More on Skirts

[Aquila]

Well, the conservatives on this topic have proven that the high priest wore breeches as part of the inner garment. The length of those breeches have been debated. They have also proven that the three Hebrews in Daniel wore trousers. The nature of those trousers have been debated.

They then make a leap of logic. They say that if the high priest wore breeches and the three Hebrews wore trousers, then every Israelite male wore trousers.

They have yet to prove that the average Israelite male wore trousers as part of their casual dress. I contend at the time Deuteronomy 22:5 was written, no Israelite, male or female, wore trousers.

From Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, by J. I. Packer, M. C. Tenney, editors, page 484 --
"Among the Hebrews breeches were worn only by the priests. In some neighboring countries, both breeches and trousers were worn by common man."

I also contend that trousers were not even popular attire among the Jews during the time of Christ. In fact, I contend that the styles that men and women did wear were quite similar:

From Atlas of the Bible, by Reader’s Digest --
Page 16 -- "In the time of Jesus, Jews of both sexes wore a linen undergarment and a woolen tunic that covered the body from the lower neck to well below the knees. Over this was draped a cloak that served variously as topcoat, blanket, bedroll, carpet, and even as collateral for loans -- provided the borrower was allowed the used of it at night. To keep the voluminous tunic from billowing awkwardly, men and women wore belts of rope, leather, or cloth, sometimes highly decorated."

From The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible, by Reader’s Digest, page 169 --
"The first thing a man put on was either a loincloth or a short skirt from waist to knee. This was all he wore when he was doing heavy work.
"Over the top of this came a shirt or tunic made of wool or linen. This was like a big sack; a long piece of material folded at the centre and sewn up the sides, with holes for the arms and a slit at the folded end for the head to go through. The skirt was calf-length for a man and coloured, usually red, yellow, black or striped. A woman’s tunic came down to her ankles and was often blue. Often it was embroidered on the yoke with a special pattern. Each village had it’s own traditional pattern of embroidery. Apart from these features a woman’s tunic would be very similar to a man’s.
"The tunic was fastened round the waist with a girdle or belt. This was a piece of cloth, folded into a long strip to make a kind of pocket to hold coins and other belongings.
"When a man needed to be able to move more freely, to work, he would tuck his tunic into his belt to make it much shorter. This was called ‘girding up the loins’. It meant getting ready for action. A woman could lift up the hem of her long dress and use it as a large bag, even for carrying things like corn.
"Out of doors, a rich man would wear a light coat over his tunic. This came down to his knees and was often gaily striped or woven in check patterns.
"There was also a thick woollen coat or cloak to keep out the cold, called a himation in New Testament times. This was made from two pieces of material, often in stripes of light and dark brown, stitched together. The joined material was wrapped around the body, sewn at the shoulders, and slits were then made in the side for the arms to go through.
"The shepherd lived in his. It was his blanket when he slept in the open at night. It was also thick enough to make a comfortable seat. A poor man’s cloak was so important to him that if it were handed over to guarantee repayment of a debt, it had to be returned to him at sunset."

From Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, by J. I. Packer, M. C. Tenney, editors,
Page 480 -- "The Israelite man’s ‘inner garment’ resembled a close-fitting shirt. The most common Hebrew word for this garment (kethoneth) is translated variously as coat, robe, tunic, and garment. It was made of wool, linen or cotton. The earliest of these garments were made without sleeves and reached only to the knees. Later, the inner garment extended to the wrists and ankles.
"A man wearing only this inner garment was said to be naked (I Sam 19:24; Isa 20:2-4). The New Testament probably refers to this garment when it says Peter ‘girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked) and did cast himself into the sea’ (John 21:7).
"The man’s girdle was a belt or band of cloth, cord, or leather 10 cm. or more wide. A fastener attached to the girdle allowed it to be loosened or tightened. The Jews used the girdle in two ways: as a tie around the waist of the inner garment or around the outer garment. When used around the inner garment, it was often called the loincloth or waistcloth. The use of a girdle increased a person’s gracefulness of appearance and prevented the long, flowing robes from interfering with daily work and movements.
"The Hebrew men wore an outer garment consisting of a square or oblong strip of cloth, 2 to 3 m. (80 to 120 in.) wide. This garment (me’yil) was called the coat, robe, or mantle. It was wrapped around the body as a protective covering, with two corners of the material being in front. The outer garment was drawn in close to the body by a girdle."

Page 482 -- "Women wore clothing that was very similar to that of men. However, the law strictly forbade a woman to wear anything that was thought to belong particularly to a man, such as the signet ring and other ornaments. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, women were also forbidden to use the weapons of a man. By the same token, men were forbidden to wear the outer robe of a woman (Deut. 22:5)."

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 1, pp 876-878 --
"Biblical references for clothes are nearly all to the costume of the males, owing doubtless to the fact that the garment ordinarily used indoors were worn alike by men and women.
"The three normal body garments, the ones most mentioned in the Scriptures, are sadhin, a rather long ‘under garment’ provided with sleeves; kethoneth, a long-sleeved tunic worn over the sadhin, likewise a shirt with sleeves; and simlah, the cloak; and the ‘girdle’.
"The ‘loin-cloth’ was always worn next to the skin. Often it was the only ‘under garment,’ as with certain of the prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4; Isaiah 20:2; Jeremiah 13:1ff). In later times it was displaced among the Hebrews by the ‘shirt’ or ‘tunic’.
"The ordinary ‘under garment’, later worn by all classes -- certain special occasions and individuals being exceptions -- was the ‘shirt’. The well-known piece of Assyrian sculpture, representing the siege and capture of Lachish by Sennacherib, shows the Jewish captives, male and female, dressed in a moderately tight garment, fitting close to the neck (Job 30:18) and reaching almost to the ankles. Probably that of the peasantry was both looser and shorter."

In New Testament times, the main item in the wardrobe was called a colobium -- a long, close-fitting tunic with openings for head and arms, woven from top to bottom, often without seams. A cloak was then wrapped over that. As in the Old Testament, the design was the same for both male and female.

Basically, although trousers were not a part of average Israelite attire, what they did wear was rather similar in design and style as it relates to men and women's dress.

Therefore, any notion the Deuteronomy 22:5 demands extreme distinction in style is error.