Genesis 38:12 - "in course of time the wife of Judah, Shuah’s daughter, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah, to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite."

2 Samuel 13:23 - "After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baalhazor, which was near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons."

Shearing was done after the spring lambing season at the shearing houses. However, not all the sheep were shorn - the firstlings of the flock were sacred to God and were not shorn. The wool which was gathered from these sheep was made into clothing for the family, and, for those who had additional wool, it made a substantial income when sold.

The shearing time was a time of great rejoicing, and gave rise to a gala feast. The flock’s owner, joined by his shearers, provided a feast for friends and relatives. Part of the joy stemmed from the revenue realized, but there may very well be some connection between these festivals and the Passover Feast.

The large sheep owners of today still use sheep-shearers to remove the wool from the sheep and prepare it for shipment to the manufacturers of materials and clothing. Without them, many of the articles of clothing that we take so much for granted would be unavailable.