Topical Encyclopedia
The silkworm, known scientifically as
Bombyx mori, is a larval form of the domesticated silk moth. While the silkworm itself is not directly mentioned in the Bible, silk as a fabric is referenced, indicating the importance and value of silk in biblical times. The process of silk production, which involves the cultivation of silkworms, was well-known in ancient cultures, particularly in the East, and eventually made its way to the regions surrounding Israel.
Biblical References to Silk
Silk is mentioned in several passages of the Bible, highlighting its luxurious nature and the esteem in which it was held. InEzekiel 16:10, the Lord describes adorning Jerusalem with fine garments: "I clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of fine leather on your feet. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk." This passage illustrates the use of silk as a symbol of wealth and divine favor.
InRevelation 18:12, silk is listed among the goods of Babylon, emphasizing its value in trade and commerce: "cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; all kinds of citron wood, and all articles of ivory and costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble." The inclusion of silk in this list underscores its status as a luxury item.
Cultural and Historical Context
The production of silk originated in China, where the silkworm was first domesticated. The knowledge of silk production was a closely guarded secret for centuries, contributing to the mystique and high value of silk in ancient trade. The Silk Road, a network of trade routes, facilitated the exchange of silk and other goods between the East and the West, eventually bringing silk to the regions mentioned in the Bible.
In biblical times, silk was often associated with royalty and the upper echelons of society. The intricate process of harvesting silk from the cocoons of silkworms and weaving it into fabric made it a costly and sought-after material. This exclusivity is reflected in the biblical references to silk, where it is often mentioned alongside other precious materials.
Symbolism and Spiritual Significance
In the Bible, silk can be seen as a metaphor for purity, beauty, and divine blessing. The luxurious nature of silk garments is used to convey the splendor and care with which God adorns His people. The transformation of the silkworm into a moth can also be viewed as a symbol of renewal and transformation, themes that resonate with the Christian message of redemption and new life in Christ.
While the silkworm itself is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, its role in the production of silk and the cultural significance of silk in biblical times provide a rich backdrop for understanding the biblical references to this precious fabric.Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SILK; SILKWORMsilk'-wurm ((1) meshi (Ezekiel 16:10, 13), perhaps from mashah, "to draw" "to extract" compare Arabic masa' of same meaning; Septuagint trichapton, "woven of hair"; (2) serikon (Revelation 18:12); (31 shesh; compare Arabic shash, a thin cotton material; (4) buts; compare Arabic 'abyad, "white," from bad; (5) bussos, "fine linen," later used of cotton and silk): The only undoubted reference to silk in the Bible is the passage cited from Revelation, where it is mentioned among the merchandise of Babylon. Serikon, "silk," is from Ser, the Greek name of China, whence silk was first obtained. The equivalent Latin sericum occurs frequently in classical authors, and is found in the Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) (Esther 8:15) for buts, "fine linen." For buts, bussos, and shesh English Versions of the Bible has nearly always "fine linen," but for shesh inProverbs 31:22, the King James Version has "silk," and inGenesis 41:42 andExodus 25:4, the King James Version margin has "silk" and the Revised Version margin has "cotton."
SeeLINEN;FINE.
There can be little doubt of the correctness of English Versions of the Bible "silk" for meshi inEzekiel 16:10, "I girded thee about with fine linen (shesh), and' covered thee with silk (meshi)," and in the similar passage,Ezekiel 16:13.
Silk is produced by all Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths, but it is of great economic importance only in the Chinese silkworm, Bombyx mori, whose larva, a yellowish-white caterpillar from 2 to 3 in. long, feeds on the leaves of the mulberry (Morus). A pair of large glands on the two sides of the stomach secrete a viscous fluid, which is conveyed by ducts to an orifice under the mouth. On issuing into the air, the fine stream is hardened into the silk fiber, which the caterpillar spins into a cocoon. Within the cocoon the caterpillar is presently transformed into the chrysalis or pupa. The cocoons from which silk is to be spun are subjected to heat which kills the pupae and prevents them from being transformed into the perfect insects or moths, which would otherwise damage the cocoons as they made their exit.
