Quick Answer
There are no stories in the Bible of someone being killed by a wet blanket. The Bible does not contain any instances of death by wet blanket.
The Bible Contains No Stories of Death by Wet Blanket
The Bible is filled with many stories, from Genesis to Revelation. Within its pages are tales of creation, heroism, betrayal, miracles, parables, poetry, prophecy, and more. However, nowhere in the scriptures can one find an account of someone perishing under a soaked cover.
A thorough examination of the Bible’s contents reveals no events resembling death by wet blanket:
Old Testament Events
The Old Testament recounts the history of the Israelite people, beginning with the creation story in Genesis. Through Exodus, the Pentateuch describes their escape from Egypt and subsequent wanderings in the wilderness. Joshua through Esther portray their conquest of Canaan, the establishment of their kingdom, exile, and return from exile.
Accounts of the lives of prophets and kings, as well as poetic writings and prophecies, fill its pages. Yet none of its stories mention anyone dying from a wet blanket. Significant deaths, such as Moses on Mount Nebo, King Saul at Mount Gilboa, and Sisera at the hands of Jael, result from other causes.
New Testament Events
The New Testament opens with the gospels describing Jesus’s birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. The book of Acts records the early growth of the church. Letters from apostles offer instruction for Christian living and church order. Revelation provides apocalyptic prophecy.
While this collection covers the full range of the human experience – birth, life, death, despair, hope, and more – it includes no wet blanket fatalities. Expressions of death focus on crucifixion, stoning, old age, illness, persecution, and natural causes. But no one perishes under soggy linens.
Other Causes of Death
So if the Bible omits cases of death by wet blanket, what fatal events fill its pages? Here are some significant causes of death that Scripture records:
| Cause of Death | Examples from Scripture |
| Natural causes | Abraham, Isaac, Jacob |
| Illness | King Asa |
| Old age | David, Job |
| Crucifixion | Jesus |
| Stoning | Stephen |
| Animal attack | Elisha’s tormentors |
| Decapitation | John the Baptist |
| Falling from a window | Eutychus |
As this table summarizes, Scripture documents endings from sickness, violence, accident, and old age. But not one from wet blankets.
Wet Blankets in the Ancient World
Why does the Bible lack any record of a wet blanket killing someone? To answer this question, it is helpful to consider what blankets were like in ancient times.
Blankets in the Biblical era were far removed from the downy comforters and quilts that we enjoy today. Instead, they were rather crude coverings, typically consisting of fabric like wool or linen. The quality ranged from sackcloth to more finely woven textiles. But overall, blankets of antiquity were humble and coarse.
When sopping wet, these primitive blankets undoubtedly felt heavy. But they posed no serious mortal threat. Without the mass and mechanics of dense batting and fixed stitches, a soaked blanket would drape heavily rather than become rigid or form a smothering seal.
So while Biblical blankets may have offered warmth and protection when dry, they turned simply cumbersome when drenched. Perhaps a wet blanket weighed someone down or induced chills. But it did not act as a devious death-dealing device.
Alternative Explanations
With the primitive state of ancient blankets, how then did this modern idea of “death by wet blanket” arise? A few factors may provide insight.
First, today’s blankets are much heftier creations, filled with insulation like down or synthetics. Soaking one of these raises its weight exponentially, potentially allowing it to cut off air supply if covering someone’s face. The notion of death by wet blanket likely stems from these modern blankets rather than the ancient world’s coverings.
Additionally, the rise of forensic science has brought nuanced awareness of how different situations can lead to asphyxiation. This has cultivated fertile ground for imaginative murder methods – like killer wet blankets. Fictional stories have spun such scenarios even if they lack historical precedence.
Finally, the “wet blanket” idiom denoting a dull or depressing person may have kindled inventive imaginations about how a soggy blanket could smother joy and life. Though meant figuratively, some may have taken the idiom as inspiration for literal, if inaccurate, homicide accounts.
So while the Bible itself harbors no record of actual death by wet blanket, perceptions of how it could occur have emerged from modern blanket materials, forensic insights, and colorful imaginations. The origins of the idea appear rooted more in fiction than in Scripture.
The Purpose of Biblical Accounts
Amid imaginings of killer wet blankets, a question arises: Why does Scripture not include stories of this particular death method? The answer highlights the greater purpose and meaning of the Bible.
Scripture’s goal is not to provide an exhaustive inventory of all possible fatalities. Rather, its accounts have specific purposes:
- To reveal God’s character and ways
- To show humanity’s fallen nature
- To point to humanity’s need for salvation
- To pave the way for the Messiah who saves
- To instruct in godly living
Deaths like the Flood, Korah’s rebellion, and the crucifixion of Jesus serve these greater purposes. A random wet blanket demise does not. Such a death speaks little of God or humanity or salvation.
The absence of this particular cause of death underscores how Scriptural accounts are selective and intentional. Stories are included not merely for history’s sake but to disclose spiritual truths. The Bible is not an exhaustive compendium but a revelation of the Author of Life.
Conclusion
How did this peculiar question arise about a wet blanket killing someone in the Bible? Perhaps from modern blanket materials capable of smothering, or speculative fiction spinning an odd murder plot. But a survey of Scriptural accounts rules out any actual incident of this unusual variety of death.
While containing many significant fatalities, the Bible includes no stories of wet blanket demise. And for good reason – such a death fails to advance Biblical purposes. The Scriptures aim not just to document history but to reveal spiritual truths. As expected from the Author of Life, the Bible focuses on eternity rather than oddities.