence their entertainments at an early hour. Ben

190

EARLY DRINKING BOUT.

hadad is described as "drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings" at midday (1 Kings xx. 16); and Isaiah pronounces, "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!" "On the 15th of April, 1813," says Morier, "returning from a morning ride, about seven o'clock, I saw, at about forty yards from the road-side, a party of well-dressed Persians seated on a carpet close to a rising ground in the plain, with a small stream of water, near a field of rising corn, flowing before them, and surrounded by their servants and horses. As I passed, they sent a lad to me with a message to the following purpose: The Khan sends his compliments, says, be happy, and join his party.' At the same time the whole company hallooed out to me as loud as they could, Be happy! be happy!' I afterwards learnt that this party was given by a Yuzbashee, or colonel of the king's troops, and that they were in the height of enjoyment when I passed, for they were all apparently much intoxicated. We one day met a party in one of the king's pleasure-houses nearly under similar circumstances; and we found that the Persians, when they commit a debauch, arise betimes, and esteem the morning as the best time for beginning to drink wine, by which means they carry on their excess until night."-MORIER's Second Journey, p. 189.

6

The foregoing extract from Morier, illustrates another point, viz., the custom of holding entertainments in the open air. This was not unusual, as evidenced by several instances in the Bible: Abraham laid out the meal for his guests, under a tree (Gen. xviii. 8); so also did Gideon (Judg. vi. 19): and it appears to have been an indication of peace and security, when invitations were sent out for such entertainments, as implied in Zech. iii. 10:-"In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree."

In

REPAST IN OPEN AIR.

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the present day, the Eastern people frequently form parties of pleasure, and repose under the trees in warm weather, eating and drinking there; and they also invite passengers to partake with them in their repasts. At Philadelphia, "Some families beneath the trees, by a rill of water, invited us to alight and partake of their refreshments." "Among the Greeks, whole families are seen sitting on the grass, and enjoying their early or evening repast beneath the trees, by the side of a rill."-CHANDLER's Travels in Asia Minor, i. 23, 289.

"It is a very customary and a very desirable thing in the East, to eat under the shade of trees; and this situation the inhabitants seem to prefer to taking their repasts in their tents or dwellings;" so De la Roque tells us. "We did not arrive at the foot of the mountain till after sunset, and it was almost night when we entered the plain; but as it was full of villages, mostly inhabited by Maronites, we entered into the first we came to, to pass the night there. It was the priest of the place who wished to receive us; he gave us a supper under the trees, before his little dwelling.' CALMET.

دو

MATERIALS OF DRESS.-SKINS; WOOL; LINEN; SILK.-ORDINARY DRESS OF MALES.-COAT.-GIRDLE-CLOAK.-COSTUME OF BEDOUINS-THE CLOAK USED FOR CARRYING ARTICLES.SANDALS.-HEAD-DRESS.-ROBES WORN BY THE WEALTHY.COAT OF MANY COLOURS.-SHIRTS.-SECOND COAT.-HAIRY GARMENT.-COLOUR OF GARMENTS.-ROMAN DRESS.-EMBROIDERED GIRDLE.-TURBAN.-DRESS OF FEMALES.- UNDER GARMENTS. OUTER GARMENTS. USE OF THE VEIL ANCIENT AND MODERN TIMES.-SHOES.-TURBANS.

IN

THE general character of oriental dress has been the same in all ages-loose flowing robes, of varying thickness, so as to suit the variations of an eastern clime, easily put on and off, and without the same amount of