Hebrew Voices #98 – Toilets in Ancient Israel
In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Toilets in Ancient Israel, Nehemia Gordon talks with Rabbi Dr. David Moster about how ancient Israelites took care of their daily needs, how archaeological toilet finds verify the authenticity of the Bible, and profanity … Continue reading →
In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Toilets in Ancient Israel, Nehemia Gordon talks with Rabbi Dr. David Moster about how ancient Israelites took care of their daily needs, how archaeological toilet finds verify the authenticity of the Bible, and profanity in the Bible.
I look forward to reading your comments!
Podcast Version Transcript
Hebrew Voices #98 - Toilets in Ancient Israel
You are listening to Hebrew Voices with Nehemia Gordon. Thank you for supporting Nehemia Gordon's Makor Hebrew Foundation. Learn more at NehemiasWall.com.
Nehemia: I heard a lecture once about this by the archaeologist who excavated the toilet at Qumran. They walked around, looking for a place that could be a toilet and they got to a certain spot where they smelled it after 2,000 years.
Benjamin Netanyahu: Le ma’an Zion lo ekhesheh, u’l’ma’an Yerushalayim lo eshkot. (For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest. Isaiah 62:1)
Nehemia: Shalom, this is Nehemia Gordon with Hebrew Voices, and I'm here today with Rabbi Dr. David Moster. He is the Director of the Institute of Biblical Culture at biblicalculture.org. We did a previous episode with him on Hebrew Voices called "The Chinese Origin of the Sukkot Etrog.” Today, we're gonna be speaking with him about some of the courses he's offering at his Institute at biblicalculture.org., online courses that anybody can take. Shalom, Rabbi Dr. David Moster.
David: Thank you, Nehemia. It's great to be back.
Nehemia: I was looking over the syllabus you sent me, and I want to jump in right here. One of the courses that you offer talks about daily life in Biblical Israel. So, you have a topic here from daily life in ancient Israel called "Going to the Bathroom in Ancient Israel.” And I think it's important, because we take such things for granted. I remember hearing a talk once from Oprah, of all people. And she grew up in like some rural area. And when she came to the big city, I think it was Chicago, she saw a toilet and she couldn't imagine what it was for, because it was in the house. She thought it was for washing your feet.
David: Oh, my goodness.
Nehemia: I knew it wasn’t for that other thing, ‘cause it was in the house.
David: Oh, my goodness. Wow, yeah.
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Comments
As for those who piss against the wall, I would interpret that as males, not babies and not the very old nor the sick, so the ablebodied. Would give more meaning to the verse too?
Now that brings more meaning to what we read in the Bible, and the stories I’ve learned while I was really young
Before spinning wheels were introduced it took 10 spinners to supply the thread for one weaver. A typical garment represented one “man year” of labor from start to finish until industrialization was widely adopted.
Real interesting, especially the part in II Kings 10 and the matching archaeology! Had to smile, though, remembering what my Jewish friend’s mom would call this way back when we were young … “bathroom humor”. On my way to check out TIBC link you posted. Thanks again, NG !
But, did they still get scorned by their wives for not putting the seat down when they finished?
My wife told me “great now I’ll have to find another word for sherbet … that was great … then I explained they weren’t talking about sherbet, but another s word … so hillarious. Who doesn’t like a good fart joke… toilet humor etc…
Interesting to know. Thank you for sharing.
Very interesting. Thanks NG for the insight something mundane, yet so neccessary.
Very interesting to learn about the mundane, yet very necessary things. Thanks NG !!
Very interesting subject. Thank you for clarity on this. Great episode.
Great insight that gives new meaning to “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness”
Truly all of His instructions are for our good.
“And Yehovah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Yehovah our God, for our good continually, that he might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 6:24
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