The Keeper of the Wardrobe (2 Kgs 22:14 || 2 Chr 34:22): A Historical and Exegetical Study

Abstract

This article analyses the office of the ‘keeper of the wardrobe’ ( שֹׁמֵֵֹר הַבְַּגְָדִִָים šōmēr habbᵊḡāḏîm) mentioned in 2 Kgs 22:14 and 2 Chr 34:22, marginal in exegetical literature, yet important for reconstructing the realities of ancient Israel. The study presents three main interpretations of this role: keeper of the Temple wardrobe, overseer of the royal wardrobe, and an official with an undefined role. A philological and comparative analysis, supported by rabbinical sources and the testimony of Josephus, indicates that the keeping of the wardrobe had practical, prestigious, and symbolic significance, closely linked to institutions of worship and authority. The findings open new perspectives for research into the functioning of temples and the role of garments in the religious and political structures of the ancient Near East.