Biblical Professions

Biblical professions in the age of biblical period (1500 BC-30 AD):

Introduction:

From the beginning, humans had been adapting numerous kinds of

professions to meet their economic needs, livelihood and prosperity. In biblical

time, the kinds of professions were so differed from our contemporary world. As

soon as the world being modernized and developed gradually, the occupations and

professions also developed. Here, we will try to know about the biblical

professions in the light of this basic question—which kinds of professions were

adopted by biblical peoples and how those professions are prevailed in

contemporary Pakistani society?

Types of Biblical professions:

There were various types of profession, which were found in biblical period,

which are as follows:

Herding:

Herding is the first most popular occupation in biblical period. The people

who were attached to this profession used to live their lives as nomads (Gen 13-

18). Numerous great figures of OT were attached to this profession like, Abel,

Abraham, Moses, Lot etc. The most favorite herd animals include goats and sheep

(Gen 4:2-8). They used to get milk and meat from them. However, pigs (Luke

8:32-36), male and female donkeys, camels (Gen 24:35), horses, bulls, mules etc

were also fed. These animals were used for different purposes like male and female

donkeys for riding, bulls were used as draft animals for plows and wagons, and the

horses were used for military purpose. However, the pagans fed pigs because they

were considered as unsacred and prohibited to eat in Hebrews.1

1 For further detail see: Oded Borowski, Daily Life In Biblical Times, (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003), pp. 29-30


Agriculture:

Agriculture is the second most popular occupation of biblical period. Numerous

great figures of OT were attached to this profession like, Cain (Gen 4:2), Noah

(Gen 9:20), Joseph and his other brothers, Elisha etc. The Palestinian land was

hilly, rocky and arid as well. Different kinds of irrigational methods were used to

irrigate the land. The seasonal calendar of Israeli peoples is as follows, which was

discovered during an excavation in the beginning of twentieth century and known

as the Gezer calendar:2

Two months of ingathering (olives)/two months

Of sowing (cereals) two month of late sowing (legumes and vegetables)

A month of hoeing weed

A month of harvesting barley

A month of harvesting (wheat) and measuring (grain)

Two month of grape harvesting

A months of ingathering summer fruit

Cereals were the main products, which were cultivated in biblical times.

However, peas, chickpeas, grass-peas, broad bean, flax sesame, dill cumin, black

cumin, coriander and others were also cultivated. Moreover, the numerous kinds of

fruits were also cultivated by Israelites. Such as grapes, olive trees, figs,

pomegranates, dates, and others.3

Other occupations:

In spite of preceding occupations, there were many secondary occupations

and professions in which Israelites people involved. For example, the potters,

carpenters, hunters, fishermen, masons, metal workers, tanners and dyers,

2 Ibid, pp. 38-40

3 For further detail see: K. L. Nasir, Bible ke Zamanay ke Dastoor wa Rusoom, (Lahore: MIK, 2010), pp. 22-49


tentmaker, merchants, money-changers, bankers, taxgatherers, physicians and

others. A detailed sketch of each of them respectively is as follows

Pottery: poetry is an art of making the production from clay. It had various stages

like, the mud was made wet, trampled by foot until it shaped into an appropriate

form. Later, various kinds of vessels were made for kitchen use and to protect

things for long time, then they were dried in sunshine and finally they kept into a

furnace for baking. Various kinds of equipments were used to make clay objects

like. Different kinds of objects were used during this whole process like, frames,

furnace and others.

Carpentry: The carpentry profession is also found in both the OT and NT. The

prophet Jesus was also known in modern day Christendom as the son of carpenter

although he was born from virgin Marry. The carpenter products include wooden

plows yokes, doors, windows, stairs and numerous household products and

ornaments. However, a carpenter’s equipments with some exception and in modern

forms are the same, which are found in contemporary world.

Netting: the netting was also very famous profession in biblical period. People

used to knit different kinds of baskets for household use, matting, coverings,

cloths, warm clothes and others.4

Tanners and dyers: there are evidences of dying profession in the Old Testament.

Like Exodus 25:5, 26:14, 35:7, 36:19. In exodus, God commands to Israelites to

make a covering for the tabernacle from rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering

above of badgers' skins.5 It shows that Israelites were skillful in this profession.

Usually, the place of this profession was earmarked outside from the city because

of skins and hides odor.

4 For further detail see: K. L. Nasir, Bible ke Zamanay ke Dastoor wa Rusoom, (Lahore: MIK, 2010), pp. 89-945 Exodus, 26:14


Tent making: Earlier societies were nomadic societies. Therefore, there was a

great demand for tentmakers. In New Testament times, it this profession was

taught as trade. The prominent figure of NT Paul was a tentmaker. Paul practiced

this trade in company with Aquila at Corinth (Acts 18:1-3).

Merchants:

Money-changing: There were men who changed people's money from one type of

currency to another, and also provide change within the same currency in both the

OT and NT times. A charge of about ten per cent is made for the transaction. This

profession has been necessary because it was required by the Law of Moses that

every male Israelite who was twenty years or older, pay into the temple treasury a

half-shekel as an offering to the Lord (Exod. 30:13-15). This had to be paid by

using the exact Hebrew half-shekel, and the moneychanger provided the right

coins for the multitudes that came to Jerusalem for the feasts. Consequently, many

people were engaged in this profession. However, Jesus condemned these men and

cast them out from the temple.

Short and large of all of this is that the Hebrews and other pagan nations of

biblical period were involved in different kinds of professions and occupations.

Most famous of them were agriculture and herding. These two professions are also

the integral part of our modern day economy. For example, 70% of Pakistani

economy is based on only these two occupations. . Moreover, the equipments and

tools they used to use in agriculture, herding, carpentry, knitting and some other

professions with some exception and with a little bit change are very akin to the

similar profession used in Pakistani societies. In addition, these societies were as

modern in their times as we are in this modern time. If we scrutinize Hebrews’

societies in the context of our thirty or forty years before villages’ societies, they

would be very akin to Pakistani societies


Helping books:

Old Testament

New Testament

K. L. Nasir, Bible ke Zamanay ke Dastoor wa Rusoom, (Lahore: MIK, 2010)

Manners and Customs of Bible Lands,

http://207.44.232.113/bible/reference/m&c/m_c03.html (2 of 2) [27/06/2004

11:15:29 p.m. (accessed on 22-6-2012)

Oded Borowski, Daily Life in Biblical Times, (Atlanta: Society of Biblical

Literature, 2003)

Biblical Professions

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