The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection:
Traditional Life and Customs
Founded in 1881 by Horatio Spafford (author of the famous hymn, It is Well With My Soul), the American Colony in Jerusalem operated a thriving photographic enterprise for almost four decades. Their images document the land and its people, with a special emphasis on biblical and archaeological sites, inspirational scenes, and historic events. One of the photographers, G. Eric Matson, inherited the archive, adding to it his own later work through the “Matson Photo Service.” He eventually donated all the negatives to the U.S. Library of Congress, which has made them available to the public.
This volume includes more than 600 selected photographs of life practices of native people in Palestine in the early 20th century, including scenes of the agricultural cycle, locust plagues, shepherds, fishermen, religious observances, and home life. All of the images are included in pre-made PowerPoint® files for quick and easy use, as well as in high-resolution jpg format, suitable for projecting or printing. Quotations from 19th-century travelers give additional context to the photographs.
Free: Download the Agricultural Life: Grain Harvest PowerPoint file.
About the Producer: Dr. Todd Bolen is a Professor of Biblical Studies at The Master’s University. He lived and taught for many years at their campus near Jerusalem. He is the producer of more than 45 volumes of photographs illustrating the biblical world, including the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands and the Photo Companion to the Bible.
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Just what does "Traditional Life and Customs" include?
Agricultural Life: Plowing, Sowing, Water, Vineyards, Locust Plague, Grain Harvest and Olive Harvest (185 photos total)
Biblical Stories: Christmas, Ruth, and Psalm 23 (75 photos total)
Home Life: Food Preparation, Women at Work, and Weddings (100
photos total)
Religious Life: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Samaritan (110
photos total)
Work Life: Clothes Making, Fishing, Pottery Making, Shepherds,
Trades, and Travel (150 photos total)
Quotations: We have scoured the reports of travelers in the 19th century for the most interesting and helpful descriptions of these scenes. Even if you didn't have the photos, your understanding and appreciation for traditional ways would be greatly increased!
List of Photographs in the Volume
PowerPoints
Agricultural Life, Grain Harvest.ppt
Agricultural Life, Olive Harvest.ppt
Agricultural Life, Plowing and Sowing.ppt
Agricultural Life, Vineyards.ppt
Agricultural Life, Water.ppt
Christmas Story.ppt
Home Life, Food Preparation.ppt
Home Life, Weddings.ppt
Home Life, Women at Work.ppt
Jerusalem's Locust Plague, National Geographic 1915.doc
Jerusalem's Locust Plague, National Geographic 1915.pdf
Locust Plague.ppt
Psalm 23 Color.ppt
Psalm 23.ppt
Religious Life, Christian.ppt
Religious Life, Jewish.ppt
Religious Life, Muslim.ppt
Religious Life, Samaritan.ppt
Ruth Story.ppt
Travel.ppt
Work Life, Clothes Making.ppt
Work Life, Fishing.ppt
Work Life, Potter and Pottery.ppt
Work Life, Shepherds.ppt
Work Life, Trades.ppt
Agricultural Life, Grain Harvest
Arab family with camel carrying hay bundles
Arab peasants reaping
Bedouin threshing floor activity
Bringing in sheaves
Gathering sheaves
Measuring wheat
Muzzled cow used for threshing
Peasant winnowing in Field of Boaz
Peasant woman sifting grain
Peasant woman sifting wheat
Reapers' repast
Reaping barley harvest
Reaping harvest
Sifting wheat
Threshing floor activity
Threshing grain on threshing floor
Threshing sledge with boy
Threshing wheat
Threshing with cattle at Samaria
Threshing with cattle
Wheat and tares
Wheat field
Winnowing grain in Lebanon
Winnowing grain on threshing floor
Winnowing grain
Woman threshing with flail
Agricultural Life, Olive Harvest
Beating down olives
Crushing olives
Gathering olives from ground
Gathering olives
