Topical Bible: House: Architecture of Windows

◄ House: Architecture of Windows ►

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In biblical times, the architecture of houses, including the design and function of windows, played a significant role in daily life and spiritual symbolism. Windows in ancient Israelite homes were not merely functional but also carried cultural and religious significance.

Function and Design

Windows in ancient Israelite architecture were primarily designed for ventilation and light. Given the warm climate of the region, windows allowed for the circulation of air, providing relief from the heat. They were typically small and high up on the walls to maintain privacy and security while still allowing light to enter. The design often included latticework or shutters, which could be adjusted to control the amount of light and air entering the home.

The construction materials for windows varied, with wood and stone being common. In some cases, windows were covered with translucent materials like oiled parchment or thinly cut alabaster to diffuse light while maintaining privacy.

Biblical References

The Bible provides several references to windows, highlighting their practical and symbolic roles. In the account of Rahab, the window serves as a means of escape and salvation. Rahab lets the spies down through a window, and they instruct her to tie a scarlet cord in the window as a sign of protection (Joshua 2:15-21).

In the narrative of King David, windows are mentioned in the context of Michal, David's wife, who helps him escape from Saul by letting him down through a window (1 Samuel 19:12). This account underscores the window's role as a point of transition and deliverance.

The prophet Daniel's practice of praying three times a day with his windows open toward Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10) illustrates the window as a conduit for spiritual connection and devotion. This act of opening the windows toward the holy city signifies openness to God and a longing for divine presence.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance

Windows in biblical literature often symbolize revelation and divine insight. They are openings through which light enters, representing knowledge, truth, and the presence of God. In the Song of Solomon, the beloved peers through the lattice, symbolizing the anticipation and revelation of love (Song of Solomon 2:9).

The prophet Ezekiel's vision of the new temple includes detailed descriptions of windows, emphasizing their role in the divine architecture (Ezekiel 40:16). These windows are described as having beveled frames, suggesting a design that allows for both beauty and function, reflecting the glory and order of God's creation.

Cultural Context

In the broader cultural context of the ancient Near East, windows were also associated with status and wealth. Larger and more ornate windows were often found in the homes of the affluent, indicating their ability to afford such architectural features. The presence of windows in a house could reflect the social standing of its inhabitants.

Overall, the architecture of windows in biblical times was a blend of practicality and symbolism, serving both the physical needs of the household and the spiritual aspirations of the people. Through their design and use, windows provided light, air, and a connection to the divine, enriching the lives of those who dwelled within.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 5:28
The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
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Proverbs 7:6
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
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Library

Luke's Attitude Towards the Roman World
... it was easy to look from the flat roof (or from the windows of the ... evidently felt
that Theophilus was used to the Roman and not the Greek house architecture. ...
/.../ramsay/was christ born in bethlehem/chapter 3 lukes attitude towards.htm

Hugh the Builder
... It is evident from records and architecture alike that the ... Hugh to the beauty of
God's house." The dying ... A splendid double pomp of windows displays riddles to ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter viii hugh the builder.htm

Tent and Building
... two habitations as there is between the grim, solid architecture of northern ... now
have to pass our days, and that large house, with broad windows that take ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/tent and building.htm

What was Heard in the Basilica of Peace
... and high above the heavy mass of architecture, resting upon ... a convent with its cells,
and its windows narrow as loop ... of the word, the church was the House of God ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii what was heard in.htm

The Ascent of the Body
... Increase of rooms in architecture can be effected in ... The ventilation of the
house"respiration"has been attended to ... Who fixed the windows in its upper walls ...
/.../drummond/the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter i the ascent of.htm

The City of Gold
... When Nero built the Golden House he realized its dream. ... brilliant surfaces and angles
of the architecture, dazzled and ... hung out from one of the windows of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/i the city of gold.htm

Westminster Abbey.
... now, as to the builder of the newest house outside. ... little, if any, of that type
of architecture which was ... strata of the rocks; and opened the windows into wide ...
/.../kingsley/lectures delivered in america in 1874/lecture i westminster abbey.htm

The Axe at the Root --A Testimony against Puseyite Idolatry
... Let me go every morning to the steeple house and come ... O man, he might be pleased
with thy painted windows. ... with all its magnificence of architecture, and think ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/the axe at the roota.htm

Church Fabrics and Services.
... design for a huge meeting-house.'[843 ... embowed roofs,' 'massy pillars,' and 'storied
windows.'[847] Lord Lyttelton censured the old architecture as 'loaded ...
/.../the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter x church fabrics and.htm

The Tabernacle of the Most High
... long sick and confined to his house but who ... ancient Hebrews may have carried their
architecture from some ... give that." Churchmen give painted windows, and if ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the tabernacle of the most.htm