在古代犹太人的观念中,胡须被看作是力量的化身,是神赋予的男子气概的象征。《旧约·列王记》记载:为了侮辱犹太人,与之为敌的阿莫尼特人将犹太大卫王派来的使节的胡须剃了一半。而在埃及,胡须象征着权力,只有法老才拥有蓄须的权利。如果法老脸上胡须不够多,就要用假胡须粘在下颌,甚至连女法老也采用这种面部装饰,以示其统治的合法。比如古埃及第18王朝的著名女王哈特舍普苏特的雕像上就有下垂的长胡须。有人在解释历史的盛衰兴亡时将胡须与国运联系在一起,认为罗马帝国的崩溃是罗马人勤于刮胡子的后果——热衷剃须 In ancient Jewish conception, beard was seen as the incarnation of strength, a symbol of masculinity given by God. The Old Testament Kings records that in order to insult the Jews, the Armonite with whom he was an enemy had half-browned the beard of the envoy sent by King David. In Egypt, the beard symbolizes power, and only Pharaoh has the right to whiskey. If Pharaoh’s face beard is not enough, he must use false beard to stick to the lower jaw, and even Pharaohs also use this facial decorating to show that his rule is legal. For example, the statue of the famous Queen Hatshepsut in the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt had drooping long beards. Someone who linked the beard with the National Games in explaining the rise and fall of history thought that the collapse of the Roman Empire was a consequence of the Romans’ diligence in shaving -