Shatnez (or shaatnez, ; ) is cloth containing both wool and linen (linsey-woolsey), which Jewish law, derived from the Torah, prohibits wearing. The relevant biblical verses ( and ) prohibit wearing wool and linen fabrics in one garment, the blending of different species of animals, and the planting together of different kinds of seeds (collectively known as ). Etymology The word is not of Hebrew origin, and its etymology is obscure. Wilhelm Gesenius's Hebrew Dictionary cites suggestions that derive it from Semitic origins, and others that suggest Coptic origin, finding neither convincing. The Septuagint translates the term as , meaning 'adulterated'. The Mishnah in tractate Kil'ayim (9:8), interprets the word as the acrostic of three words: 'combing', 'spinning', and 'twisting'. The Modern Hebrew word means 'mixture'. Interpretation Early writers, like Maimonides, state that the prohibition was a case of the general law () against imitating Canaanite customs. Maimonides wrote: "the heathen priests adorned themselves with garments containing vegetable and animal materials, while they held in their hand a seal of mineral. This you will find written in their books". According to modern biblical scholars (and Josephus), the rules against these mixtures are survivals of the clothing of the ancient Jewish temple and that these mixtures were considered to be holy and/or were forfeited to a sanctuary. It may also be observed that linen is a product of a riverine agricultural economy, such as that of the Nile Valley, while wool is a product of a desert, pastoral economy, such as that of the Hebrew tribes. Mixing the two together symbolically mixes Egypt and the Hebrews. It also violates a more general aversion to the mixing of categories found in the Leviticus holiness code, as suggested by anthropologists such as Mary Douglas. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook suggested that shearing wool from sheep is, at some level, "a form of theft, the oppression of the weak at the hands of the strong." Since utilizing the flax plant and sheep are not – in absolute terms – morally equivalent, the Torah sought to distinguish between them, to instill a sensitivity towards animal welfare. Limitations of the law Definition of shatnez material In the Torah, one is prohibited from wearing shatnez only after it has been carded, woven, and twisted, but the rabbis prohibit it if it has been subjected to any one of these operations. Hence felt made with a mixture of wool