How many buttons on Elijah’s tunic?
None.
Jack Cunningham, Jr., alerted me that buttons were first used as fasteners in the 13th Century.
In 871 BC, the closest thing to a modern shirt was the tunic or כֻּתֹּנֶת. Most hung from neck to ankles and tied at the throat.
- Anat Harrel gave me a heads up. “The proper pronunciation of tunic in Hebrew is koo-toe-net — koo as in the sound doves make 😎”
These drawings below from an Egyptian tomb show people from the East — perhaps the Middle East — entering Egypt about 1900 BC.
Notice how the outer garment serves as a wrap that leaves one shoulder and both arms free. The nearest Biblical contemporaries of these people were the early Hebrews, such as Abraham.
This next photo, from the Black Obelisk, shows a rare depiction of Hebrew clothing. King Jehu—”he driveth furiously” 1 Kings 9:20— or possibly his ambassador, kneels at the feet of Shalmaneser III.
I use these photos by permission from NebMaatRa.
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