In biblical times, the act of kneading was an essential part of daily life, particularly in the preparation of bread, a staple food in ancient Near Eastern diets. The process of kneading involves working dough with the hands to develop its texture and elasticity, a practice that is mentioned in several passages of the Bible.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 18:6 · In this passage, Abraham demonstrates hospitality to three visitors by instructing Sarah to quickly prepare bread: "So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quick, prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.'" This account highlights the cultural importance of bread-making and the role of women in domestic tasks.

2. Exodus 12:34 · During the Exodus, the Israelites left Egypt in haste, taking their unleavened dough with them: "So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing." This event is commemorated in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, symbolizing the swift deliverance from bondage.

3. 1 Samuel 28:24 · The narrative of Saul visiting the medium at Endor includes a reference to kneading: "Now the woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread." This passage illustrates the preparation of a meal in a time of distress and urgency.

Cultural and Symbolic Significance:

Kneading, as a domestic activity, was primarily the responsibility of women in ancient Israelite society. It was a daily task that required skill and effort, reflecting the diligence and care involved in providing for one's household. The act of kneading is often associated with hospitality, as seen in the account of Abraham, where the preparation of bread is an expression of welcome and generosity.

In a symbolic sense, kneading can also represent the process of transformation and preparation. Just as dough is worked and shaped to become bread, so too are individuals and communities shaped by divine influence and life experiences. The unleavened bread of the Passover, prepared without the time for leavening, serves as a reminder of God's swift intervention and the need for readiness and obedience.

Tools and Techniques:

The tools used for kneading in biblical times were simple yet effective. Kneading bowls, often made of clay or wood, were used to mix and work the dough. The process involved pressing and folding the dough repeatedly, which helped to develop the gluten structure necessary for the bread to rise properly when leavened.

Conclusion:

The act of kneading, while a practical necessity, carries deeper spiritual and cultural meanings within the biblical narrative. It serves as a reminder of the sustenance provided by God, the importance of hospitality, and the transformative processes that shape both physical and spiritual life.(imp. & p. p.) of Knead.3149. mastos -- the breast
... pap. From the base of massaomai; a (properly, female) breast (as if kneaded up) --
pap. see GREEK massaomai. (mastoi) -- 2 Occurrences. (mastois) -- 1 Occurrence ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3149.htm - 6k3888. lush -- to knead
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to knead NASB Word Usage knead (2), kneaded
(2), kneading (1). knead. A primitive root; to knead -- knead. 3887, 3888. ...
/hebrew/3888.htm - 5k

On Gen. vii. 6
... Moreover, God said to Moses: Provide victuals for yourself and your children. And
let them be of wheat, ground, pounded, kneaded with water, and dried. ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/section iv on gen vii.htm

The Leaven.
... Baking the bread of the household was accounted women's work; as men ploughed
and sowed in the field, women kneaded and baked at the oven. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/iv the leaven.htm

Survival of the Fittest
... out of the holes and caverns and shadows of the earth, the bones gather, and the
clay-heaps heave, rattling and adhering into half-kneaded anatomies, that ...
/.../berkhof/new evangelism and other papers/survival of the fittest.htm

And He Set Forth to them Another Parable, and Said...
... [1219] It is like the leaven which a woman took, and kneaded into three
measures of flour, until the whole of it was leavened. [16 ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xvii and he set.htm

I Shall Explain to You Also How it is that the Soul is Transfused ...
... reaps, he will be reaped; and so, too, if one casts grain into the mill, he will
be cast in himself in like manner, or if he kneads he will be kneaded, or if ...
/.../the acts of the disputation with the heresiarch manes/9 i shall explain to.htm

The Death of Two Brave Warriors
... And the woman had a fat calf in the house which she quickly killed. And she took
flour and kneaded it and baked from it bread without yeast. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the death of two brave.htm

How the Hebrews under the Conduct of Moses Left Egypt.
... they came to a place called Beelzephon, on the Red Sea; and when they had no food
out of the land, because it was a desert, they eat of loaves kneaded of flour ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 how the hebrews.htm

How Absalom Murdered Amnon, who had Forced his Own Sister; and How ...
... So she kneaded the flour in the sight of her brother, and made him cakes, and baked
them in a pan, and brought them to him; but at that time he would not taste ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 how absalom murdered.htm

The Apology of Aristides as it is Preserved in the History of ...
... goddess. For we see that it is despitefully used and tyrannized over by
men, and is furrowed and kneaded and becomes of no account. ...
/.../kay/the apology of aristides the philosopher/the apology of aristides as.htm

Leaven
... The 'salt of the earth' is to be rubbed into the meat in order to keep it from
putrefaction; the leaven is to be kneaded up into the dough in order to raise it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/leaven.htm

Kneaded (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Kneaded (3 Occurrences). ... She hurried and killed it; and
she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it. ...
/k/kneaded.htm - 7k

Well-kneaded (1 Occurrence)
Well-kneaded. Well-instructed, Well-kneaded. Well-known . Multi-Version
Concordance Well-kneaded (1 Occurrence). Leviticus ...
/w/well-kneaded.htm - 6k

Dough (15 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) Paste of bread; a soft mass of moistened flour
or meal, kneaded or unkneaded, but not yet baked; as, to knead dough. ...
/d/dough.htm - 12k

Baked (26 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 28:24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house. She hurried and killed
it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it. ...
/b/baked.htm - 14k

Bake (13 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 28:24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house. She hurried and killed
it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it. ...
/b/bake.htm - 12k

Flour (69 Occurrences)
... The flour mingled with water was kneaded in kneading-troughs, and sometimes leaven
(Exodus 12:34) was added and sometimes omitted (Genesis 19:3). The dough was ...
/f/flour.htm - 32k

Knead (2 Occurrences)

/k/knead.htm - 7k

Kneadeth (2 Occurrences)

/k/kneadeth.htm - 7k

Leaven (24 Occurrences)
... either dissolved in water in the kneading-trough before the flour was added, or
was "hid" in the flour (the King James Version "meal") and kneaded along with it ...
/l/leaven.htm - 21k

Well-instructed (1 Occurrence)
Well-instructed. Welling, Well-instructed. Well-kneaded . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (WEY). Welling, Well-instructed. Well-kneaded . Reference Bible.
/w/well-instructed.htm - 6k

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Leaven? | GotQuestions.org

Kneaded: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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