ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the dress was a significant preoccupation for Judeans and Christians in antiquity. Dress, whether material or metaphoric, figured significantly in daily life, in texts, and in ritual practices. It explores the use of character types identifiable through their clothing with in ancient society and how aspects of appearance construct a stereotype, or social role within a narrative. The book demonstrates the vast historical and theoretical purchase of studying dress in the context of ancient religion, particularly second-Temple Judaism and Early Christianity. These historical studies enable us to better appreciate how dress is implicated in the ways ancient people understood and displayed their individual and group identity. In addition to serves as an emblem or symbol of group identity, dress can also identify individuals' roles or status, demarcating sub-groups or types within society.