The raising of silkworms, and the spinning and weaving of silk are now important industries in Syria, though the insect was unknown in Bible times. It was introduced to the Mediterranean region from China a few centuries after Christ. Coarse silk is produced from the Chinese oak silk-moth, Saturnia pernyi, and from the Japanese oak silk-moth, Saturnia yama-mai. The largest moth of Syria and Palestine is Saturnia pyri, from which silk has also been spun, but not commercially.
See , further, WEAVING.
Alfred Ely Day
Library
Continues the Same Subject: Explains the Prayer of Union by a...
... 1. The soul compared to a butterfly.2. The grandeurs of creation.3. Symbol of the
soul and thesilkworm.4. Preparation of the soul for God's indwelling.5...
In the Bitter Cold of Winter the Trees Stand Bare of Leaves...
... of the believer and that of the unbeliever show great similarity in their beginning,
but when their end comes, they are as diverse as the snake and thesilkworm...
This ChapterContinues the Same Subject and Speaks of Another Kind...
... wandering off the road to heaven (that is, the keeping of the commandments) it will
share the fate of the butterfly that comes from thesilkworm, which lays...
All Portions of Creation Attest the Excellence of the Creator...
... in infirmity [2489] "imitate, if you can, the cells of the bee, the hills of the
ant, the webs of the spider, and the threads of thesilkworm; endure, too...
He Careth for You
... That we may be clothed, he makes the cotton and the flax to grow out of the soil,
the wool upon the sheep, and causes thesilkworm to spin its glossy house....
Beasts Similarly Subject to the Law of Mutation.
... Further: it is no secret that thesilkworm"a species of wormling it is"presently
reproduces safe and sound (the fleecy threads) which, by drawing them...
The Life of Faith.
... Who can guess in what direction grace will guide it? And who could guess either,
what nature does with asilkworm if he had not seen it working?...
The General Resurrection
... extreme old age. Let us explain the transmutation of a caterpillar or a
silkworm, which, from a reptile, becomes a butterfly. Isn't...
The Interior Castle, or The Mansions
... ii.10. Siena, St. Catharine of; VI. v.2.Silkworm, likeness of, V. ii.1-6; 5. Sin,
mortal, I.-ii.1-3; committed under the very eyes of God, VI. x.2, 3....
Six Years in North Bengal --Missionary and Indigo Planter
... and on large salaries, made advances of money to contractors, native and European,
who induced the ryots to weave cloth, to breed and feed thesilkworm, and to...
Thesaurus
Silkworm... constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
SILK;
SILKWORM. silk'-wurm ((1) meshi (Ezekiel 16:10, 13
...Silk (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) That which resembles silk, as the filiform styles of the female flower
of maize. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SILK;SILKWORM....
Caterpillar (6 Occurrences)
... and succulent vegetables, being often very destructive, Many of them are popularly
called worms, as the cutworm, cankerworm, army worm, cotton worm,silkworm....
Chios (1 Occurrence)
... In modern times large quantities of ochre are mined. The chief industry is
the culture of thesilkworm, the cocoons being sent to Lyons....
Cocoon (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) An oblong case in which thesilkworm lies
in its chrysalis state. It is formed of threads of silk...
Spin (4 Occurrences)
... threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens
on coming into contact with the air; -- said of the spider, thesilkworm, etc....
Scarlet-worm
... of the cases here considered are worms, properly so called, denoted, but various
insect larvae which are commonly called "worms," eg "silkworm," "apple-worm...
Sill (1 Occurrence)
Scarletworm
... of the cases here considered are worms, properly so called, denoted, but various
insect larvae which are commonly called "worms," eg "silkworm," "apple-worm...
Worm (22 Occurrences)
... of the cases here considered are worms, properly so called, denoted, but various
insect larvae which are commonly called "worms," eg "silkworm," "apple-worm...
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