HEBREWS
Since the earliest times, flax has been known to have healing properties. Recent studies out of Japan and posted from the linen textile manufacturers confirm this truth. In the Latin language, the word flax means "being most useful" and the Holy Scriptures certainly emphasized this material over all other fabrics for the Holy attire. The original Hebrew language gives the attire of Adam and Eve as a linen robe of light (Genesis 3:21). In establishing the protocols ‘statutes’ of health, the prophet Moses received specific instructions. Cleansing a ‘leper’ meaning those ‘incurable’ gave only three distinct fabrics of attire: wool or linen or leather (Leviticus 13:47-48). It was emphasized as forbidden to wear linen and wool together (Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11)
Historically the beautiful white linen attire of the Hebrew people was with Almighty God’s specific instructions, the decisions as given in the instructions of ‘Torah’ as ordinances (Exodus 39:1-31). What special qualities were in this linen material that would restore life? Comprising a multitude of household items, flax possesses truly exceptional hygienic properties that heighten its valuea in consumer products and explains its widespread popularity.
NEOLITHIC TIMES
Flax is believed to be one of the most ancient agricultural crops. An archeological dig carried out at the site of Neolithic lake dwellings in Switzerland turned up charred remains of food prepared from flaxseed, and remnants of linen threads, ropes, cloth and fishing nets. So, man had already been growing flax as far back as Neolithic times. Traces of flax cultivation relating to the Bronze Age were found in archeological excavations in Spain. However, most of the finds of early flax cultivation relate to the Iron Age. They show that perennial narrow-leafed flax was cultivated all across Europe as far as Scandinavia. Archeological excavations at the site of Iron Age settlements in Germany discovered remains of bread prepared from wheat, millet and flax seeds. Many archeological finds, literary records and linguistic studies also point to India, Khoresm, Turkmenistan, Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Abyssinia, Algeria, and Tunisia as ancient flax cultivation areas.
CHINA
Today, China is among the biggest manufacturer of linen in the world. Linen, or flax, is one of the oldest textile fibers.
According to ancient written texts shows that the Chinese have been using oil from the flax plant for more than 2,000 years.
During the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, Chinese farmers are growing flax for its oil. The seeds of the flax were also collected for medicinal purposes. The harvest time for flax seeds are during early August, which are then utilized to cure serious diseases, replenish our blood, and nourish the liver and kidneys.
The Chinese also used the different parts of the flax plant. For instance, its roots are used to darken the hair, while the stems are meant for rheumatic pains. People in the Yunnan province also cook the roots with chicken and eat it as their tonic food. Meanwhile, flax oil is used as a fuel, in lighting, and even in cooking. After the process of weaving linen fiber was introduced in China, they started using linen fibers in making ropes, clothes, bedding and car cushions.
Processing and Manufacturing Linen
Due to the increasing popularity of cotton in the Americas and Europe, they decided to reduce linen production and expand the cotton production. In the early 20th and 21st centuries, line production extended in China and Japan. As a matter of fact, today’s finest producers of linen in the marketplace are from these countries.
Linen is sought after because of its elegant and comfortable characteristics. The fiber itself is similar to cotton. It is also highly absorbent and has the ability to be cool during the hot conditions.
Before the linen fibers are spun into threads, they are bleached to produce white or pure color fibers. But because dyed linen fibers have poor durability, these textiles are usually spun in their natural colors. (Source: Voice of China)
ASIA: INDIA, CHINA AND MESOPOTAMIA
Domestication of fiber flax occurred in India and China before that of cotton - more than 5,000 years ago. There is evidence that as far back as 3,000 - 4,000 years B.C. flax was grown for fiber in Mesopotamia, Assyria, Israel and Egypt where the finest linen cloths were spun. The ancient historian Herodotus mentions linen cloths where each thread consisted of 360 finest strands presented as a gift to Athena of Rhodos. Flax was extensively raised in Colchis that used linen to pay tribute to the Turks. According to one account, the voyage of Argonauts from Hellas to Colchis for the Golden Fleece was in fact prompted by a desire to obtain the secret of making fine flax yarn that was treasured as much as gold and was as good as that produced in Egypt.
Some scholars believe that flax originally came from western Persia and spread over to other countries regarded to be the regions of early flax cultivation - India, China and Central Asia and westwards and southwestwards, primarily, to Babylon and Egypt. Mummies wrapped in linen shrouds were found in the Pyramids dating from more than 5,000 B.C. (now exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York). Egyptian priests wore clothes made of linen that symbolized purity of light and fidelity. Flax crop failure was thought to be equal to "seven Egyptian punishments".
ROMANS AND GREEKS:
There are grounds to believe that both ancient Romans and Greeks first brought flax from Egypt. The earliest mention of flax cultivation in ancient Greek and Roman literary records goes back to the 6th century B.C. The words lion (Greek) and linum (Latin) are encountered in the texts by Homer, Herodotus, Theophrastus and Pliny. Linen was used to make clothes, combat outfits, bed wrappers, sailcloth and cordage. It was also used as canvas in painting.
GAULS AND CELTS:
Gauls and Celts, the earliest flax growers in western Europe, learned about flax from Romans while Slavs, who were the first to start cultivating flax in eastern Europe, brought it from Greece. In the regions of early flax cultivation in Central Asia (Afghanistan, mountainous areas of Bukhara, Khoresm and Turkmenistan) flax cultivation had remained primitive until the turn of the 20th century.
SLAVS
Flax has been known in Russia since 2000 B.C. Ancient manuscripts of the 9th-10th century B.C. contain evidence of linen made by Slavs. Oriental writers of the time described Slavs attired in linen clothes. Prior to the formation of Kievan Rus, all Slavic tribes that inhabited the eastern European plain raised flax. Flax was used to make sailcloth, fishing nets, ropes and linseed oil. In the 10th-11th centuries A.D. flax was extensively grown for fiber and seed. It was regarded to be an important crop both for crafts and commerce. Peasants used it to pay feudal dues and make payments to the czar's treasury. Russian princes collected tribute in linen. In the late 19th-early 20th century Russia emerged as the leading producer and exporter of flax and linen among European nations.
On several occasions the advent of new, less labor-consuming fibers (cotton, viscose and other synthetic fibers) seemed to have put flax cultivation on the brink of economic ruin. But each time flax fiber production managed to survive and advance offering textile fabrics of high consumer properties owing to combining linen with new fiber materials.