Hippocratic authors hold that hair is hollow and grows primarily from either male or female reproductive fluid or semen flowing into it and congealing (Hippocrates, Nat. puer. 20). Since hollow body parts create a vacuum and attract fluid, hair attracts semen.
PAUL’S ARGUMENT FROM NATURE FOR THE VEIL IN 1 CORINTHIANS 11:13–15: A TESTICLE INSTEAD OF A HEAD COVERING, Troy W. Martin
Martin makes the case that, in my words, a woman without a head covering is the first century equivalent of a woman walking around without any pants on. Modern medicine believed that long hair drew semen into the woman and aided what we know as conception. Similarly, short hair on men allowed the semen to more effectively be transferred to the woman. Just read the paper.
The implications are a handful:
- Paul isn’t a misogynist wanting to put women in their place. Instead he’s aware of the culture’s understanding of immodesty.
- In addition to the rest of his education, Paul is up to speed on contemporary medical understandings.
- A case can be made that what might be interpreted as commands in the New Testament should not be blindly accepted without some thought as to why the statement was originally made. There may be reasons to disregard, or probably better, adapt those statements so that personal behavior may be more effective at spreading the gospel vis-a-vis the culture.