Description

Swaddling Clothes

I have often pondered how Mary felt about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. There is no doubt in my mind that she and Joseph desired to give the very best care they could to this special baby. The well-known Christmas story found in Luke 2 tells of Mary putting her newborn son in “swaddling clothes”.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

I have read some authors’ explanations of swaddling clothes as mere rags which were wrapped around the babe, due to a lack of financial resources which Joseph and Mary had. That description does not ring true to me.

So, what were swaddling clothes during that time period and why was it so significant for Luke to mention infant care twice in the same chapter? We were not there to provide a first-hand account of what happened, but Christian and Hebrew scholars have suggested possible reasons and symbolism attached to this practice.

According to ancient Greek and Jewish sources, wrapping an infant in this way would be usual, expected, and meaningful. It was practiced by rich and poor alike. As far back as the sixth century B.C. during the time of the prophet Ezekiel, and referred to in Ezekiel 16:4, swaddling was a sign that an infant was properly cared for. At the time Christ was born, the Jewish infants would have the umbilical cord cut, washed, and then rubbed with a small amount of powdered salt for drying and cleansing. In ancient Jewish culture, salt signified that the parents would raise the child to be truthful and faithful. The baby was then wrapped, or swaddled. There are several theories as to the type of fabric and size of the cloth used – but often suggesting there were several yards of fabric strips or larger pieces similar to a small blanket.

Early Christian tradition had Mary spinning so that she would have good cloth and thread to make bands of swaddling cloth. Some scholars think that swaddling bands were embroidered with symbols, indicating family history and genealogy. Symbols were exactly the same on both sides, signifying that the outward and inward life were the same, and there was no wrong side to their character. On the wedding day, standing under a canopy, these adorned bands would be tied around the clasped right hands of the bride and groom. These bands would later be used to fasten the swaddling clothes of their own children. I like to imagine Mary using these bands, which she had lovingly prepared, to help the child feel comfortable and secure the “swaddling clothes” to the child. These were far from a description of “rags”.

Not too far from the stable where the holy family rested, there were others who had experience using swaddling bands. They were shepherds watching their flocks. However, it is likely that they were not ordinary shepherds. Tradition suggests that in that area there were Levitical shepherds who were tasked with raising the sacrifices which would be offered in the temple. When a first-born lamb was born, it was taken to a shelter and placed in a manger. Then the shepherd would swaddle the lamb because the sacrifice had to be without spot or blemish.

On the sacred night that Jesus came into the world, an angel announced to nearby shepherds that a “Saviour, Christ the Lord” was born and said,

“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

The shepherds “came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16). Seeing a child in swaddling clothes was expected, but to be lying in a manger, just as their sacrificial lambs, would not go unnoticed. A baby was born in the same place as the Passover lambs were born, swaddled like a Passover lamb, and pointing to the fact that the Messiah was the Lamb of God.

This story was written by Jean Tonioli