mented with numerous figures of animals worked in gold
and cotton. Each thread of the corselet was worthy of admiration, for
though very fine, every one was composed of 360 other threads all
distinct." No doubt this kind of thread was symbolical. It was
probably something of this sort that Moses refers to when he mentions
the material of which the corselet or girdle of the high priest was
made--the fine twined linen. Jewish women are represented in the Old
Testament as being expert in the art of spinning.

Ancient Babylon was also celebrated for her cloth manufacture and
embroidery work, and to be the possessor of one of these costly
garments was no ordinary ambition. It is not to be wondered at that
when Achan saw amongst the spoils of Jericho a goodly Babylonish
garment he "coveted it and took it." The figure represented on the
ancient seal of Urukh has, says Rawlinson, fringed garments delicately
striped, indicating an advanced condition of this kind of manufacture
five or six centuries before Joshua. It may be mentioned, however,
that such manufactures were in ancient times, especially in Egypt,
national. Time was of little importance, labor was plentiful, and no
craftsman was allowed to scheme, or plan, or introduce any change, but
was expected to aim at the perfection of the operation he was engaged
in, and this led to perfection every branch. Every trade had its own
quarters in the city or nation, and the locality was named after the
trade, such as goldsmiths' quarters, weavers' quarters, etc. This same
rule seems to have been practised by the Hebrews after their
settlement in Palestine, for we find such names in Scripture as the
Valley of Craftsmen. We also find that certain trades continued in
families; passages such as the following are frequent--"The father of
those who were craftsmen," and "The father of Mereshah, a city, and of
the house of those who wrought fine linen;" and again, "The men of
Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion of Moab and
Jashubalahem, these were potters, and those that dwelt among plants
and hedges, and did the king's work." In ancient Egypt every son was
obliged to follow the same trade as his father. Thus caste was formed.
Whether this same was carried out in Babylon, Persia, and Greece, we
do not know; but certainly, in these nations there were in all cases
officers directing the operations, and overseers, to whom these again
were responsible, so that every manufactur