Posted on Dec 10, 2015
Why mixing fabrics was strongly forbidden in the Bible
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http://www.britannica.com/science/plant-disease
I've often heard the rhetorical question of why in the Old Testament, Moses forbade the mixing of fabrics when making clothing. A death sentence for such a seemingly innocent faux pas seems a bit harsh until one understands the reasoning.
Every plant carries pathogens that are designed to protect it from bugs, fungi, bacteria, etc. these pathogens by themselves are harmless. However, when you you introduce one pathogen to another pathogen from a different plant, the pathogens start fighting each other and or mutate into a cocktail called a superpathogen. This could also happen by mixing plant fibers with animal fibers such as wool.
The Jewish people were nomadic at the time and were in close quarters. Such a disease could have wiped them completely out. Such was the danger of mixing seemingly innocent fabrics during the Bronze Age.
I've often heard the rhetorical question of why in the Old Testament, Moses forbade the mixing of fabrics when making clothing. A death sentence for such a seemingly innocent faux pas seems a bit harsh until one understands the reasoning.
Every plant carries pathogens that are designed to protect it from bugs, fungi, bacteria, etc. these pathogens by themselves are harmless. However, when you you introduce one pathogen to another pathogen from a different plant, the pathogens start fighting each other and or mutate into a cocktail called a superpathogen. This could also happen by mixing plant fibers with animal fibers such as wool.
The Jewish people were nomadic at the time and were in close quarters. Such a disease could have wiped them completely out. Such was the danger of mixing seemingly innocent fabrics during the Bronze Age.
Science
Religion
Atheism
Posted 9 y ago
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On the religious side it had to do with purity before God. Is it really a health hazard for women to be on their periods? No but once again purity. Also why the Passover lamb had to be blemish and spot free, pure.
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MSG (Join to see)
SGT Theodosis Efthimiadis, I don't recall saying anything about micro organisms. What was interesting in the article to me was the frequency stuff. It's was pretty new agey, like those magnet braclets, but it was an interesting idea. It's hard to say anything about micro organisms and cleanliness when they were stuck in the desert for 40 years.
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SGT (Join to see)
MSG (Join to see) - Of course not. You didn't in fact specify anything other than a vague 'pathogen' and an even more vague 'superpathogen.' Do elaborate the source and make up of those pathogens then?
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MSG (Join to see)
SGT Theodosis Efthimiadis - the original poster said something about pathogens, not me. That's above my pay grade.
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Maj John Bell
SGT (Join to see) - None-the-less many of the Biblical proscriptions have a sound basis on safety. While fish responds well to smoking and dehydration as a means of preservation, shell fish does not. Particularly, if taken from brackish fresh water pools that were common in Palestine. Without refrigeration or cooking, shellfish could be toxic to children, the elderly, and the infirm in 30-40 minutes, to the healthy within 90 minutes.
Many of the pathogens that we have problems with today were not problems for Nomadic people. Most zoonotic (animal-related pathogens) pathogens and parasites must develop a certain environmental concentration before they can be delivered by a vector and overwhelm the body's defenses. The nomadic lifestyle was an unintended defense against those high environmental concentrations. I raise goats, horses, turkeys and chickens . The longest life cycle of common internal parasites in my area is 23 days. I use a four pasture, three species (Goat, chickens, and horses) pasture rotation. I don't need wormer and I have virtually no measureable traces of zoonotic pathogens like, E-Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Nomadic people, with less fertile pastures, would move more frequently and be less likely to encounter the necessary concentrations of animal and human waste that favor dangerous pathogens. The outbreaks that did happen were typically experienced by people living in villages and cities with poor hygiene practices and waste removal.
I too believe the animal pathogens and plant pathogens creating a super pathogens is "applesauce".
The poorest of people would produce their own "homespun". Dyes were expensive and out of the means of most of the population. For the poor, color variation in fabric came from natural variation in the coats of the livestock they raised. Additionally, it would be incorrect to equate todays fabric finishing techniques with ancient fabric finishing techniques. Many of the finishing and dyeing processes were cold temperature processes with organic dyes. All Sapronoses (decay related pathogens, like molds and fungi) need to thrive is moisture and organic matter to decompose. Also many of the cold temperature dyeing processes used animal and human urine to set the dyes. The urine made the Ph level harmful for some pathogens and favorable to others.
Many of the pathogens that we have problems with today were not problems for Nomadic people. Most zoonotic (animal-related pathogens) pathogens and parasites must develop a certain environmental concentration before they can be delivered by a vector and overwhelm the body's defenses. The nomadic lifestyle was an unintended defense against those high environmental concentrations. I raise goats, horses, turkeys and chickens . The longest life cycle of common internal parasites in my area is 23 days. I use a four pasture, three species (Goat, chickens, and horses) pasture rotation. I don't need wormer and I have virtually no measureable traces of zoonotic pathogens like, E-Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Nomadic people, with less fertile pastures, would move more frequently and be less likely to encounter the necessary concentrations of animal and human waste that favor dangerous pathogens. The outbreaks that did happen were typically experienced by people living in villages and cities with poor hygiene practices and waste removal.
I too believe the animal pathogens and plant pathogens creating a super pathogens is "applesauce".
The poorest of people would produce their own "homespun". Dyes were expensive and out of the means of most of the population. For the poor, color variation in fabric came from natural variation in the coats of the livestock they raised. Additionally, it would be incorrect to equate todays fabric finishing techniques with ancient fabric finishing techniques. Many of the finishing and dyeing processes were cold temperature processes with organic dyes. All Sapronoses (decay related pathogens, like molds and fungi) need to thrive is moisture and organic matter to decompose. Also many of the cold temperature dyeing processes used animal and human urine to set the dyes. The urine made the Ph level harmful for some pathogens and favorable to others.
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Interesting. It is always interesting me when modern man assumes he somehow is so much smarter and wiser than those who came before us. As soon as we want to think medieval doctors were 'quacks' we learn the the cutting edge medicine is using leeches again?
Many of the things that the twelve tribes were forbidden from doing seem strange today, but probably all would have made complete sense in the place and time.
Many of the things that the twelve tribes were forbidden from doing seem strange today, but probably all would have made complete sense in the place and time.
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SPC Nathan Freeman
http://www.new2torah.com/2011/11/the-power-of-linen/
Here's something else I found
Here's something else I found
The Power of Linen | New2Torah – Torah Observant Followers of Jesus/Yeshua – Hebrew Roots
New 2 Torah is a Bible based Torah observant site for believers seeking to understand Gods word without the Traditions and Doctrines of the modern day church getting in the way.
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Lol. Moses was a myth. Im sure our neolithic ancestors figured out plant pathology by trial and error during the +/-100000yr they existed before the myth.
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MSG Brad Sand
I would be interested to hear where you are getting your information MAJ Keira Brennan? Many thought the Bible/Torah in error concerning the Hittites, until the culture was rediscovered and it was revealed that the modern 'experts' were the ones wrong. I guess we should also ignore the archaeological evidence of the collapse of Jericho's walls to because we disagree with the primary source?
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MAJ Keira Brennan
A good start is Finkelstein, Israel, and Silberman, Neil Asher, The Bible Unearthed : Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts, Simon & Schuster, 2002
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MAJ Keira Brennan
For a military history/archeological perspective there's loads of evidence suggesting Egyptian outpost and mines in the Sinai. The idea 500k-600k escaped 'slaves' go undetected / unrecord by the Egyptians. Come on... try
What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? By William G. Dever
What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It? By William G. Dever
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