Harvesting olives
Maiden picking olives from branches
Olive press with horse
Olive press
Olive presses at Bet Guvrin
Agricultural Life, Plowing and Sowing
Arab peasant sowing grain
Bedouin plowing with camel on Sharon Plain
Digging thorns out of field
Plow, forks, and farm tools
Plowing and sowing
Plowing with donkey and cow
Plowing with mule
Plowing with yoke of cattle
Plowing with yoked oxen
Sowing grain on Mount of Olives
Working in field
Agricultural Life, Vineyards
Ancient winepress in Ein Kerem
Ancient winepress in Ein Kerem, Middle Bronze jars
Arab man pruning vines
Gathering grapes in vineyard
Man with grapes by watchtower
Picking figs next to vineyard
Picking grapes in vineyard
Terraced hillsides with watchtowers
Vineyard and watchtower
Watchtower in vineyard
Agricultural Life, Water
Bedouin woman with water jar
Busy scene at desert well
Camel drinking
Crowd getting water from spigots, Ein Arrub
Double waterwheel at Hama
Egyptian irrigating wheel with camel
Irrigating orange groves in Bir Salem
Joseph's Well at Dothan with cattle
Man filling waterskin from spigot
Man giving water to camel
Naura, water wheel, at Hama
Oriental irrigation wheel
Shaduf, irrigating in Egypt
Transporting water on camel
Village well
Water carriers
Water wheel and aqueduct for irrigation at Hama
Woman at well near Bethlehem
Women and children by spring
Women and children getting water from stream
Women carrying water jars
Yoke of cattle raising water from deep well
Christmas Story
Camel rider approaching Bethlehem
Family with donkey
Interior of peasant home near Bethlehem
Mother and baby of Nazareth
Native home near Bethlehem with wise men
Native home near Bethlehem
Shepherd with flock near Bethlehem
Shepherds Fields east of Bethlehem
Shepherds watching flocks by night
Three men on camels approaching Bethlehem
Well of Magi with camels of Transjordan frontier guards
Woman with child
Home Life, Food Preparation
Arab woman working small primitive grain mill
Arab women working hand mill
Bedouin making bread
Bedouin man at millstone
Bedouin woman baking bread
Bedouin woman grinding wheat
Bedouin woman making bread
Bedouin woman milking goats
Bedouin women at millstone
Bedouin women working primitive grain mill
Bedouins churning butter
Bedouins preparing coffee in their tent
Beersheba feast, group of Bedouins eating from tray
Burghul mill near Aleppo
Churning butter
Cooking in peasant home, cooking pot and thorn fire
Drying cheeses on Bedouin tent roof
Drying fruit on roof
Eating meal
Grinders, three types including modern stone hand mill
Large grain rubber, demonstrated by two girls
Peasant women sorting raisins
Peasants eating meal
Supper in guest chamber
Two women grinding at mill
Two women grinding in courtyard in front of home
Upper room guest chamber, guests partaking of meal
Village oven
Home Life, Weddings
Bedouin wedding, Bedouin Amazon
Bedouin wedding, Bedouin family
Bedouin wedding, Bedouin saluting
Bedouin wedding, Bedouin youth mounted
Bedouin wedding, bride
Bedouin wedding, bridegroom
Bedouin wedding, bridesmaids covered with Aba
Bedouin wedding, bridesmaids on camel
Bedouin wedding, bridesmaids
Bedouin wedding, general view of Bedouin encampment
Bedouin wedding, girls kneading dough
Bedouin wedding, jumping competition
Bedouin wedding, mounted Bedouins racing
Bedouin wedding, mounted men chasing each other
Bedouin wedding, playing ball
Bedouin wedding, playing cat and mouse
Bedouin wedding, playing leap frog
Bedouin wedding, playing wolf and sheep
Bedouin wedding, preparing fatted kid for guests
Bedouin wedding, procession ready to start
Bedouin wedding, procession
Bedouin wedding, shooting competition
Bedouin wedding, strangers in guest chamber of tent
Bedouin wedding, sunset over Bedouin camp in Moab
Bedouin wedding, sword dance
Bedouin wedding, typical scene in guest chamber
Bedouin wedding, woman dancing with sword
Bedouin wedding, women's apartment in Bedouin tent
Bridal procession
Bringing in bride
