(Robinson, 1992). There are other references to the lintel that only repeat the fact that it was a

structural part of the doorway.

Roof

 Most roofs in Biblical times were flat, having little to no pitch. Since they were practically

flat, God directly stated that rooftops were to be constructed in such a way that they would be

safe for anyone who might be on the roof, "When you build a new house, you shall make a

parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it"

(Deuteronomy 22:8 NASB). It was common practice to utilize the roof as an extension of the

home (Matthew 24:17). It was used for sleeping (Acts 10), for relaxing (2Samuel 11:2), for

celebrating the Feast of Booths (Nehemiah 8:16), for storage (Joshua 2:6) and for various other

reasons. The parapet was built to keep people from falling off of the roof while it was in use.

The height of the parapet is not mentioned but it was probably at least 36 inches high, otherwise

it would not have increased safety very much.

 The structural components of roofs varied depending on how wealthy the owner was.

Solomon's houses were constructed of rafters of cypress and beams of cedar (Song of Songs

1:17). What actually created a water barrier is not certain. There is mention of roof tiles in

Matthew 5:19, but no mention of the material they were made of. There is no mention of any

other types of covering such as thatch, tar, tar paper or any other water proofing components.

The material used to make the tiles in Matthew is not mentioned but was likely clay. The roof

system was most likely quite simple. Mark told the story of some men who dug through a roof

while Jesus was inside in order to get their paralytic friend into the house, "Being unable to get

to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an

opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying" (Mark 2:4 NASB). The

construction of the roof must have been of some material that could be dug through or loosely