Pitcher

The pitcher was a clay jar with handles used primarily for drawing and carrying water from wells and springs, a daily domestic task performed by women in the ancient Near East. Rebekah's readiness to water the camels of Abraham's servant demonstrated the generous character that identified her as Isaac's wife. Gideon's three hundred men carried empty pitchers concealing torches as part of the nighttime ambush of the Midianite camp. In the New Testament Jesus directs the disciples to follow a man carrying a jar of water to find the upper room for the Passover. The potter's vessel of clay becomes a biblical metaphor for human fragility and divine sovereignty.