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      Where did the custom of women wearing head scarves come from? If we look into the Greek culture that the apostle Paul was writing to into the book of Corinthians we will see that women in the Greek culture wore head scarves after their pagan deities that they worshipped. One does not have to look much further than the Catholic Church and the Mary or more correctly Istar idols.

In 1st Cor 11, Paul is addressing the group of brethren that where trying to force head scarves on all the women, and clearly this is his response:

1st Cor 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom, neither the congregation of YHWH.

It is clear from Paul’s response that he did not agree with women having to wear an additional cloth on her head as a secondary covering. The first thing that one should ask is if women were meant to wear head coverings why does the torah not say one word about it? Also, did Paul have the authority to change or add to Torah? Absolutely not!

So what is 1st Cor 11 about then? I believe that what the real issue that Paul was trying to deal with was not head scarves but hair lengths. In the Middle Eastern Greek culture where women were wearing these head scarves, it is also very hot, so since their hair was not shown, many were cutting the hair short to have more comfort from the heat and scarf. On the other hand, many men who were also trying to imitate their Greek male gods were also trying to imitate them by wearing long flowing hair such as you see on the “Jesus” pictures, which is a model of the Greek god, the son of Zeus.

This is the real problem of 1st Corinthians 11. I will quote from the original Greek manuscripts to make it easy to understand.

1st Cor 11:4 Everyman praying or prophesying, having anything down over his head, dishonors his head.

The Greek word used here is Strong’s # 2596 – “Kata” and means to have anything down over the head. Paul here is referring to a man having long hair fully covering the head.

1st Cor 11:5 But every woman that prays or prophecies with her head uncovered dishonors her head: for it is the same as if she were shaven.

The word here for uncovered is Strong’s # 177 and means, to be uncovered. In other words he is saying that if a woman has short hair (not fully covering her head) that it is as if she were shaven. In scripture the only time you see a woman with short hair was when she was shamed, such as when her husband suspects she was an adulteress, as we see in numbers the 5^th chapter. In this case the priest would shave the woman’s head before he gave her the test of adultery.

1st Cor 11:6 For if a woman is not covered let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

Here again Paul is saying that if a woman is not fully covered (having long hair) then it is as if she is shaved, but since women are only shaved for shame, then let her be fully covered (have long hair). The Greek word here for covering is Strong’s # 2619 and means to fully cover the head.

Verse 14-15 makes Paul’s case clear.

1st Cor 11:13-14 Judge for yourselves is it fitting that a woman pray unto YHWH uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man has long hair, it is a shame unto him?

1st Cor 11:15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her long hair is given to her instead of a veil.

The word used here for veil is Strong’s # 4018 and literally means a cloth, wrap or veil. This is the first time in the letter that Paul even mentions the word veil; all other references were referred to coverings, not veils. Most who purport wearing head coverings, totally mistranslate this most important scripture to say that the long hair is given as an additional covering, but this could not be further from the truth and is changing scripture. The word used for instead is “anti” which literally means in the place of, or instead of as anti– messiah is in the place of messiah.

Paul clearly believed and showed that the long hair is the covering. Where maybe the beginning of Paul’s letter was a bit confusing because he does not come out and explain the true purpose because of his writing (hair length, not veils,) the latter part of the letter is very clear, that as long hair is a shame to a man, that it is a glory to a woman and the long hair has been given instead of a veil. And to the brethren that do not want to accept this teaching from Paul, he is also very clear.

1st Cor 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, (the custom of wearing a head scarf) neither do the congregations of YHWH.

Could it be any clearer, the Congregations of YHWH have no such custom of women wearing a veil or men having long hair! This makes total sense as although the Torah never commands a woman to wear a veil, it does say that a man is not to dress or look like a woman and neither should a women dress or look like a man. When women have short hair and men long hair they are going against the spirit of this law of Torah.

