Tile
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In biblical times, tiles were commonly used in construction and decoration, serving both practical and aesthetic purposes. The use of tiles is mentioned in various contexts within the Bible, reflecting their significance in ancient architecture and daily life.

Biblical References:

One of the notable references to tiles in the Bible is found in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 4:1, the prophet is instructed by God to use a clay tablet, which can be understood as a type of tile, to portray the city of Jerusalem: "Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem." This passage illustrates the use of tiles or bricks as a medium for communication and symbolic representation.

In the New Testament, tiles are mentioned in the account of Jesus healing a paralyzed man. In Luke 5:19, the friends of the paralyzed man, unable to reach Jesus because of the crowd, "went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus." This passage highlights the construction of roofs using tiles, which were common in the architecture of that period.

Cultural and Historical Context:

Tiles in ancient Israel and surrounding regions were typically made from clay or stone. They were used in various structures, including homes, public buildings, and places of worship. The durability and availability of materials made tiles a practical choice for construction. Additionally, tiles were often decorated with intricate designs, reflecting the artistic expressions of the time.

The use of tiles in roofing, as mentioned in Luke 5:19, indicates a level of sophistication in building techniques. Roofs made of tiles provided protection from the elements and were a significant improvement over simpler thatched or mud-covered roofs.

Symbolic Significance:

In a symbolic sense, tiles can represent the idea of covering or protection, as seen in their use in roofing. They also signify the permanence and stability of structures, reflecting the enduring nature of God's promises and the steadfastness of faith.

The use of tiles in Ezekiel's prophetic act serves as a reminder of the role of prophets in conveying God's messages through tangible and relatable means. The depiction of Jerusalem on a tile underscores the importance of visual symbols in communicating divine truths.

Conclusion:

While tiles may seem like a minor detail in the biblical narrative, their presence underscores the historical and cultural context of the Scriptures. They serve as a reminder of the everyday realities of life in biblical times and the ways in which God used ordinary objects to convey extraordinary messages.
ATS Bible Dictionary
Tile

A broad and thin brick, usually made of fine clay, and hardened in the fire. Such tiles were very common in the region of the Euphrates and Tigris, (See BABYLON,) and offered to the exiled prophet Ezekiel the most natural and obvious means of depicting the siege of Jerusalem, Ezekiel 4:1. Great numbers of similar rude sketches of places, as well as of animals and men, are found on the tiles recently exhumed from the ancient mounds of Assyria, interspersed among the wedge-shaped inscriptions with which one side of the tile is usually crowded. At Nineveh Layard found a large chamber stored full of such inscribed tiles, like a collection of historical archives, Ezra 6:1. They are usually about a foot square, and three inches thick.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (v. t.) To protect from the intrusion of the uninitiated; as, to tile a Masonic lodge.

2. (n.) A plate, or thin piece, of baked clay, used for covering the roofs of buildings, for floors, for drains, and often for ornamental mantel works.

3. (n.) A small slab of marble or other material used for flooring.

4. (n.) A plate of metal used for roofing.

5. (n.) A small, flat piece of dried earth or earthenware, used to cover vessels in which metals are fused.

6. (n.) A draintile.

7. (n.) A stiff hat.

8. (v. t.) To cover with tiles; as, to tile a house.

9. (v. t.) Fig.: To cover, as if with tiles.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
TILE; TILING

til, til'-ing (lebhenah, "brick" Ezekiel 4:1; keramos, "potter's clay," "a tile," Luke 5:19).

See EZEKIEL, II, 1, (2); HOUSE, II, 1, (10).

Greek
2766. keramos -- a tile
... a tile. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: keramos Phonetic Spelling:
(ker'-am-os) Short Definition: a tile, the roof Definition: a tile ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2766.htm - 6k

3749. ostrakinos -- earthen
... of earth, earthen. From ostrakon ("oyster") (a tile, ie Terra cotta);
earthen-ware, ie Clayey; by implication, frail -- of earth, earthen. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3749.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew
3843. lebenah -- brick, tile
... 3842, 3843. lebenah. 3844 . brick, tile. Transliteration: lebenah Phonetic
Spelling: (leb-ay-naw') Short Definition: bricks. ... altar of brick, tile. ...
/hebrew/3843.htm - 6k

