Why are they called Jesus sandals? They are comfortable and beautiful, and many people enjoy wearing them. But have you ever wondered – why are they called Jesus sandals? These popular strappy leather sandals have 2,000 years long history. From the relics first mentioned in the Middle Ages, across the discovery of the sandals hid in a cave in the Judean desert in the 2nd century C.E., to the modern design and production started in the 1960s by the company Nimrod, Jesus sandals have complex and long lifecycle.
So here is how the story goes... In the 8th century Frankish king Pepin the Short mentions that he received the sandals of Jesus Christ from Rome, as a gift of Pope Zahary and Pope Stephen II. They were donated by the Popes to the Abbey of Prüm. In the Middle Ages Jesus sandals were considered as one of the most important relics of the Catholic church, and although their political importance has been lost since that period, their religious relevance remains the same as it ever was. But it is important to mention that those sandals look differently from those today known to us as Jesus sandals. The donated sandals are the remains of an ornate fabric shoe, possibly from Merovingian period.
So what are the sources of the sandals as we know them today? In the Bible sandals are mentioned numerous times and in different context in connection with Jesus Christ. In more situations the writing refers to the sandals that were attached to the foot with a strap. This type of sandals was typical during the Roman occupation of Israel and worn by Jesus' contemporaries.
The biblical sandals with their extremely simple form correspond to the Christ's spirit of poverty. But due to their modern looking concept, centuries later they served as inspiration to many modern shoe designers. The one considered as the most important in the popularization of Jesus sandals was Jewish shoemaker Josef Rosenblith, whose connection with popular leather sandals started in 1960s. In 1960 Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin discovered stunning trove. In a cave in the Judean desert he found belongings of a widow named Bavta bat Simon, who hid there fleeing Roman persecution in the 2nd century C.E. Among many findings there was a filthy humble sandal.
The sandal made of three layers of leather joined by a leather strap, today displayed in the Israel Museum, became instantly famous. It became a symbol for Zionism, and represented the struggle of the Jewish people, their repeated exiles, and their attempts to return to the land of their ancestors.
Five years after the discovery, a shoemaker and designer Josef Rosenblith and owner of the company Nimrod published a catalog with a photo of the 2nd century's sandal found in the cave and a photo of almost the same sandal that he had designed. This was modern evolution of the biblical sandals first produced in Israel on kibbutzim in the early 1930s. It wasn't just a question of style – the modern Jesus sandals similar to that old one were symbol of the 2,000 years history. Leather sandals symbolized the Israeli connection to the land and to the traditional values. Today Jesus sandals, or biblical sandals, are designed and produced in a huge variety of forms. Worn by both men and women, there is a great selection of Jesus sandals. Originally they have only straps, but you can find Jesus sandals also with buckles. Handmade Jesus sandals are a valuable addition to every outfit, not only for their comfort, but also for their reminiscence of the footwear worn by the ancestors in the ancient land of Israel.
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