Introduction – Research on the Clothing of Nativity Figures

The problem to address

In Nativity art, the so-called ❝Hebrew-style❞ figures have been represented in many different ways over time. However, there is no clear consensus on what they should actually look like, as most representations are based on artistic interpretations rather than historical evidence from 1st-century Judea. This is not a mistake —it is part of the aesthetic evolution of Nativity tradition— but today it prompts us to ask whether repeating those patterns is enough or whether we can move toward greater archaeological accuracy.

To better understand the current situation:

This study focuses exclusively on Nativity figures commonly referred to as “Hebrew” or “biblical”, meaning those meant to depict characters from 1st-century Judea. We will not address popular, regional or folk-style figures, which follow other aesthetic and symbolic logics.

• We acknowledge that there is no influential “21st-century style”; what we see today are mostly generic or ‘template’ aesthetic models.
• Modern-day Nativity scenes mostly replicate styles developed between the 18th century and the first half of the 20th century.
• The recurring traditions are:
  • Neapolitan Baroque (18th-century presepe).
    The Naples model —dynamic figures, voluminous clothing, a blend of the sacred and the everyday— was imported into Spain and is still reproduced in modern molds. ^[1]
  • Olot School, infused with the sulpician style (mass-produced devotional statues from the late 19th century).
    The workshops of Olot (such as El Arte Cristiano) adopted the “Saint-Sulpice” aesthetic at the end of the 19th century ^[2]: serial plaster casts, devotional tone, soft colors. Wikipedia itself names El Arte Cristiano as the Spanish representative of the sulpician style.
  • 19th-century Romantic Orientalism ^[3][4], which dressed characters in an idealized “biblical exoticism.”
    The Orientalist trend (Delacroix, Gérôme…) flooded the Western market with “biblical fantasies” featuring turbans, djellabas, and camels. Many Magi and shepherds in catalogs draw from this imagery. Art historiography notes that biblical scenes adopted these exotic props during the height of colonial expansion. ^[5]
  • A timeless catch-all —very common in workshops in Catalonia and Murcia— where garments and accessories are mixed, anachronistic, timeless / ahistorical.
    Many industrial molds blend disparate elements: Hollywood-style tunics, Roman sandals, Bedouin scarves, peasant satchels… These are “wild card” figures that sell well even if they do not correspond to any specific period. There may be no single academic article on the topic, but the market (Olot and Murcia catalogs, Chinese resin production) clearly reflects this.
• Questioning this inertia opens the door to incorporating historical accuracy in clothing, clarifying where we come from and where we want to go.
• We propose the idea of an epistemological shift: dressing the figures based on textile evidence (Timna, Nahal Hever) rather than copying 19th-century molds and patterns.

Should nativity art continue recreating the past with traditional styles, or is it time to revisit the figures in light of historical and archaeological research?

This research project aims to recreate nativity figures with the greatest possible historical accuracy, based on the Gospels of Luke and Matthew and the clothing of 1st-century Judea.

One challenge in this study is finding the right terminology for these figures. The term ❝Hebrew figures❞ is ambiguous, as it covers a broader historical and cultural reality than what we aim to depict. Alternatives like ❝figures from 1st-century Judea❞ or ❝clothing from the time of Jesus❞ are more accurate, but lack the charm typical of nativity scenes.

Therefore, part of this study will be to find a suitable name for these figures—one that is precise, evocative, and respectful of both history and tradition.

Recent Advances in the Study of First-Century Judean Clothing

Over the past ten years, significant progress in archaeological and historical research has allowed us to better understand clothing in first-century Judea. These discoveries are of great interest to those of us who aim to create Nativity figures with historical accuracy.

One of the most remarkable findings is a wool textile dyed with purple, dating to the time of Kings David and Solomon (around 1000 BCE), discovered in the Timna Valley (Israel). ^[6] This confirms the production and use of this valuable dye in antiquity and its possible use in the garments of high-status individuals. Purple was associated with royalty and priesthood, so including it in Nativity figures can add a layer of authenticity and symbolism.

In recent years, several new studies have been published analyzing clothing in first-century Judea. One of the most notable is:

  The book Dressing Judeans and Christians in Antiquity (2014), edited by Kristi Upson-Saia, Carly Daniel-Hughes, and Alicia J. Batten ^[8], is not an archaeological study of specific garments worn in first-century Judea, but rather an exploration of the role of clothing in identity formation, religious symbolism, and group differentiation within Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity.

For those of us researching the setting of the Nativity cycle, this book offers valuable insights. First, it helps us understand how clothing was not merely a practical necessity but a marker of status, religious affiliation, and communal values. It provides clues as to how Jews and Christians used attire to distinguish themselves from other groups—a key point when depicting figures such as Pharisees, temple priests, shepherds, or the Magi.

Second, the book highlights how clothing was used rhetorically and visually in ancient literature, offering hints about how early Christians imagined and depicted biblical attire. While it does not provide detailed descriptions of garments, it allows us to contextualize their significance within the social and religious framework of the time.

Therefore, this study is a valuable complement for anyone seeking historical accuracy in Nativity figure clothing. Its focus on clothing as a symbol of identity and belonging helps us give deeper meaning to the characterization of these figures, showing that their garments reflect not only historical context but also the values and social tensions of their time.

The article titled  A burial textile from the first century CE in Jerusalem compared to Roman textiles in the land of Israel and the Turin Shroud by Orit Shamir (2015) presents the discovery and analysis of a burial textile from the 1st century CE in Jerusalem. This finding is significant due to the rarity of textile preservation in the region, offering a unique opportunity to understand funerary practices and the characteristics of clothing from that period.

These advances in research allow us to more accurately recreate the clothing of Nativity figures and get closer to a more authentic representation of the birth of Jesus.

The study details that the textile found is a woolen shroud with Z-twist threads, a rare feature in Roman-period Israel, where S-twist threads were more common. This peculiarity suggests the fabric might have been imported, indicating that the buried individual could have belonged to a wealthy family able to afford high-quality materials.