Crowds at wedding watching races
Decorating wedding camel
Horsemen heading procession
Nazareth bride
Peasant wedding
Singing women on camel at wedding
Sword dance at wedding
Warrior of Kiriath Jearim at wedding
Home Life, Women at Work
Arab Christian home interior
Arab home in rock cavern
Arab peasant women carrying brush for fuel
Bedouin chieftain's tent
Bedouin encampment with large tent of sheikh
Bedouin hospitality, having coffee in sheikh's tent
Bedouin in tent
Bedouin mother and swaddled baby
Bedouin musician
Bedouin tent made of papyrus
Bedouin tents
Bedouin woman weaving papyrus mats
Bedouin woman weaving tent of goats' hair
Bedouin women carrying papyrus bundles
Bedouins preparing to make tent of papyrus
Courtyard of old house in Bethlehem
Drying manure for fuel
Home in Jezreel
Morning grooming
Native house, inside
Native village
Peasants laden with cauliflowers
Straw baskets drying
Typical scene around campfire at night
Village guest chamber
Woman and children in courtyard of house
Woman weaving reed baskets
Women on way to market with baskets on heads
Women selecting straw for baskets
Locust Plague
Auto wheel swarmed with locusts, car at stand still
Bushes with locusts, ideal target for flame gun
Covering in filled locust pits and digging others
Cutting zinc for walls to check locust invasion
Erecting zinc wall which stopped invading locusts
Flame thrower, used effectively in rough country
Flame throwers in action, near Auji Hafir
Flame throwers in rocky country in Transjordan
Froth filled pouch tubes, exposed by blown off sand
Halt of locust swarm around dry desert herbage
Locust crawlers covering digging implements
Locust egg tubes, exposed by shifting sands
Locust laying eggs, ovipository deep in ground
Locust pit, to engulf advancing horde
Locust plague of 1915, 2 weeks later, sprouted leaves
Locust plague of 1915, antennae disengaged
Locust plague of 1915, apricot tree denuded
Locust plague of 1915, bearing olives one year later
Locust plague of 1915, break in nymph skin
Locust plague of 1915, carefully drying out wings
Locust plague of 1915, close up of dreaded visitors
Locust plague of 1915, close up of same tree
Locust plague of 1915, close view of barked fig tree
Locust plague of 1915, cloud of locusts
Locust plague of 1915, combing out wings with legs
Locust plague of 1915, complete locust
Locust plague of 1915, crawling locust
Locust plague of 1915, discarded nymph skin all intact
Locust plague of 1915, drying wings continued
Locust plague of 1915, drying wings
Locust plague of 1915, eggs and locusts just hatched
Locust plague of 1915, exercising the wings
Locust plague of 1915, extricating last extremity
Locust plague of 1915, fig tree after
Locust plague of 1915, fig tree before
Locust plague of 1915, final sixth molting commencing
Locust plague of 1915, first symptom of molting
Locust plague of 1915, further progress in molting
Locust plague of 1915, Garden of Gethsemane
Locust plague of 1915, grapes, autumn after locusts
Locust plague of 1915, hoppers still carefully guarded
Locust plague of 1915, later stage in molting
Locust plague of 1915, locust discarding old skin
Locust plague of 1915, locust exhausted, taking rest
Locust plague of 1915, locust foraging
Locust plague of 1915, locusts after second molting
Locust plague of 1915, locusts at window
Locust plague of 1915, locusts attacking olive tree
Locust plague of 1915, locusts denuding fig tree
Locust plague of 1915, locusts devouring thistle
Locust plague of 1915, locusts eating hard palm leaves
Locust plague of 1915, locusts entering trap
Locust plague of 1915, locusts in larval stage
Locust plague of 1915, mass of locusts in trap
Locust plague of 1915, metamorphosis continued
Locust plague of 1915, mishap, bruised tissue inflated
Locust plague of 1915, molting half completed
Locust plague of 1915, olive grove stripped of leaves
Locust plague of 1915, olive grove with new leaves
Locust plague of 1915, olive tree after
Locust plague of 1915, olive tree in full bloom
