medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:24:54 -0000, Roger Brock wrote:
>snip
>So, yes, there was wood available. Olive wood, however, is available
>only in small portions good for small boxes and other small
>manufactures. Conifers, in general, yield lumber good for chairs,
>stools, shelves, doors, door-frames, bed-frames, etc. Most conifers (not
>Douglas Fir or Redwoods -- neither available there and then) also are
>limited in the width of the lumber and are not the most durable of
>woods. The cedars of Lebanon were prized for their girth, height,
>strength, and durability. The lumber made excellent pillars, and, as it
>could yield wide widths as well as having a pleasant odor, it also made
>excellent panelling -- but it was very expensive.
>Herod's new town of Sepphoris was about 20 km from Nazareth. So, there
>was plenty of wood -- and work -- available for a jointer, a
>cabinet-maker, but not much for a general carpenter. (Separation of
>types of areas of expertise in every field -- artisan or farmer or
>household -- dates back to Sumer and Akkad. A place for everything and
>everything in its place meant exactly that. To call someone a
>"jack-of-all trades" is not a compliment. So, the translation does make
>a difference.)
>To answer your question, George, the dominant building material was
>stone. Mountains of that around between Jerusalem and the Lower and
>Upper Galilee. That's not any type of adobe-like mud-brick construction;
>it's plastered stone. Wood was not used in general construction. Wood
>framed construction of Northern Europe and the US was never common in
>the Middle-East -- not many forested areas away from the coast. Wood
>was used in door and window frames, doors, furniture, shelving, and
>household items. etc.
>Hope this helps clarify the wood issue somewhat,
>Rochelle
BRILLIANT! Many thanks, this is the sort of information (and then some) that I was after!
Very, very enlightening.
George
George R. Hoelzeman
G.R.Hoelzeman Studios
Liturgical Design Consultant
grhstudios.com
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