2777. charsuth -- potsherd
... east. From cherec (apparently in the sense of a red tile used for scraping); a potsherd,
ie (by implication) a pottery; the name of a gate at Jerusalem -- east. ...
/hebrew/2777.htm - 6k

5508. sochereth -- a stone (used in paving)
... black marble. Similar to cocherah; probably a (black) tile (or tessara) for laying
borders with -- black marble. see HEBREW cocherah. 5507, 5508. ...
/hebrew/5508.htm - 6k

Library

Choosing the Tens
... Here, also, were great cords of new brick and avalanches of glazed tile where disaster
had overtaken orderly stacks of this multi-tinted material. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter i choosing the tens.htm

What the Ruler's Discrimination Should be Between Correction and ...
... Whence it is well said to Ezekiel, Take unto thee a tile, and thou shalt lay it
before thee, and pourtray upon it the city Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:1). And ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter x what the rulers.htm

Effects of the Destruction of Jerusalem on the Christian Church.
... of his whole system of doctrine; but outwardly he had in various ways accommodated
himself to Judaism, and had more than once religiously visited tile temple. ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 39 effects of the.htm

Thanksgiving to God for Deliverance from the Evils Expected Owing ...
... Wouldest thou learn then, how great the wisdom of the Creator is, consider what
it is that is made out of clay? What else is there but brick and tile? ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xi thanksgiving to god.htm

Church Union (Continued).
... who, since the separation from the ABCFM at the last Synod, had become the
Corresponding Secretary for the Board of Foreign Missions of tile Reformed Church. ...
/.../fagg/forty years in south china/ix church union continued.htm

Early Missionary Experiences
... While there a ball struck the ridge of the roof on the opposite side of the quadrangle,
showering pieces of broken tile all around me, while the ball itself ...
/.../taylor/a retrospect/chapter ix early missionary experiences.htm

God's Gentle Power
... Brother, will you play the Jonahs Will you refuse to go to tile great
city"to Nineveh? Remember there are worse places than Nineveh. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/gods gentle power.htm

Powerful Persuasives
... With all simplicity, then, let me explain to you tile way of salvation,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.". ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/powerful persuasives.htm

The Martyrdom of Stephen.
... they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed upon him with their teeth." The word
rendered, "to cut," has been chosen to express, in tile strongest manner, the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture ix the martyrdom of.htm

The Council of Jerusalem.
... grace." We discover, at the same time, the cause of the zeal, with which the men
from Judea were opposed by Paul and Barnabas, whose regard to tile truth of ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xvi the council of.htm

Thesaurus
Tile (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (vt) To protect from the intrusion of the uninitiated; as, to tile a Masonic
lodge. ... 7. (n.) A stiff hat. 8. (vt) To cover with tiles; as, to tile a house. ...
/t/tile.htm - 7k

Tiling (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Tile. 2. (n.) A surface covered with tiles, or composed
of tiles. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. TILE; TILING. ...
/t/tiling.htm - 7k

Tablet (7 Occurrences)
... The clay tablet is referred to in Ezekiel (4:1, English Versions of the Bible "tile"),
and its use there for a map of the city has been strikingly illustrated ...
/t/tablet.htm - 15k

Tikvath (1 Occurrence)

/t/tikvath.htm - 9k

Quarrel (22 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A small opening in window tracery, of which the cusps, etc., make the form
nearly square. 5. (n.) A square or lozenge-shaped paving tile. ...
/q/quarrel.htm - 15k

Inscribe (3 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV). Ezekiel 4:1 You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay
it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem: (See NAS). ...
/i/inscribe.htm - 7k

Trace (7 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 4:1 Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee,
and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem: (See JPS). ...
/t/trace.htm - 10k

Tiles (1 Occurrence)

/t/tiles.htm - 6k

Portray (3 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Ezekiel 4:1 You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself,
and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem: (WEB ASV DBY RSV). ...
/p/portray.htm - 7k

Pourtray (1 Occurrence)
... Pourtray (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 4:1 Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and
lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: (KJV WBS). ...
/p/pourtray.htm - 6k

Resources
Is it possible for gold dust to come down during a church service? | GotQuestions.org

Tile: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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