Locust plague of 1915, portable above ground trap
Locust plague of 1915, portable trap with sack
Locust plague of 1915, quince tree stripped bare
Locust plague of 1915, storks in pursuit of locusts
Locust plague of 1915, stripped vineyard
Locust plague of 1915, stripping off nymph skin
Locust plague of 1915, trapping locusts
Locust plague of 1915, wings in process of unfolding
Locust poison squad marching to scatter poison
Overseer's trousers covered with locust crawlers
Pit half full of seething mass of locusts
Pit inside zinc wall, 1 to 2 square meters in size
Plowing up of locust eggs, Haifa plain near Carmel
Pouch of locust eggs laid deep in sand
Preparing locust poison, bran soaked with arsenic
Refueling flame throwers
Roll call in locust camp, desert south of Beersheba
Scattering locust poison among bushes
Scouts watching movements of invading locust army
Series of locust egg pouches in ground, 15 cm deep
Skeleton of camel, desert casualty eaten by locusts
Swarms of locust crawlers stopped by zinc wall
Swarms of locusts taking deadly leap into pit
Tramping down pit of locusts while holding noses
Victims of flame gun, burned locusts under bushes
Psalm 23
Psalm 23,1a The Lord is my shepherd
Psalm 23,1b I shall not want
Psalm 23,2a, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
Psalm 23,2b He leadeth me beside still waters
Psalm 23,3 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
Psalm 23,4a, The valley of the shadow of death
Psalm 23,4b Thy rod and staff comfort me
Psalm 23,5a Thou preparest a table before me
Psalm 23,5b Thou anointest my head with oil
Psalm 23,5c My cup runneth over
Psalm 23,6, Surely goodness and mercy
Psalm 23 Color
Psalm 23,1, The Lord is my shepherd
Psalm 23,2a, He maketh me lie down in green pastures
Psalm 23,2b, He leadeth me beside still waters
Psalm 23,3a, He restoreth my soul
Psalm 23,3b, He leadeth me
Psalm 23,3c, In paths of righteousness
Psalm 23,4a, Though I walk through the valley
Psalm 23,4b, I will fear no evil for thou art with me
Psalm 23,4c, Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
Psalm 23,5a, Thou preparest a table before me
Psalm 23,5b, Thou anointest my head with oil
Psalm 23,5c, My cup runneth over
Psalm 23,6a, Surely goodness and mercy
Psalm 23,6b, I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Religious Life, Christian
Armenian funeral
Epiphany ceremony at Holy Sepulcher
Epiphany ceremony at Jordan River
Foot washing ceremony at Holy Sepulcher
Funeral in Bethlehem
Preparing for Epiphany ceremony
Refreshment of tea after baptism in Jordan
Russian Epiphany ceremony at Jordan River
Russian pilgrims at Jordan River
Russian pilgrims lunching on the wayside
Russian priestesses of Ein Kerem
Sanctifying waters of Jordan on Epiphany
Religious Life, Jewish
Ancient scrolls in Stambouli Synagogue
Feast of Tabernacles, Bukharan Jews during Sukkot
Jeshurun Synagogue on King George Avenue
Jeshurun Synagogue, interior looking southeast
Jeshurun Synagogue, interior with women's gallery
Jew blowing shofar, Sabbath horn
Jewish funeral on Mount of Olives
Jewish man arrayed for prayer
Jewish procession to Absalom's Pillar
Orthodox Jewish scribe writing Torah on parchment
Phylacteries for head and arm
Stambouli Synagogue, interior
Yemenite Jew blowing shofar, Sabbath horn
Yemenite Rabbi Avram arrayed for prayer
Religious Life, Muslim
Arab religious procession
Arab religious procession
Camel caravan of pilgrims to Mecca
Circumcision procession
Funeral of Mohammed Ali, Indian Muslim leader
Herod's Gate, sacrificial ceremony in front of gate
Mecca, bird's eye view of tent city outside Kaaba
Mecca, bird's eye view of uncrowded Kaaba
Mecca, camels and tents of pilgrims
Mecca, close up of Kaaba
Mecca, Kaaba
Mecca, view of Kaaba crowded with pilgrims
Mecca, view of Kaaba with city in background
Muezzin calling out prayer from minaret
Muslim funeral
Muslim pilgrim praying
Muslim pilgrims on train for Mecca
Nebi Musa crowd at Dome of Rock
