Ruth the Moabitess and others, 1925-1946

This is a digital reproduction of an image held within the Library of Congress.

The image depicts a woman playing the part of Naomi from the old testament book of Ruth. She is wearing traditional Bethlehem clothing including a bridal dress (malak) with an embroidered chest panel, a short jacket (taqsireh) and headscarf. The headdress is especially recognisable to the Bethlehem region and is otherwise known as the 'shatweh'. The shatweh is a headdress worn by married women to signify family wealth. Hidden underneath the cloth are rows of coral, coins and beads sewn into the cone-shaped headdress. This image exists as part of a wider series intended to depict the Old Testament book of Ruth.

This image is part of the Bethlehem Women collection within the Planet Bethlehem Archive.