2. Over this he wore a linen vestment, made of fine flax doubled: it is
called Chethone, and denotes linen, for we call linen by the name of
Chethone. This vestment reaches down to the feet, and sits close to the
body; and has sleeves that are tied fast to the arms: it is girded to
the breast a little above the elbows, by a girdle often going round,
four fingers broad, but so loosely woven, that you would think it were
the skin of a serpent. It is embroidered with flowers of scarlet, and
purple, and blue, and fine twined linen, but the warp was nothing but
fine linen. The beginning of its circumvolution is at the breast; and
when it has gone often round, it is there tied, and hangs loosely there
down to the ankles: I mean this, all the time the priest is not about
any laborious service, for in this position it appears in the most
agreeable manner to the spectators; but when he is obliged to assist at
the offering sacrifices, and to do the appointed service, that he may
not be hindered in his operations by its motion, he throws it to the
left, and bears it on his shoulder. Moses indeed calls this belt
Albaneth; but we have learned from the Babylonians to call it Emia, for
so it is by them called. This vestment has no loose or hollow parts any
where in it, but only a narrow aperture about the neck; and it is tied
with certain strings hanging down from the edge over the breast and
back, and is fastened above each shoulder: it is called Massabazanes.
3. Upon his head he wears a cap, not brought to a conic form nor
encircling the whole head, but still covering more than the half of it,
which is called Masnaemphthes; and its make is such that it seems to be
a crown, being made of thick swathes, but the contexture is of linen;
and it is doubled round many times, and sewed together; besides which, a
piece of fine linen covers the whole cap from the upper part, and
reaches down to the forehead, and hides the seams of the swathes, which
would otherwise appear indecently: this adheres closely upon the solid
part of the head, and is thereto so firmly fixed, that it may not fall
off during the sacred service about the sacrifices. So we have now shown
you what is the habit of the generality of the priests.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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