In biblical times, the role of a baker was significant in daily life and religious practices. Bakers were responsible for preparing bread, a staple food in ancient Israel and throughout the ancient Near East. Bread was not only a daily necessity but also held symbolic and ritual importance in the religious life of the Israelites.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 40:1-23: The first mention of a baker in the Bible is found in the account of Joseph, where Pharaoh's chief baker is imprisoned alongside the chief cupbearer. Both men have dreams that Joseph interprets. The baker's dream involves three baskets of bread on his head, which birds eat. Joseph interprets this to mean that the baker will be executed, a prophecy that comes to pass. This narrative highlights the baker's role within the royal household and the importance of bread in Egyptian society.

2. 1 Samuel 8:13: In the context of Samuel warning the Israelites about the consequences of having a king, it is mentioned that the king will take the daughters of the people to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. This indicates that bakers were considered skilled workers and were integral to the functioning of a royal household.

3. Jeremiah 37:21: During the siege of Jerusalem, King Zedekiah orders that Jeremiah be given a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street until all the bread in the city is gone. This reference to a specific location, "the bakers' street," suggests that bakers had a designated area within the city, emphasizing their importance in urban settings.

4. Hosea 7:4-6: The prophet Hosea uses the imagery of a baker to describe the moral decay of Israel. He compares the people's adulterous hearts to an oven heated by a baker who ceases to stir the fire after kneading the dough. This metaphor illustrates the baker's skill and the process of bread-making, while also serving as a critique of Israel's spiritual state.

Cultural and Religious Significance:

Bread was central to the diet of the Israelites, and its preparation was a daily task. The process of baking involved grinding grain into flour, kneading dough, and baking it in ovens. In ancient Israel, bread was often unleavened, especially during religious observances such as Passover (Exodus 12:8). The significance of bread is further underscored by its use in religious rituals, such as the showbread (Leviticus 24:5-9), which was placed in the Tabernacle and later the Temple as an offering to God.

The role of bakers extended beyond mere sustenance; they were essential in maintaining the religious and social fabric of the community. Bread was a symbol of God's provision, as seen in the manna provided to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4). In the New Testament, Jesus refers to Himself as the "bread of life" (John 6:35), further elevating the spiritual symbolism of bread.

Conclusion:

The baker's role in biblical times was multifaceted, encompassing daily sustenance, skilled labor, and religious symbolism. Through various biblical narratives and references, the importance of bakers and bread in ancient society is evident, reflecting both the physical and spiritual nourishment they provided.

Preface to the Present Edition.
... led souls that have been highly privileged; and the Holy Spirit, who breatheth where
He will, has through the words of the Venerable Father Baker whispered to ...
/.../preface to the present edition.htm

How Can I Obtain Faith?
... A man is hungry, and he asks you, "How can I get bread?" "Go to the baker's," you
say. The answer is complete enough for him; it meets the case at once. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/how can i obtain faith.htm

Appendix.
... history; Wharton's Histories; Beloe's Herodotus; Travels of Anacharsis; Mitford's
Greece; Ferguson's History of the Roman Republic; Baker's Livy; Middleton's ...
/.../newcomb/a practical directory for young christian females/appendix.htm

The Martyr-Bishop, 1548-1560.
... He had seized sixteen heads of families for singing hymns at a baker's funeral,
had thrown them into the drain-vaults of the White Tower at Prague, and had ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter x the martyr-bishop 1548-1560.htm

Argument: with Something of the Pride of Self-Satisfaction ...
... of the Christian professors. Plautus is said, when in need, to have laboured
at a baker's hand-mill. C??cilius tells Octavius that ...
/.../felix/the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xiv argument with something of.htm

Chapter xl
... 1-4. And it came to pass after these things that the butler of the king of
Egypt and the baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xl.htm

"Something"
... coins, added together, could be converted into a bright silver dollar, and through
the power of this, wheresoever he knocked, whether at baker's, butcher's, or ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/wells/bible stories and religious classics/something.htm

The Manna
... father and mother we know?' So, brethren, as the manna that descended from above
in the dew of the night was to the bread that was baked in a baker's oven, so ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the manna.htm

Jehovah-Jireh
... all God's provision is treasured. If a man chooses to sit outside the baker's
shop, he may starve on its threshold. If a man will ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/jehovah-jireh.htm

Preface
... A baker's boy in New Brandenburgh used to sing it over his work, and soon the whole
town and neighbourhood flocked to him to learn this beautiful new song. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/preface.htm

Baker's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Baker's (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 37:21 Then Zedekiah
the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah ...
/b/baker's.htm - 6k

Bakers (6 Occurrences)

/b/bakers.htm - 8k

Peel (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) A spadelike implement, variously used, as for removing loaves of bread from
a baker's oven; also, a T-shaped implement used by printers and bookbinders ...
/p/peel.htm - 9k

Brake (80 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) An extended handle by means of which a number of men can unite in working
a pump, as in a fire engine. 6. (n.) A baker's kneading though. ...
/b/brake.htm - 34k

Bakes (1 Occurrence)

/b/bakes.htm - 6k

Advantage (44 Occurrences)
... of a good constitution. 4. (n.) Interest of money; increase; surplus (as
the thirteenth in the baker's dozen). 5. (vt) To give an ...
/a/advantage.htm - 19k

Bread (433 Occurrences)
... A variety of bakemeats (Genesis 40:17, literally "food, the work of the baker")
are met with in the Old Testament, but only in a few cases is it possible or ...
/b/bread.htm - 58k

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