The "Tear Catchers": Elegant Glass Vessels from the Time of Jesus

The “Tear Catchers”: Elegant Glass Vessels from the Time of Jesus

Among the most beautiful artifacts from first-century Judea are delicate glass vessels popularly known as ‘tear catchers’. Albeit their romantic name, they were not used to catch any tears, yet their real story is even more fascinating.

Glass production in Antiquity

Glass production began around 1500 BCE when craftsmen discovered they could create glass vessels by wrapping molten glass around a core of sand and clay. This core-forming technique dominated glass vessel production until the invention of glassblowing in the 1st century CE.

The Invention of Glass Blowing – In Jerusalem!

A First-Century “Tear Cacther” from Judea. (c) Zak Antiquities

Around the time of Jesus a new innovative technique of glassblowing was developed. This technique, which involved inflating molten glass with a blowpipe, created a new form of blown glass, and made glass production faster and more economical.

The oldest evidence of glassblowing was found in Jerusalem in 1970s, under today’s Jewish Quarter. The vessels produced were typically 3-6 inches tall, featuring a characteristic long neck and a bulbous body. Their colors ranged from pale blue to clear green.

As they resembled a tear drop, and often found in tombs, these elegant vessels became known as “tear catchers”. However, the romantic notion of tear catchers is misleading.

These exquisite containers, more accurately known as unguentaria, served as vessels for perfumes, precious oils, cosmetics, and other valuable liquids in the ancient world.

Perfumes and Spices Containers in the New Testament

In the New Testament, several passages describe perfume vessels used during significant events. Mark 16:1-2 and Luke 24:1 recount women bringing spices to Jesus’s tomb on that Sunday morning. It is quite likely they carried these precious aromatics in the discussed glass “tear catchers”.

Other passages, including Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 7, mention alabaster vessels (“alabastron | ἀλάβαστρον”) containing expensive perfumes. These were masterfully carved from translucent stone originating in Egypt. Both vessel types represent the high value placed on these aromatic substances in ancient Jewish culture. This is well illustrated in Mark 14:5 where the perfume contained in the alabaster vessel is valued at 300 denarii – nearly a year’s wages for a laborer of that time.

Modern Collecting Culture

Despite (or perhaps because of) the historical misattribution, these vessels have become highly sought after by collectors, particularly those interested in biblical archaeology. The connection to New Testament era material culture, combined with their association with biblical passages about tears, has driven significant interest. Their aesthetic appeal have also contributed to their popularity.