Page 86 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

A son generally followed in his father’s footsteps, and he learned the trade from his father, or possibly
by an apprenticeship arrangement with another. From Daniel 1:4, it can be concluded that formal
education was available in Babylonia. This seems to be mainly meant for those who took care of
government business, foreign relations, and royal representation. Temples and religious systems also
seem to provide formal education but there is scant evidence.

Building materials and sizes of houses often distinguished the rich from the poor. Usually, bigger
courtyards and houses indicated a big family. Big, well-built houses, however, were an indication of
wealth. Two-story buildings were spotted mainly in towns. Houses of the wealthy were built using burnt
bricks. These bricks and sometimes bitumen made up the floors. Unburnt bricks and mud were the main
building material for the poor. These easily crumbled, which could explain why there are not many
excavations for these kinds of settlements. Although not many Hebrews lived in Babylon, these housing
standards were applied almost everywhere across Babylonia. Hebrew artisans undoubtedly made
significant contributions to the designing and creating of household utensils and furniture.

Wealthier Babylonians ate four meals a day: a good breakfast, a light lunch, a heavy meal, and a light
supper late in the day. “Most of the time, the meal consisted largely of vegetable products, but the
more well-to-do might have beef, mutton, goat meat, poultry, or fish. Barley bread served as the main
source of carbohydrates for all classes. Beer or water was served as the main drinks... The poor rarely
ate meat or fish but lived on a diet of bread and vegetables.” 121

Clothing in Babylonia was predominantly made of wool or linen. An average poor person wore a single
short-sleeved wool tunic that extended to the feet and went barefoot. Wealthier individuals wore short-
sleeved linen tunics topped with white cloaks, often beautifully embroidered with animals or plants.
Both men and women in this class wore sandals.

Marriage arrangements were made between the parents of the groom and the parents of the bride. The
girl would probably live in the groom’s father’s household until he set up a household of his own or his
father died, and he inherited the property. There is no evidence that married women had to be veiled in
public. 122

Trade and Economics

Temples played an important role in the Babylonian economy. Properties such as land and boats were
owned by temples. These would be rented by the general public and generate revenue and income.
Agricultural products were gathered in warehouses. Most of these products were traded in exchange for
wood, metal, cloth, and other commodities, mainly from the west as far as Asia Minor.

Building Babylon into the grand state that it was and reconstruction programs in other cities such as
Sumer and Akkad needed a strong economy. Supporting armies in conquests equally demanded a strong
financial muscle. Carrying out these tasks as successfully as Nebuchadnezzar did required a skillful trade

121 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived (p.
315). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers.
122 Ibid., p. 317.

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