Trades (Hastings' Dictionary)

It was an ancient custom and law among tlie Jews tliat every l>oy must learn a trade, not necessarily as a means of livelihood, but as a precautionary measure against destitu- tion, if fortune failed, and the temjitations of an idle life. One of the Kubbinic sayings is, ' He that teaches not his son a trade, is as it he taught him to be a thief ; and another, ' He that hath a trade in his hands is as a vine3-ard that is fenced,' i.e. he will be secure from the dangers of temptation and want.

Many of their great Kahbis are known by tlieir surname of trade, e.ij. ' Rabbi Johanan the shoemaker, Rabbi Isaac the blacksmith,' etc. The two illustrious doctors who founded tlie schools known by their names — Ilillel and .Shammai — not long before the Christian era, had been taught trades ; and the latter, who was a mason, continued to take a i)ractical interest in his handicraft, even wlien he was vice-president of the Sanhedrin and had a large following of students. So also St.

I'aul, who was destined for the Rabbinic oliice, was taught tent-making, prob- ably before he left Tarsus, his native city, to sit at the feet of Gamaliel in Jerus. and learn from him the intricacies of Jewish law.

This was of great use to him after his conversion, when he was often compelled to maintain himself by his labour (Ac 18^) ; so that he was able to say, ' Neither did we eat bread for naught at any man's hand, but in labour and travail, working niglit and day, that wo might not burden any of you'(2Th 3"). — In many handicrafts tlie ancients attained a very high degree of excellence, and the Hebrews must have learned much from the Egyptians and Phccnicians.

Tiie pyramids, tem- ples, and tombs of Kgj^pt, the temples of Greece and Jerus. and Baalbek, and the images of gods and men, show a knowledge of masonry and sculp- ture which modern skill can hardly equal, wliile in the work of the goldsmith and jeweller the ornaments belonging to a queen of the 11th dyn.asty (about B.C. 2000), which were lately found in Dahshur, are said by good judges to be unsur- passed for beauty and finish in the present-day markets of Paris or London.

The Tyrian purjile dj'es, the rich colouring on Egvp. tombs, the ele- gant vases of potterj' and goUf, the linen fabrics of the loom, and other products of manual work so copiously depicted on Egyp. walls, all tell the same story of the high civilization in art of those times. — 'I'he principal trades mentioned in the Bible are those of smiths and armourers (I S 1."

'"), coppersmiths (2 Ti 4'''), goldsmiths (Is 40"), jewellers (Hos 2"), masons (2 K 12'-), carpenters (Mt 13"), tentniakers (Ac 18'), potters (La 4'''), tanners (Ac 9"), Ushers (Is 19»), bakers (Jer 37^'). barbers (Ezk 5'). Spinning, weaving, and sewing were chiefly the work of women (1 S 2'°, Pr 31'*). See separate articles on the above subjects. J. WoRTAUET.