In biblical times, modern toilet paper did not exist. People relied on what was naturally available or culturally customary in the ancient Middle East.
Nature makes great toilet paper
But it stands to reason early humans used whatever was on hand. Leaves, sticks, moss, sand and water were common choices, depending on early humans' environment.
Many traditional Amish communities consider manufactured toilet paper an unnecessary luxury and use resource-saving alternatives instead. In outhouses, families often repurpose old newspapers, magazine pages, or catalogs (like the Sears and Roebuck catalog). To make the paper soft enough to use, they crumple it vigorously multiple times.
Ancient Romans used a few different methods to clean themselves after using the restroom. The most famous tool was the tersorium (also known as a xylospongium), which was a natural sea sponge attached to the end of a wooden stick. In public latrines, these sponges were shared among users and were rinsed in a bucket of vinegar, saltwater, or running water between uses.
Vikings used natural, readily available materials to wipe themselves, most commonly utilizing soft moss (like sphagnum moss), leaves, or hay. On longship voyages at sea, sailors frequently hung over the side and let the water cleanse them, often using trailing frayed ropes that were naturally sanitized by the ocean.
Muslims use water instead of, or in addition to, toilet paper to clean themselves after using the restroom. This practice, called Istinja, is rooted in Islamic hygiene and purity laws.
Although there is no concrete proof, it is entirely possible that medieval women used moss-stuffed napkins as sanitary pads. We know that moss is very like a very fine sponge. It easily and quickly absorbs liquid and retains it. Water can be squeezed out and the moss does not collapse and is ready for reuse.
Options included rocks, leaves, grass, moss, animal fur, corn cobs, coconut husks, sticks, sand, and sea shells. Water and snow were also used to wash and clean.
The most advanced washlets can mix the water jet with soap for an improved cleaning process. The washlet can replace toilet paper completely, but many users opt to use both wash and paper in combination—although use of paper may be omitted for cleaning of the vulva.
Roman enslavers treated pregnant enslaved women primarily as economic assets. Under Roman law, a child’s status was determined by the mother, meaning any child born to an enslaved woman automatically became the enslaver’s property. Because of this, pregnancy was highly valued as a way to grow a household's wealth without the cost of buying new captives.
Yes, an estimated 70% of the world does not use dry toilet paper to wipe. Instead, many cultures across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe prioritize washing with water.
So basically just like everyone else they try to breastfeed and they often do breast feed the babies but sometimes the babies don't latch or the mother doesn't have enough breast milk for the baby. In that case they do buy formula at the store.
Amish men generally do not use condoms. Because the Amish view having children as a blessing from God, the use of artificial contraception is typically forbidden by their religious doctrine.
In very ancient times, wiping with stones and other natural materials and rinsing with water or snow was common.
In biblical times, hygiene blended practical sanitation with spiritual rituals. While lacking modern understanding of bacteria, laws in the Torah—like those in Leviticus and Deuteronomy—instituted groundbreaking public health measures. These included quarantines for skin diseases, washing clothes, and burying human waste outside of camps.
Your toilet flushes waste into hidden pipes, but medieval castles just dropped it straight down the walls. These were called garderobes, basically stone seats with holes that opened to the outside. Waste fell hundreds of feet into moats or piles below. Castles smelled terrible, especially in summer.
Eating any food while on the toilet is forbidden. After defecating, the anus must be washed with water using the left hand, or an odd number of smooth stones or pebbles called jamrah or hijaarah (Sahih Al-Bukhari 161, Book 4, Hadith 27). Many jurists agree that toilet paper suffices in place of these stones.
The Japanese do shave their faces, arms, legs, and pubic areas. Those with hairy pubic areas are considered sexy. However, as the Western culture has influenced the country, this practice has become more accepted in Japan. A Japanese woman who is hairless is not considered sexy – she is like a neutered man.
Traditionally, many Native American tribes viewed homosexuality and gender fluidity not as taboos, but as natural parts of the human experience. Instead of rigid, binary categories, many Indigenous societies embraced multi-gendered cultures where individuals who exhibited both male and female traits held respected, and sometimes sacred, roles in their communities.
Open defecation remains a critical public health challenge, predominantly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. Globally, an estimated 420 million people still practice it.
The "three-and-three" rule is a standard guideline used by gastroenterologists to determine a healthy bowel movement frequency.
She used either a special herbal mixture that included salt, thyme and marjoram, or perfumed sachets of sweet almonds, pine nuts, and lily bulbs which had been designed especially for her baths by her perfumer. Sometimes she ate breakfast in the bath!
Cavewomen managed their periods by "free-bleeding" or using highly absorbent, natural materials like moss, grass, animal skins, and soft bark to absorb blood. Because survival was their main priority, these rudimentary pads were discarded or washed as needed, and women often isolated themselves or wore specific clothing.
In the classical, as well as in the medieval years, the age at menarche was generally reported to be at approximately 14 years, with a range from 12 to 15 years.