Today’s daf had some interesting issues about linen, wool and other fibers.. And nowadays there are even more fibers from trees than existed in the Bible…for example, bamboo, tencel and viscose which come from the pulp of trees.
I am attaching a link about shatnez which I think is interesting.
http://rabbikaganoff.com/some-shatnez-basics/
Note that there are two essential hand tools used for spinning flax or wool…
a distaff (pelech) פלך
and a spindle (kishor) כישור
No doubt you recognize these words from “Eishet Chayil”
יָ֭דֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָ֣ה בַכִּישׁ֑וֹר וְ֝כַפֶּ֗יהָ תָּ֣מְכוּ פָֽלֶךְ׃
Here is a basic demonstration of the distaff and spindle, and very likely all women and girls in ancient times knew how to do this.
Finally, apropos linen, wool, and getting out of Egypt (Passover is here) this is one of my favorite ancient pictures from the 12th Dynasty Tomb at Beni Hassan, Egypt (approximately 1900 BCE). In this painting, Canaanite traders are depicted coming to Egypt. The Egyptians are dressed in white linen and the Canaanites in beautiful colored wool.
