In this video, I show you an important first-century funeral urn. What’s unique about this urn is what the inscription says and what that means for the cultural view of head covering.
[Note: This is a response to pages 78-81 in Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) by Bruce Winter. The content appears under the heading “The Significance of the Veil in Marriage.” For part one of our response which deals with pages 81-83 (The Significance of the Removal of the Veil in Public) please click here.]
In Roman Wives, Roman Widows, Bruce Winter seeks to make a case that a woman wearing a veil communicated that she was married, faithful and modest. He begins his case by linking the veil to marriage through various historical sources. He mentions that Plutarch believed that “‘veiling the bride’, was in effect, the marriage ceremony” 1) Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 78
and that “other writers in the early Empire confirm that the bride’s veil was an essential part of her apparel.”2) Ibid
Winter, by pointing out this evidence, seeks to convince the reader that the headcovering women were removing in 1 Corinthians 11 was their “marriage veil.” By taking it off they were identifying themselves as independent and immodest women.
The Connection between “Marriage” and the “Veil”
It would be helpful for us to now take a look at the original writings that Winter puts forth to support the connection between marriage and the veil. He references the writings of Plutarch, Juvenal and Tacitus. Read more
References
1.
↑ Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 78
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul instructs women that they are to wear a head covering when “praying or prophesying”. The Greek word behind “woman” is “gynē” and it can be translated as “woman” or “wife” depending on the context. While almost all English versions of the Bible 1) Examples include the NIV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, HCSB and NET versions
translate gynē as “woman” in verses 2-16, the popular ESV version 2) The RSV also advocates this view by translating 1 Cor 11:3 as ‘the head of a woman is her husband'
differs by translating some of the references as “wife”. This has led many to wonder if head covering is only applicable for those that are married. Behind the ESV’s translation decision, is an assumption that a woman wearing a head covering was a 1st century Roman symbol of being a matron (respectable married woman). It is our objective in this article to prove that Paul’s teaching on head covering is for all men and women, regardless of their marital status. Read more
References
1.
↑ Examples include the NIV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, HCSB and NET versions
2.
↑ The RSV also advocates this view by translating 1 Cor 11:3 as ‘the head of a woman is her husband'
In ‘Roman Wives, Roman Widows‘ Bruce Winter makes a case that the covering that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 11 is a “marriage veil” which was worn by all faithful, married, Roman women. Those who cast it off were “replicating the attitude and action of ‘new’ wives” 1) Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 77
whose “social life was reported to have been pursued at the expense of family responsibilities”. 2) Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 5
These women would also often have “illicit liaisons that defied the previously accepted norms of marriage fidelity and chastity”. 3) Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 5
So Winter defines the head covering as “the symbol of the modesty and chastity expected of a married woman.” 4) Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 80″
This is the cultural view of head covering that he subscribes to, but what sets his work apart from others is the substantial amount of evidence for each of his points. Though we’ve already given our thoughts on the cultural view we’d like to interact more specifically with the points he makes and the evidence he gives to support them.
One of Winter’s points is to convey how it would be perceived if a 1st century Roman woman removed her ‘marriage veil’ in public. His premise is that, “As the veil symbolised the husband’s authority over his wife, the omission of the veil by a married woman was a sign of her “withdrawing” herself from the marriage.”5) Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 81
It is our objective to focus on this specific point and show that the evidence that is cited for such a claim is found wanting. Read more
References
1.
↑ Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 77
2.
↑ Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 5
3.
↑ Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 5
4.
↑ Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 80″
5.
↑ Bruce Winter – Roman Wives, Roman Widows (Eerdmans, 2003) Page 81
