Acts 9:43 - "And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner."

Tanning, which is the conversion of the hides of goats, sheep, camels, and calves into leather, is a very ancient art. As far back as the Exodus, we find that "tanned rams’ skins" were used as coverings for the tabernacle. And ancient man also found that leather was valuable as a material for receptacles. Well-preserved leather articles, dating from as early as 2000 B.C., have been found by archealogists, In fact, the mummies of ancient Egypt are examples of the early art of tanning.

Partly, perhaps, because of this association with the embalming of the dead in hated Egypt, and, certainly, because the tanner’s art necessarily included the handling of dead animals, the tanner was scorned by his fellows. The Talmud has many slighting things to say about them. And, as with the fuller, the odors connected with his work made it necessary for him to remove himself from other people. Also, he needed running water, so we find that they lived outside of the cities.

The Simon in our text lived by the seaside and, as a note to consider, it was an example of Peter’s changing attitude toward what he considered to be clean and unclean, that he would consent to stay with a person of such an occupation. In fact, it was in the house of Simon that Peter had his vision of a sheet of things which God had declared to be clean!

In practicing his trade, the tanner first removed the hairs from the hides by soaking them in lime or another abrasive substance and then washing them in running water, all the while scraping off dirt, impurities, and any other foreign objects. The hides were then sundried and treated with sumac pads, oak bark, pine bark, or leaves.

Having completed all this, the tanner had now produced leather, from which a great many articles in every day use were made. Scribes often used it for writing material; the military used it for shields, helmets, slings, quivers, and chariot sides; everyone used it for footwear, and many other articles of clothing. Goatskins were used in making bottles to carry water, to hold new wine, and to store milk. These goatskin bags were also frequently used as churns to make butter. The holes of the legs and the tail were sewn up and the neck opening served as the top of the bottle. You will recall that Jesus spoke of the wine bag in connection with his denunciation of the Pharisees (Mark 2:22).

The leather maker of today is perhaps more of an artisan than his ancient brother. The hides that he used are handled in different commercial ways, but the basic process is still the same, and the end product remains. And that’s not all that remains - go through any city that boasts a tannery, and if the wind is right - or wrong - you’ll find that the smell of the tannery hasn’t changed a bit through the centuries!