Jos 6:15 rose up at the dawn of the a, and gave
Psa 119:147 I anticipated the a, and cried out; Wait
Isa 58:8 then your light will be born like the a, and your
Alba (heb. sajar, “dawn”; gr. anatolé, the emergence of the “stars”, especially the sun). Beginning of the day or sunrise (Job 38:12; Psa 119:147; Luk 1:78; etc.). In this latter text the term is used in a figurative sense of Christ as “the light of the world” (Joh 8:12; cf 1:9; 2Pe :19).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
auge (aujghv, 827), radiance, bright, as from the sun, hence dawn. Translated “dawn” in Act 20:11:¶
Source: Vine New Testament Dictionary
A white linen garment with tight sleeves, reaching close to the ground and secured around the waist by a (rolled) sash. In the past it has been known by many names: linea or tunica linea, for the material from which it is made; poderis, tunica talaris, or simply talaris, due to the fact that it reaches the feet (tali, ankles), camisia, due to the similarity of the garment to a shirt; alba, (white), for its color; and finally, Roman alba, the latter apparently in contrast to the shorter robes favored outside Rome (cf. Jaffé-Löwenfeld, “Regesta”, 2295). Of these almost only the name alba survives. Another use of the word alba, commonly in the plural albæ (dresses), appears in medieval writers. It refers to the white vestments worn by the newly baptized on Holy Saturday and worn until the Second Sunday of Easter (Lower Sunday), which is consequently known as dominica in albis (deponendis), the Sunday of (taking off) the vestments white. This robe, however, will be more conveniently treated under the term “Chrismal”. From the usages mentioned, both Low Sunday and Trinity Sunday, together with the preceding days, seem to have been sometimes called Albæ. Possibly the name of our Little Sunday, the Sunday after the Pentecost baptisms, could derive from a similar practice. In this article we will deal with the origin, symbolism, use, form, ornamentation, material and color of the dawn.
It is impossible to speak with certainty about the origin of this clothing. Medieval liturgists, eg Rupert of Deutz, were favorable to the view that Christian vestments in general were derived from those of the Jewish priesthood, and that the alb in particular represents the Kethonet, a white linen robe we read about in Exodus, xxviii , 39. But a white tunic also formed part of the ordinary attire of both Romans and Greeks under the Empire, and most modern authorities, eg Duchesne and Braun, think it unnecessary to search further for the origin of our dawn. This opinion is confirmed, first, by the fact that in the Eucharistic scenes of the catacomb frescoes (eg those indicated by Monsignor Wilpert in his “Fractio Panis”) the white robe below is not always observed; and, second, by the silence of early Christian writers under circumstances which lead us to expect some allusion to the relationship between Jewish and Christian dress, if one had been recognized (cf. Hieron., “Ad Fabiolam” Ep. 64, PL, XXII, 607). The fact that a white linen robe was also a common feature of secular attire makes it difficult to determine the time to which we must assign the introduction of our present alb as distinctively liturgical attire. The word alba, indeed, is not infrequently found in connection with the ecclesiastical vestments of the first seven centuries, but we cannot safely argue the identity of the thing with the identity of the name. On the contrary, when we find mentions of an alb in the “Expositio Missæ:” of San German de Paris (f. 576), or in the canons of the Fourth Synod of Toledo (663), it seems clear that the clothing noted was of the nature of a dalmatic. Therefore we can only say that the words of the so-called Fourth Synod of Carthage (c. 398), “ut diaconus tempore oblationis tantum vel lectionis albâ utatur,” may or may not refer to a dress resembling our alb. The scant evidence available has been carefully discussed by Braun (Priesterlichen Gewänder, 24), and he concludes that in the early centuries some kind of special white robe was generally worn by priests under the chasuble, and that in the course of time it began to be considered as liturgical. A sentence mentioning “the robe of chastity”, which is assigned to the priest in the Stowe Missal, helps confirm this view, and similar confirmation can be made of the Ravenna mosaic figures, though we cannot be sure that the latter have been preserved unaltered for us. Before the time of Rabanus Maurus, who wrote his “De Clericorum Institutione” in 818, the alb had become an integral part of the priest’s sacramental attire. Rabano describes it exhaustively (PL, CVII, 306). It was to be put after the amice. It was made, he says, of white linen, to symbolize the priest’s self-denial and chastity. He hung down to his ankles, to remind him that he was obligated to do good deeds until the end of his life. At present the priest, when the dawn sets, says this prayer: “Purify me, O Lord, from all stains, and cleanse my heart, that washed by the Blood of the Lamb I may enjoy eternal delights.” The symbolism has evidently changed little since the ninth century.
