Embroider

Embroidery in the biblical world referred to the skilled needlework that decorated sacred textiles, royal garments, and items of prestige. The Hebrew term raqam (to variegate or weave in colors) distinguishes embroidered work from plain weaving and from woven tapestry. Bezalel and Aholiab were divinely gifted craftsmen commissioned to execute the embroidered work of the tabernacle, including the screen at the gate of the court, the screen at the door of the tent, and elements of the high priestly garments.

The priestly vestments featured embroidery extensively: the linen coat of Aaron was "woven work," and the girdle was "the work of the embroiderer." Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was a prized trade commodity in the ancient Near East, and Ezekiel uses such luxury textiles metaphorically to describe the splendor and subsequent corruption of Tyre. Embroidery thus carried associations of both divine worship—the beauty fitting for the presence of God—and the wealth and craftsmanship of the surrounding civilizations.