In archaeological excavations in the Holy Land, diggers frequently uncover jars and juglets. Designed to hold milk, wine and water, goatskins served as the original container of choice. Then came pottery pieces, baked in the sun or in ovens, supplementing the repetoire, as did stone containers.
Basically, pottery technology came to the Near East around 6000 BC, a slow wheel turned by hand developed in 3000 BC and a fast wheel, on an axle and turned by foot, implemented in approximately 2000 BC. These were used to quickly shape the pottery which once started out as coils wrapped in a circular fashion from bottom to top, no wheel involved. We’ll discuss pottery more another time because there’s so much information that a simple clay jar can tell us!
Glass is the topic today. Surprisingly, when the Bible refers to “bottles”, it might mean anything from animal skins to stone storage jars, to pottery flasks and finally, glass containers. This sophisticated material was developed circa 1600 BC into actual containers, the sand being heated to very high temperatures and fusing with other elements such as soda and lime to create glass. Prior to this time, small glass pieces were in circulation, but not as bottles. (To give you some chronological frame of reference, Joseph lived in Egypt prior to this time, most likely during the 1800s BC.)
Interestingly, glass bottles developed in a similar fashion to the coiled clay pots with thin strands of glass wrapped around and around clay forms. This costly, difficult process resulted in elegant perfume bottles, small due to their expense. Residues of their essence may still be found in the bottles’ interiors and scientifically examined back in the lab!
Stoppers were not made from cork, but a wadded piece of material or a pottery stopper. So that’s the word for today: open up!
Unstop the good that’s inside of you. Allow the Lord’s fragrance to flow and lift all those around you.
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