If 1st Corithians 11 is speaking about hair lengths and not wearing clothe wraps, then what about the men in the assembly. Well, 1st Cor 11:14, just also clearly showed us that a man should not be allowed in our assemblies with long hair as it was given to women, and would be out of judicial order.

The next question that may arise is what about a man who had a Nazarite vow? Well first of all most people who had a Nazarite vow kept it no longer than 30 to 100 days, because someone with long hair was not allowed to enter the Temple or sanctuary of Yahweh. As a matter of fact Numbers the 6^th chapter tells us that when the vow was completed the person had to shave his hair at the steps of the Sanctuary in order to be able to enter to do his sacrifice.

Num 6:13 And this is the law of the Nazarite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, bring him in to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

Num 6:18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation and shall put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

Clearly, this shows why most only had a Nazarite vow for a short period of time, except if it were someone like Sampson, or John the Baptist who was told to keep the vow for life, as the person could never enter Yahweh’s sanctuary if he had long hair. Also in the millennium sanctuary the priests are commanded not to have long hair to serve, but to have their hair short and neat.

Eze 44:20 And they shall not shave their heads, and they shall not send forth long hair; trimming they shall trim their heads.

What does scripture say about a man wearing a Kippur or skull cap as the Jews do?

1st Cor 11:4 Everyman praying or prophesying, having anything down over his head, dishonors his head.

Clearly scripture tells us that man was made in the image of Yahweh and it would be dishonoring Him to wear anything on our head during our service . Also, the Jewish Kippur comes from the false god Hermes and is totally pagan sun worship. It was instituted during the reign of the evil priest Jason who was a Hellenizer, and trying to please the Greeks by forming the Greek pagan customs on the Jewish nation. Look at what the Historical book of Macabees says about the Jewish Kippur and its origin.

2 Maccabees 4^th Chapter:

7) But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus called Epiphanes took the kingdom, Jason the brother of Onias worked deceitfully to be the high priest.

9) besides this, he promised to assign an hundred and fifty more talents of silver, if he might have permission to set up a gymnasium , and for training up the youth in the fashion of the heathen,

10) Which when the King had granted, and he had gotten into his hand the rule, he (Jason) continued in all things to bring his own nation to the Greek fashion.

11) And the royal privileges granted special favor to the Jews by means of John the father of Eupolemus, who went as an Ambassador to Rome for amity and aid, that was taken away, and he also put down the governments that were set up according to Torah, and he brought up new customs of the pagans that were against the Torah;

12) for he gladly built a place of exercise (gymnasium) under the tower itself, and brought even the most noble young men under his subjection, and made them even wear the Greek sun cap.

13) Now such was the height of the Greek fashion, and the increase of heathenish manners, through the exceeding profanes of Jason, that ungodly wretch, and no High priest.

14) that many priests had no courage to serve any more at the altar, but despising the temple, and neglecting the sacrifices, hastened to be partakers of the unlawful allowance in the gymnasium after the game of the Greek god Discus called them forth.

15) Not setting the honors of their fathers, but liking the glory of the Grecians best of all.

16) for what reason great calamity came upon them, and they were still their enemies and avengers, even though they followed their customs so diligently, and they desired to be like them in all things.

18) Now when the game that was used every fifth year was kept at Tyrus, the king being present, this ungracious Jason sent special messengers from Jerusalem who were Antiochians, to carry 300 drachmas of silver to sacrifice to Hercules.

Clearly, if we as men, are created in the image of Yahweh, then we should not cover our heads in the assembly, and most of all we should not wear a pagan kipper that is fashioned after the sun. You can see many kippers in ancient Greek and Roman statues to their false gods, as it is supposed to give a power for special knowledge, interesting enough even the pope wears this pagan symbol. The scripture is clear on this matter that women do not need a clothe wrap on their head, but their LONG HAIR is their covering and men don’t need a pagan kipper, but should have short neat hair in the assembly to give honor to Yahweh in whose image we are created.