From the historical point of view, the Bible provides us with interesting evidence of a certain unity among craftsmen, so that morals drawn from their everyday working implements would be readily understood. In those days, there existed unions of artisans, trade unions, which assisted their members in the economic and social sphere. Originally, association among the artisans was confined to the framework of the family, most of whose members were employed in the same profession--for example, tailors or goldsmiths--and that group concentrated in a certain site in town for residence and work. The Bible mentions a "Valley of Craftsman" and the "Baker's Street" in Jerusalem! These early Guilds expanded to include relatives and friends in the same occupation. From the earliest time, mutual assistance was a major declared objective of the company of craftsmen and the Talmud relates how "the wool workers and dyers ... the donkey drivers ... and the sailors ..." acted to reach agreement among themselves for the benefit of their fellow craftsman. Significantly, in the synagogue at Alexandria, at the time of Philo, the Guilds actually had separate seating arrangements for their membership. "The goldsmiths by themselves, the silversmiths by themselves, the weavers by themselves, and so on, so that a visitor could come and join his profession" and be in the company of those who shared his interests. These admirable seating arrangements allowed one--during the long service--to catch upon the news of one's trade, on the latest gossip affecting work, and vitally important, on the most recent market price of one's goods! back to history . . .
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