Fine linen

The composition is controversial, often called flax , or a thread secreted by some species of mollusks. The name of fine linen speaks in favor of flax - byssus (English) (byssal thread, byssus thread), from other Greek. βύσσος , originating in the Semitic בוץ - "buts" ^{[1] [2]} . In the Bible, the term “ שש ” (shesh) is used in parallel with the term “ בוץ ”, in the synodal translation - “thin linen” ^[3] , with the word “shesh” originally used to mean fabric from Egypt, and “buts” - similar to her Syrian ^[4] . It is believed that it was linen or cotton fabric that was originally called fine linen.

Herodotus , describing the embalming process of Egyptian mummies, says that "the body was wrapped from head to toe in fine linen." Egyptologist John Gardner Wilkinson discovered fine linen in Egyptian royal tombs and counted the threads to evaluate the skill of the ancient Egyptian weavers. He found 152 warp threads and 71 weft threads in one inch of fabric, which allowed him to say: fine linen is one of the thinnest fabrics, because it can only be compared with modern samples, the thinnest of which contain 88 weft threads. According to one legend, it was from fine linen, and not from the skin of a sheep, that the Golden Fleece was made. In the Middle Ages fine linen was produced in India and in the Mediterranean countries, stockings and gloves were made from it. Today, only a few women in Sardinia retain the art of spinning from fine linen.

With the development of European civilization, Chinese silk replaced the fine linen. Fine linen production in Europe has almost completely ceased; a small amount came from India. In the 18th century, fine linen was revived in the south of France and Italy. In 1870, Jules Verne writes in his “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”: “Suddenly I felt hot, I threw off my fine linen coat from my shoulders.”

The inhabitants of the Mediterranean region gathered fine linen fibers in the coastal zone, in places where a bivalve mollusk, a noble pinna ( Pinna nobilis ), was located at the foot of which there is a byssus gland that produces a protein secret - byssus (byssus, which in English means “fine linen”). Byssus hardens in the form of a bundle of strong silky threads about 6 centimeters long, with the help of which the mollusk is fixed on objects under water. One individual produces 1-2 grams of thread, therefore, to produce 200-300 grams of fine linen, it is necessary to separate from the stone and process a thousand shellfish.

• And you shall make the tabernacle of ten, covered with fine linen, and of blue, purple, and scarlet wool, and make cherubims of them with skillful work; Ref. 26: 1
• And they will make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet wool, and of fine linen, made by skillful work. Ref. 28: 6
• And make a tunic of fine linen and a kidar of fine linen, and make a belt of patterned work; Ref. 28:39
• Some people were rich, dressed in porphyry and fine linen and every day feasted brilliantly. Onion. 16:19
• Revelation of John the Evangelist, 19 , 8: “... for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. 8 And it was given to her to put on fine linen, clean and bright; fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. "