Some scholars think that this instruction was not carried out literally until the time of the kings, or possibly even the Maccabees. Clear non-Biblical evidence that the Jews wore portions of the law fastened to their left arms and foreheads comes from about the time of Christ. The Jews called them tephillin, which has been explained to mean
“prayers,” whereas the Greek designation was
phulakterion (
Matt. 23:5), from which the English word
phylactery is derived. These consisted of little pouches made from the skin of ceremonially clean animals, sewed to leather bands by which they were strapped to the forehead between and immediately above the eyes and to the left arms of males who had reached the age of 13. The four compartments of the head phylactery each contained a strip of parchment bearing one of the four following passages faultlessly written:
Ex. 13:2-10; 13:11-16; Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21—30 verses altogether. The arm phylactery had but one pocket, yet contained the same four passages written on one skin. It was tied to the inside of the left arm a little above the elbow, so that the Scripture passages might be near the heart. This was done, presumably in compliance with the command,
“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart” (
Deut. 6:6). Phylacteries were customarily worn by pious Jews during the daily morning prayer, but by some reputedly devout men all day long. With a pretense of piety they often made their phylacteries more conspicuous by broadening the bands, a practice severely criticized by Christ in
Matt. 23:5. Even now conservative Jews wear phylacteries.