In relation to the use of the dawn, the practice has varied from time to time. Until the middle of the twelfth century, the alb was the dress that all clerics wore when exercising their functions and Rupert of Deutz mentions that, at great festivals, both in his own monastery and in Cluny, not only those who officiated in the sanctuary, but all the monks at their posts wore albs. The alb was also used in this period at all religious functions, eg when giving Communion to the sick, or when attending a synod. However, since the twelfth century, the coat or surplice has been gradually superseded by the alb in the case of all clerics except those in higher grades, ie subdeacon, deacon, priest and bishop. At present the alb is little used outside the time of Mass. In all other functions it is permissible for priests to wear the surplice.
Other than some elongation or contraction of its lateral dimensions, there has been little change in the shape of the alb since the ninth century. In the Middle Ages the dress seems to have been made to fit fairly closely at the waist, but it widened below so that the bottom edge, in some cases, measured as much as five yards or more in circumference. There is no doubt that in practice it was pleated and made to hang tolerably close to the figure. Towards the end of the sixteenth century again, when voluminous garments were everywhere in vogue, St. Charles Borromeo prescribed a circumference of over seven yards for the bottom of the dawn. But his regulation, though approved, cannot be said to have been a law for the Church as a whole.
Much greater diversity has been shown in the ornamentation of the dawn. In early times we find the lower edge decorated with both rich and deep edging. Similar embroideries adorned the wrists and the caputium (opening of the head), ie the neck. In the thirteenth century the fashion for “adornment”, which apparently originated in northern France, quickly became widespread. They were oblong patches of rich brocade, or embroidery, sewn onto the bottom of the alb both front and back. Similar patches were attached to the wrists, almost producing the effect of a pair of fists. Another patch was often sewn onto the chest or back, and sometimes both. Many names were given to these ornaments. the most common were paruræ, plagulæ, grammata, gemmata. This custom, although it lasted for centuries, and survives in Milan to the present day, was finally abandoned before the introduction of lace as ornamentation. The use of lace, although allowed, would never lose the character of pure decoration. Albs, with lace reaching above the knees, are not, strictly speaking, en règle, although there is a special decree of June 16, 1893, tolerating albs with lace below the belt for canons at Mass, on the days of solemn party. Formerly a decree of the Congregation of Rites prohibited any colored lining behind the sleeves and cuffs, or lace with which it could be decorated, a more recent decree (July 12, 1892) sanctioned the practice. material, the alb must be made of linen (linen or hemp fabric): therefore cotton or wool are prohibited. The color must now be white. Much discussion has been generated by the frequent finding in inventories of albs, that apparently they do not comply with any of these regulations. Not only do we read of blue, red, and even black albs, but albs of silk, velvet, and gold fabrics are frequently mentioned. It has been held that in many cases such designations should be considered as referring to the ornaments with which the albs were ornamented: also the albs of silk, velvet, etc. were probably tunics or dalmatics But there is a residue of cases which it is impossible to explain ar satisfactorily, and the prevalence of at least blue albs seems to be attested by miniatures in ancient manuscripts. Furthermore, the use of silk and colors instead of white linen albs has remained to this day in isolated instances, both in the West and in the East. It may be added that, like other priestly vestments, the alb needs to be blessed before being worn.
Written by Herbert Thurston.
Transcribed by Wm Stuart French, Jr.
Dedicated to Sister Regina Marie, MICM
Translated by Luis Alberto Alvarez Bianchi
Bibliography
J. BRAUN, Die priesterlichen Gewänder des Abendlandes (Freiburg, 1897), 16-43. This is the only satisfactory treatise that covers the whole ground. ROCK, The Church of our Fathers (2d ed., London. 1903), I, 347-73; DUCHESNE, Christian Worship (tr., London, 1903), 381; MACALISTER, Ecclesiastical Vestments (London, 1894); MARRIOTT, Vestiarium
Christianum (London, 1868); The Month, September, 1898, 269-77; BARBIER DE MONTAULT, Le costume et les usages ecclesiastiques, II, 231-242 (Paris, 1900); KRAUS, Real-Encyclopädie, sv Albe; ROHAULT DE FLEURY, La Messe (Paris, 1889), VII, 11-26; BOCK, Die liturgischen Gewänder des Mittelalters, II, 31-50 (Bonn, 1866); HINZ, Die Schatzkammer der Marienkirche zu Danzig (Danzig, 1870); VON HEFELE, Beiträge, II, 167-174 (Tübingen, 1864); BRAUN, Zeitschrift f. Christ. Kunst, art. Vestments of the Castle of St. Elia, XII, 352-55 (1900).
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia