The clothing of the population in Bible times consisted of wool, linen, animal skins, and perhaps silk. Most events in the Old and New Testaments take place in ancient Israel and therefore most biblical clothing is ancient Hebrew clothing. They wore underwear and cloth skirts.
Complete descriptions of clothing styles among the biblical population are impossible, as the available material is insufficient. Assyrian and Egyptian artists depicted what is considered the clothing of the time, but there are few depictions of Israelite costume. One of the few accessible sources on Israelite dress is the Bible.
Israeli men
Underwear
‘ezor, hagor
The most ancient and elemental garment was the ‘ezor or ḥagor, an apron around the hips or loins, which in primitive times was made from the skins of animals. It was a simple piece of cloth used in some modifications, but constantly worn next to the skin. A successful linen ‘ezor was worn by the priests as an ‘ephod’. If used for mourning, it was called saḳ.
Since the clothes were held together by a belt or sash, the cloth was also called ‘ezor or ḥagor.
ketone
Since then the ‘ezor has been displaced among the Hebrews by the kethōneth, a subtunic, corresponding more to our long shirt. The kethōneth appears in Assyrian art as a close-fitting undergarment, sometimes reaching just to the knee, sometimes to the ankle. In its early form, the kethonoet was sleeveless and even left the left shoulder bare. With the age, men of leisure wore kethōneth with sleeves. In later times anyone dressed only in ketheneth was described as without clothes (1Samuel 19:24, Isaiah 20:2, 2 Kings 6:30, John 21:7); deprived of it, he would definitely run out of clothes.
sadhı̄n
Rich people also have the possibility to wear a ṣādhı̄n below the kethōneth. This rather extensive garment had sleeves and belonged to fine linen.
outerwear
simla
The simlāh was the heavy outer garment or shawl in various ways. It consisted of a huge rectangular piece of coarse coarse wool, roughly sewn together so that the front was not sewn together, and with 2 openings for the arms. Linen is another viable material. It is translated into Greek as himation, and the ISBE concludes that it “simulated much, if not the same, of the imagination of the Greeks”.
During the day it was a protection against rain and frost, and at night, as they traveled, the Israelites could wrap themselves in this garment to keep warm on their journey to the Most High God for the celebration, 3 times a year. They need to gather from all over the planet in their sacred territory, as mentioned in the Scriptures in Deuteronomy 16:16. (Deuteronomy 24:13) The front of the simlāh can also be arranged in wide folds (Exodus 4:6) and all kinds of goods can be carried (2 Kings 4:39, Exodus 12:34).
All respectable men mostly wore the simlāh over the kethōneth (Isaiah 20:2-3), however, as the simlāh got in the way of work, it was either left at home or removed once the work was completed. (Matthew 24:18). From this simple article of the common people evolved the richly ornamented cloak of the wealthy, which reached from the neck to the knees and had short sleeves.
me’il
The me’il represents a variety of garments worn over the undergarment such as a cloak (1Samuel 2:19, 1Samuel 15:27), but worn only by men of rank or priestly order (Mark 12:38, Luke 20: 46, Luke 15:22). The me’ı̄l has been an expensive covering (1Samuel 2:19, 1Samuel 18:4, 1Samuel 24:5, 1Samuel 24:11) and the specification of the priest’s me’ı̄l has been similar to the sleeveless abaya (Exodus 28: 31; Antiquities, III. vii. 4). This, like the high priest’s me’ı̄l, may have reached only to the knees, however it is commonly suggested that it was a long-sleeved garment made of a light fabric.