Crown

Crown an ornament often mentioned in Scripture, and in such a manner as in most cases to indicate the circumstances under which and the persons by whom it was worn; for crowns were less exclusively worn by sovereigns than among modern nations. Perhaps it would be better to say that the term "crowns" was applied to other ornaments for the head than those exclusively worn by royal personages, and to which modern usage would give such distinctive names as coronet, band, mitre, tiara, garland, etc. This ornament, which is both ancient and universal, probably originated from the fillets used to prevent the hair from being disheveled by the wind. Such fillets are still common, and they may be seen on the sculptures of Persepolis, Nineveh, and Egypt; they gradually developed into turbans (Josephus, Ant. 3, 7, 7), which, by the addition of ornamental or precious materials, assumed the dignity of mitres or crowns. The use of them as ornaments was probably suggested by the natural custom of encircling the head with flowers in token of joy and triumph ("Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds," Wisdom of Song 2:8; Song 3 Maccabees 7:16; Judah 15:13, and the classical writers, passim). See WREATH. The first crown was said to have been woven for Pandora by the Graces (comp. στέφανος Χαρίτων, Pr 4:9). According to Pherecydes, Saturn was the first to wear a crown; Diodorus says that Jupiter was first crowned by the gods after the conquest of the Titans. Pliny, Harpocration, etc., ascribe its earliest use to Bacchus, who gave to Ariadne a crown of gold and Indian gems, and assumed the laurel after his conquest of India. Leo Egyptius attributes the invention to His, whose wreath was cereal. These and other legends are collected by Tertullian from the elaborate treatise on crowns by Claud. Saturninus. Another tradition says that Nimrod was the first to wear a crown, the shape of which was suggested to him by a cloud (Eutychius Alexandr. Ann. i, p. 63). Tertullian, in his tract De Cor. Militis (c. vii sq.), argues against them as unnatural and idolatrous. He is, however, singularly unsuccessful in trying to disprove the countenance given to them in Scripture where they are constantly mentioned. See BONNET.

1. The word נֵזֶר, ne'zer (lit. consecration; hence consecrated hair, as of a Nazarite, and then generally long hair), is supposed to denote a diadem (Greek διάδημα, Re 12:3; Re 13:1; Re 19:12). It is applied to the inscribed plate of gold in front of the high-priest's mitre, which was tied behind by a ribbon (Ex 29:6; Ex 39:30), and which was doubtless something of the same kind that we see in figs. 8,11. This word is also employed to denote the diadem which Saul wore in battle, and which was brought to David (2Sa 1:10), and also that which was used at the coronation of the young Joash (2Ki 11:12); and, as another word is applied elsewhere to the crown used in this ceremonial, the probability is that the Hebrew kings wore sometimes a diadem and sometimes a crown, and that the diadem only was accessible to the high-priest, by whom Joash was crowned, the crown itself being most likely in the possession of Athaliah. Both the ordinary priests and the high-priest wore head-dresses of this ornamental description. The common mitre (מַגבָּעָה, Sept. κίδαρις, Ex 28:37; Ex 29:6, etc.; Josephus, ταινία; Hesych. στρόφιον ὅ οἱ ἱερεῖς φοροῦσι) was a flat cap (πῖλος ἄκωνος), forming a sort of linen toenia or crown (στεφάνη), Josephus, Ant. 3, 7. The ceremonial mitre (מַצנֶפֶת, Sept. βυσσίνη τιάρα) of the high-priest (used also of a regal crown, Eze 21:26) was much more splendid (Ex 28:36; Le 8:9; "an ornament of honor, a costly work, the desire of the eyes," Ecclesiasticus 45:12; "the holy crown," Le 8:9, so called from the Tetragrammaton inscribed on it, Sopranes, De re Vest. Jud., p. 441). It had a second fillet of blue lace (ἐξ ὑακίνθου πεποικιλμένος, the color being chosen as a type of heaven), and over it a golden diadem (נֵזֶר, Ex 29:6), "on which blossomed a golden calyx like the flower of the ὑοσκύαμος," or hyoscyamus (Josephus, Ant. 3, 6). The gold band (צַיוֹ, Sept. πέταλον; Origen, ἱλαστἠριον) was tied behind with blue lace (embroidered with flowers), and being two fingers broad, bore the inscription (not in bas-relief, as Abarbanel sys) "Holiness to the Lord." (Comp. Re 17:5; Braunius, De Vest. Sacerd. 2:22; Maimon. De Apparatu Templi, 9:1; Reland, Antig. 2:10; Carpzov, Appar. Crit. p. 85; Josephus, War, 5:5,7; Philo, De Vit. losis, 3, 519.) Some suppose that Josephus is describing a later crown given by Alexander the Great to Jaddua (Jennings's Jewish Ant. p. 158). The use of the crown by priests and in religious services was universal, and perhaps the badge belonged at first "rather to the pontficalia than the regalia." Thus Q. Fabius Pictor says that the first crown was used by Janus when sacrificing. "A striped head-dress and queue," or "a short wig, on which a band was fastened, ornamented with an asp, the symbol of royalty," was used by the kings of Egypt in religious ceremonies (Wilkinson's Anc. Egypt. 3, 354, fig. 13). The crown worn by the kings of Assyria was "a high mitre . . . frequently adorned with flowers, etc., and arranged in bands of linen or silk. Originally there was only one band, but afterwards there were two, and the ornaments were richer" (Layard, 2:320, and the illustrations in Jahn, Arch. Germ. ed., pt. 1, vol. 2, tab. 9:4 and 8). See MITRE.

The royal crown originated in the diadem, which was a simple fillet fastened round the head, and tied behind. This obviously took its rise among a people who wore long hair, and used a band to prevent it from falling over the face. The idea occurred of distinguishing kings by a fillet of different color from that usually worn; and being thus established as a regal distinction, it continued to be used as such even among nations who did not wear the hair long, or was employed to confine the head-dress. We sometimes see this diadem as a simple fillet, about two inches broad, fastened round the otherwise bare head; we then find it as a band of gold (first cut, above, figs. 2, 5). In this shape it sometimes forms the basis of raised ornamental work (figs. 6, 7, 8, 10), in which case it becomes what we should consider a crown; and, indeed, the original diadem may be traced in most ancient crowns. Fig. 10 is curious, not only from the simplicity of its form, but on account of the metallic loop to be passed under the chin-a mode of securing the crown probably adopted in war or in the chase. Then we find the diadem surrounding the head-dress or cap (figs. 3, 9, 13), and when this also is ornamented, the diadem may be considered as having become a crown. See DIADEM.