150 Straw Brick

Museum Description: Inscribed Brick from Babylon

Room: 1/Case: 15/Number: None

Scripture: Exodus 5:7

When you see a brick made from mud and straw, what Bible account instantly springs to mind?  Here we have just such a brick, though this example is from Babylon and has an Aramaic inscription.  The mud bricks from Egypt, however, were often stamped with the name of the pharaoh while they were still wet.  The mixture of mud or clay and straw was moistened with water, trampled underfoot, and then moulded by hand or pressed into a four-sided wooden brick mould.  The sides of the moulds were dusted with dry earth so it could easily be slipped off. The bricks were then left to dry in the sun, or were dried in a kiln.  The addition of straw made the brick three times stronger.