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Bible Terms and Customs: Sanctuary

Basin. Many basins are mentioned; among them, hand basins for ablutions, a covered basin or tankard used in the Sanctuary for libations, and a foot basin in which our Lord washed the disciples' feet.

Baskets. These were of various kinds, among them the Cophinus, reticule or hand basket, carried by every Jew on the arm, a light open basket for carrying food upon the head, various market baskets, and heavier ones for hoisting supplies up the battlements of besieged cities.

Bed. Where this word is used in the Bible it refers only to the mattress on which people slept. It resembled a very thick quilt. Bedsteads were wholly unknown. Books. Hebrew books were anciently written upon whole skins of parchment, sometimes of leather, but in Egypt on papyrus. Each end was attached to a roller with handles, which were rolled inwards towards each other. Each book of the Bible when not in use was kept in a metal cylinder.

Bottles. These were made of whole goatskins dressed with tannin, and the apertures tied up. Bracelet. Bracelets for the arms and anklets for the legs were commonly worn by Eastern married women of all ranks, and were regarded as an eligible mode of investing money, since they could not be taken for the debts of the husbands. There were cable-like rings with an opening through which the wrist could be slipped, or broad bands richly chased, jointed and fastened with a pin. The anklet frequently had bells. They were of gold, silver, brass, and colored glass.