Nebi Musa procession with band
Nebi Musa procession, Lions Gate
Nebi Musa procession
Nebi Musa procession, Yorkshire Band preceding Holy Flag
Nebi Musa, ceremony over holy flag
Nebi Musa, crowds at Lions Gate
Nebi Musa, Damascus Gate
Nebi Musa, flag receiving final blessing
Nebi Musa, holy flags and crowds, Dome of Rock
Nebi Musa, holy flags arriving at Al Aqsa
Nebi Musa
Weli of Budrieh, collecting blood for ritual
Weli of Budrieh, oriental salutation after sacrifice
Weli of Budrieh, preparing to skin sheep
Weli of Budrieh, sacrifice
Weli of Budrieh, skinning sheep
Weli of Budrieh, smearing blood over doorpost
Weli of Budrieh, watering sheep before sacrifice
Yorkshire Infantry awaiting return of Holy Flag
Religious Life, Samaritan
Old Samaritan scroll
Oldest Samaritan scroll
Samaritan Passover, at Abraham's altar
Samaritan Passover, baking unleavened bread
Samaritan Passover, breakfast on mountain
Samaritan Passover, burning remains of sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, carcasses ready for oven
Samaritan Passover, congregation on Gerizim summit
Samaritan Passover, congregation praying
Samaritan Passover, eating sacrifice in great haste
Samaritan Passover, encampment on Mount Gerizim
Samaritan Passover, evening prayer
Samaritan Passover, family eating sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, going to Abraham's altar
Samaritan Passover, heating oven
Samaritan Passover, heating water for sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, high priest eating sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, high priest eating with staff
Samaritan Passover, high priest leading in prayer
Samaritan Passover, high priest praying
Samaritan Passover, high priest with scroll
Samaritan Passover, morning prayer after sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, pilgrimage on 'Rock Moriah'
Samaritan Passover, prayer on holy rock, on knees
Samaritan Passover, prayer on holy rock, prostrate
Samaritan Passover, praying on knees
Samaritan Passover, praying standing
Samaritan Passover, praying, faces toward Gerizim
Samaritan Passover, preparing carcass
Samaritan Passover, pulling wool off sheep
Samaritan Passover, sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, salting sacrifices
Samaritan Passover, salutation
Samaritan Passover, sheep for sacrifice
Samaritan Passover, women's place at ceremony
Samaritan school in Nablus
Ruth Story
Ruth 1,2, The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion
Ruth 1,4, They married Moabite women, one named Orpah
Ruth 1,8, Naomi said to her two daughters in law
Ruth 1,19, The two women went on until Bethlehem
Ruth 1,22, The barley harvest was beginning
Ruth 2,1, Naomi had a relative whose name was Boaz
Ruth 2,2, Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi
Ruth 2,3, She began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters
Ruth 2,4, Boaz greeted the harvesters
Ruth 2,7, She has worked steadily, except for a short rest
Ruth 2,8, Do not go and glean in another field
Ruth 2,9, Whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink
Ruth 2,10, Why have I found such favor in your eyes
Ruth 2,11, All know that you are a woman of noble character
Ruth 2,14, At mealtime Boaz said, Come, have some bread
Ruth 2,15, Even if she gathers among the sheaves
Ruth 2,17, She threshed the barley she had gathered
Ruth 2,19, Where did you glean today
Ruth 2,23, Ruth stayed close to the servant girls
Ruth 3,1, My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you
Ruth 3,2, He will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor
Ruth 3,3, Go down to the threshing floor
Ruth 3,6, She went down to the threshing floor
Ruth 3,15a, Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out
Ruth 3,15b, He poured into it
Ruth 3,15c, Six measures of barley
Ruth 3,17, Do not go back empty-handed
Ruth 3,18, Wait, my daughter, until you find out
Ruth 4,3, Naomi is selling the piece of land
Ruth 4,13, Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife
Ruth 4,14, The women said to Naomi
Ruth 4,16, Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap
Travel
Bedouin warrior making his camel kneel
Bedouin wedding, Bedouin family moving
Camel caravan on Mt of Olives
Camel suckling her young
Camel
Camel, ship of the desert
Camels drinking
Camels fording stream, Elah Valley
Camels forging Auja River, north of Jaffa
Camels laden with olive wood
Camels saluting in Sinai
Camels walking across field
Caravan crossing desert
Caring for sick camel
Crossing desert to Euphrates
Halt of camels
Khan, native inn
Line of camels
Men saluting in Sinai
Natives travelling on back of camel
Ready to traverse desert, man on camel
Silhouette of caravan
Train of camels in North Palestine
Train of camels
Work Life, Clothes Making
Bedouin shepherdess spinning wool
Bedouin woman spinning wool
Bedouin women weaving
Jews carding cotton
Nazareth women washing clothes
Peasant girl embroidering
Peasant women sewing
Ramallah peasant spinning wool
Tripoli weaver
Weaver of outer garments
Woman holding spindle, standing in road
Woman washing clothes at fountain
Work Life, Fishing
Boat filled with fish at Tiberias dock
Boats filled with fish
Fisherman casting net at Capernaum
Fisherman casting net
Fisherman drawing net at sunset
Fisherman selling fish in Tiberias
Fisherman throwing net at sunset
Fisherman with cast net
Fishermen drawing in dragnet
Fishermen eating breakfast on shore of Sea of Galilee
Fishermen in boats near Jordan mouth
Fishermen letting down nets
Fishermen mending nets at dawn
Fishermen mending their nets
Fishermen mending their nets
Fishermen on Sea of Galilee
Fishermen on shore with fire of coals
Fishermen setting forth in boat
Fishermen with fish in net
Fishing boats on Sea of Galilee
Fishing dragnet almost drawn in
Sea of Galilee with fishermen
Sea of Galilee, drawing in dragnet
Work Life, Potter and Pottery
Arab woman finishing storejar
Arab women making pottery
Crushing clay
Girls decorating pottery
Jars and vases drying in sun
Kiln where pottery is baked
Potter at his lathe wheel
Potter
Shaping earthenware jars on wheel
Woman decorating vase
Women kneading clay
Work Life, Shepherds
Ghawarni shepherd boy playing pipe
Natural sheepfold at Ras el Ein
Pastoral night scene showing Bethlehem in distance
Sheep counted while entering sheepfold
Sheep drinking from pool
Sheep grazing
Sheep with their shepherd
Shepherd boy playing to his sheep
Shepherd boy slinging
Shepherd boy with sheep
Shepherd boy
Shepherd carrying sheep beside still waters
Shepherd guarding entrance of sheepfold
Shepherd of Moab
Shepherd piping to his flocks
Shepherd resting with flock at Ein Farah
Shepherd shearing sheep
Shepherd with flock beside stream
Shepherd with sheep
Shepherds pooling noonday meal
Shepherds with flock at night
Washing sheep at Ein Farah
Work Life, Trades
Arab women bartering at market
Beverage seller on street
Bread vendor
Building stone house in hill country village
Carpenter making plows and farm implements
Damascene inlaid slipper maker
Damascene sword maker
Drilling holes in beads
Fruit vendor
Fruit vendors at Homs train station
Gathering brush for limestone kilns near Jerusalem
Glass blowing in Hebron
Glass works
Grocer's shop
Hebron, tanning of government skins
Homs, lime kiln burning thorns
Jaffa boatmen
Jerusalem shoeblacks at Jaffa Gate
Jerusalem water carrier, with two goat skins
Jewelry shop in Hebron
Making gunpowder, boiling liquid
Making gunpowder, evaporating liquid
Making gunpowder, mixing
Making gunpowder, obtaining liquid
Making gunpowder, preparing a blast
Making horseshoes
Man tinning kettle
Meatball vendor
Mixing and carrying mortar
Porter carrying empty petrol tins
Porter
Primitive mill
Repairing house
Selling cakes on street in Beirut
Sharpening sickles
Shoemaker
Shop of sweet meats
Street barber
Turning lathe
Vendor with fruit and vegetables
Village carpenter with awl
Village carpenter, making plows
Watermelon market
Wood carver in workshop
Workers in mother of pearl