Gammadia on Early Jewish and Christian Garments

Authors

John W. Welch
Claire Foley

Keywords

Mormon studies, Masada, clothing, garments, archaeology, art history

Abstract

Among the textile fragments excavated at Masada were the remains of pieces of fabric with L-shaped cloth markings affixed to them. Dating to before A.D. 73, these are among the very earliest known examples of such marked garments. Scholars refer to these markings as gammadia, some of them being shaped like the Greek letter gamma (Γ). Though similar patterns have been found in several locations, the significance of these markings remains unknown to archaeologists and art historians. Because these markings seem to appear artistically in conjunction with some hope for life or glory after death, their presence on the clothing found at Masada may reflect something about the religious hopes and convictions of the Jewish fighters who died there.

Recommended Citation

Welch, John W. and Foley, Claire (1996) "Gammadia on Early Jewish and Christian Garments," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 36: Iss. 3, Article 17.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol36/iss3/17