In the first century, many women parted their long hair in the middle, pulled it back, and fashioned it into a bun (1). Some women wore more elaborate hairstyles, braiding and curling their hair (2). To produce curls, hair was wrapped around a calamistrum, a hollow rod that had been heated over coals. Wealthy women wore fancier styles and usually had their hair done by a slave. Elaborately arranged styles required hairpins, combs, ribbons, and hairnets to hold the hair in place. The apostles Paul and Peter advised Christian women against drawing attention to themselves with extravagant hairstyles. Rather, women were encouraged to “adorn themselves . . . with modesty” and a “quiet and mild spirit.” Such qualities are highly valued by Jehovah.​—1Ti 2:9; 1Pe 3:3, 4.

While serving as an elder in Ephesus, Timothy receives a letter from the apostle Paul. (1Ti 1:3) No doubt both Timothy and his fellow elders benefit greatly from this spirit-inspired letter. In it, Paul lists the qualifications for men who are to serve as elders or ministerial servants in the Christian congregation. (Ac 20:17, 28; 1Ti 3:1-10, 12, 13) He encourages Timothy to “become an example” to fellow believers and to apply himself to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. (1Ti 4:12, 13) Paul also reminds Timothy not to neglect the special gift, or assignment, that “the body of elders” had given him.​—1Ti 4:14.

Shown here is a page from the Codex Sinaiticus, a parchment manuscript of the fourth century C.E. The inset in the image includes the part of 1Ti 3:16 that many translations have rendered “He was manifested in the flesh,” or they have used similar expressions. However, as can be seen in the image, someone made an addition above the original text and added two letters to change the wording from “He” to “God.” (This addition was made later, probably in the 12th century C.E.) A similar change can be found in some other early manuscripts. As a result, a number of Bible translations here read “God was manifest [or “manifested”] in the flesh” (King James Version; New King James Version), giving the impression that God himself appeared as a human of flesh and blood. However, as some reference works point out, Greek manuscripts earlier than the eighth or ninth century C.E. do not support the use of the word “God” in their original wording. (See, for example, A Textual Guide to the Greek New Testament, by Roger. L. Omanson.) So a careful study of ancient manuscripts helps scholars to uncover the few erroneous readings that crept into later manuscripts.​—See App. A3 and Glossary, “Codex Sinaiticus.”

These photographs, taken at the beginning of the 20th century, show a farmer using muzzled cattle to thresh grain. To begin separating the wheat from the chaff, farmers used bulls to pull a threshing sledge over cut grain. A muzzle prevented the animal from eating while it worked. Revealing Jehovah’s loving consideration for animals, the Mosaic Law forbade this practice. (De 25:4) A hungry animal would be tormented if it had to work hard with grain so close at hand. The apostle Paul reasoned on the principle behind this command, stating that hardworking Christian ministers are permitted to receive due honor and material support from others.​—1Co 9:9-14; 1Ti 5:17, 18.

The photo shows a clay jar known as an amphora. Such jars varied greatly in size; the one shown here was about 100 cm (40 in.) high and could hold about 28 L (7 gal) of wine. The peg-shaped bottom of this kind of amphora made it possible for the jars to be stacked in the hold of the ships that transported them. In the Greco-Roman world, wine was a precious commodity. Greeks, Romans, and Jews of all social levels drank wine. It was often diluted with water. Much of the drinking water was polluted, and wine acted as a natural antiseptic, preventing the growth of bacteria. The apostle Paul advised Timothy: “Stop drinking just water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent cases of sickness.”​—1Ti 5:23, ftn.