Mechanic
Mechanic
The Hebrews appear to have learned in Egypt the elements at least of all the forms of handicraft practiced in that highly-civilized country, and later their neighbors the Phoenicians, famous in early times for their progress in the industrial arts, doubtless exerted a further influence upon them; nevertheless, down at least to the close of the period of the judges, the skill of the Hebrews in manufactures was quite inconsiderable (1Sa 13:20). Many of the handicrafts were practiced by the proprietor of the house (landowner) himself (comp. Homer, Odyss. v,243), chiefly the coarser kinds of work (i.e. in wood), while other sorts fell to the female head of the family, such as baking (2Sa 13:8), weaving and embroidering (Exo 35:28; Pro 31:24), and the making up of garments, including those of the men (Pro 31:21; 1Sa 2:19; Act 9:39). SEE WOMAN, and comp. the Mishna, Kethuboth, v. 5. But all the varied forms of manufacture, which, being generally executed by dint of actual manipulation, required a good degree of personal dexterity, were carried on among the Hebrews by the owners themselves, who were not slaves. So in the Homeric poems several kinds of mechanic arts appear (Hiad, 4:110, 485; 18:601; Odyss. 3:425, 432; see Wachsmuth, Hellen. Alterth. II, 1:47 sq.).
Accordingly we find mention of the gold and silver smith ( or , Jdg 17:4; Isa 40:19; Jer 10:14, etc.), who especially fabricated idols, or plated and ornamented them; the apothecary ( or , Exo 30:35; comp. , Sir 38:7); the artificer (, Exo 35:35; Deu 27:15; 1Sa 13:19), a term inclusive of blacksmiths ( , Isa 44:12; 2Ki 24:14; 1Sa 13:19; Tam. , Mishna, Chel. 14:3) and braziers ( 1Ki 7:14; comp. )C, 2Ti 4:14), as well as carpenters ( . 2Sa 5:11; Isa 44:13; comp. , Matthew 3:55; Mar 6:3; also cabinet-makers, Mishna, Baba Kamma, 9:3) and masolis ( , 1Ch 14:1); the stone- squarers ( , 2Ki 12:12), which was distinct from the last named, but whether the plasterers .( , Eze 13:11) were a separate trade from the masons is not clear; the potter ( Isa 29:16, etc.; , Mat 27:7; Mat 27:10; comp. Gesenius, Monum. Phoen. p. 161); the locksmith (, Jer 29:2); the fuller ( or i 2Ki 18:17; , Mar 9:3; comp. Gesen. ut sup. p. 181); the weaver () early (Exo 28:32) formed a separate branch of industry (especially in fabrics of byssus, 1Ch 4:21), and in large cities the baker (, Hos 7:4; Jer 37:21; see Josephus, Ant. 15:9, 2; but Luk 11:2, does not: rove the absence of such a trade); later also the barber (, Eze 5:1) is named (, according to the Targum of Jonath. at Lev 13:45; Mishna, Shabb. 1:2). See each in its place. Nevertheless, that the Hebrews took no very high rank in the fine styles of work, especially those in which labor passes over into an art, appears from the fact that a single individual often carried on several trades at once (Exo 31:3 sq.; 2Ch 2:14); while David and Solomon are recorded as having imported for their structures Phoenician (Sidonian) artificers (1Ki 5:6; 1Ch 14:1; 2Ch 2:7; 2Ch 2:14, etc.). SEE PHOENICIA.
After the exile handicrafts and arts in general stood in greater esteem among the Jews, so that experts were found among them, and their productions acquired considerable reputation (see Rosenmuller, Morgenland, 6:42). It passed for a sign of a bad bringing up when a father failed to teach his son a trade (Mishna, Kiddush. 4:14; Lightfoot, p 616; comp. Pirke Aboth, 2:2; Wagenseil, Sota, p. 597; Otho, Lex. Rabb. p.491). In the Apocrypha of the Old Test. there are mentioned the , as a moulder of figures of clay (Wis 15:8), the , , and among metal-workers (Wis 15:19), chiefly as tributary to idol image-makers.; in the New Test. the tanner (, Act 9:43; Act 10:6; Act 10:32; Talm. or , Chel. 15:1), the tentmaker (, Act 18:3); in Josephus occur the cheese- makers (, War, v. 4, 1), the barbers (, Ant. xvi, 5; War, 1:27, 5), who were of service to princes; in the Talmud, among others, the tailor (, Shabb. 1:3), the shoemaker (, Pesach, 4:6), the plasterer ( , Chel. 29:3), the glazier (, Chel. 8:9), the goldsmith (, Chel. 29:6), the dyer (, comp. Thilo, Apocr. p. 111). Some of these occupations were of so low repute that those who followed them could not attain the office of high-priest (Kiddush. lxxxii. 1); viz. those of the weaver, the barber, the fuller, the apothecary, the bloodletter, the bath- keeper, the tanner, which avocations, especially the barber’s and the tanner’s, were very odious (Kiddush. 4:14; Megilla, 3:2; comp. Otho, Lex. Rabb. p. 155; Wetstein, Nov. Test. 2:516). The workshops or place of business of the artisans appear (in the larger cities) to have been in certain streets or squares (bazaars, Tournefort, Trav. 2:322), where they were collected (Jeremiah 39:21); as in the Talmud, for instance, there is mention (Surenhusius, Mischna, v. 169, 225) of a meat-market ( ), and in Josephus (War, v. 4, 1) of a cheese-maker’s valley (the Tyropceon), as likewise of forges and dealers in wool and garments (War,v. 8, i). On occasions of public mourning such places were closed (Philo, 2:525). See generally, Iken, Antiq. Hebr. 2:578 sq.; Bellermann, Handb. 1:221 sq. SEE HANDICRAFT.
Mecherah.
SEE MECHERATHITE.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Mechanic
General references
Pro 8:30; 1Co 3:10
Instances of:
– Tubal-cain
Gen 4:22
– Bezaleel
Exo 31:2-11; Exo 35:30-35
– Hiram
1Ki 7:13-50; 2Ch 2:13-14; 2Ch 4:11-18 Art