Ancient Garments, the Veil and Gammadia Markings

E. Goodenough, in his study of Jewish symbolism, discovered that in Christian art the garment and robe were marked with signs at right angles, the gamma or square, or simply with a straight bar with prongs. He concluded that the marks had some religious significance or symbolic force.(Erwin R. Goodenough, Jewish Symbols the Greco-Roman Period 13 vols. (New York: Pantheon Books 1953), 9:164.)
In the Pistis Sophia, a Gnostic text of great importance, the garment is marked with the sacred Name and with five mysteries.(Erbetta, Gli Apocrifi, pp. 400–401; Pistis Sophia 8–10.)
One symbolically puts on Christ, in Gnostic speculation, through receiving baptism and the garment.(Gilles Quispel, “Qumran, John and Jewish Christianity,” in James H. Charlesworth and Raymond E. Brown, eds. John and Qumran (London: Geoffrey Chapman Publisher, 1972), pp. 152–54. Cf. J. MacDonald, ed., Memar Marqah (Berlin: n.p., 1963), pp. 4, 32, 80, 139, 158, and 194.)
The ancient garment was adorned with other marks besides the Name.
See Clothed Upon: A Unique Aspect of Christian Antiquity by Blake Ostler.

Among the textile fragments excavated at Masada were the remains of pieces of fabric with L-shaped cloth markings affixed to them. Dating to before A.D. 73, these are among the very earliest known examples of such marked garments. Scholars refer to these markings as gammadia, some of them being shaped like the Greek letter gamma (G). Though similar patterns have been found in several locations, the significance of these markings remains unknown to archaeologists and art historians. Because these markings seem to appear artistically in conjunction with some hope for life or glory after death, their presence on the clothing found at Masada may reflect something about the religious hopes and convictions of the Jewish fighters who died there. (BYU Studies (1996-7), 251-8)
See Gammadia on Early Jewish and Christian Garments

Ancient Markings on the Veil and on Garments
According to Hugo Odeberg, who translated the Hebrew Enoch, the veil was marked with “the secrets of the world’s creation and sustenance . . . in short, the innermost Divine secrets.”(Ibid., p. 28.)The purpose of the marks on the garment and the veil was to initiate the recipient into the divine secrets of the universe. Enoch also received a garment that was marked with divine secrets: “The Holy One . . . made me a garment of glory on which were fixed all kinds of lights, and He clad me in it. And He made a robe of honour on which were fixed all kinds of beauty.”(Ibid., p. 32.)
Each step of progress in initiation was marked by some change of the garment or robes, and so the symbolism of the garment implied increased glory, moving from one existence to another.It should be noted that the ancient garment bore the same tokens as the veil of the temple at Jerusalem. In the Testament of Levi, for example, the veil is the ¡nduma of the angel or the personified temple.(Marinus DeJonge, The Testament of the XII Patriarchs, p. 124.) This imagery brings to mind the scripture, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (1 Cor. 3: 16-17)

Many ancient texts confuse the garment with the veil of the temple, such as Ambrose of Milano’s Tractate of the Mysteries or the Hebrew Book of Enoch where “garment” and “veil” are used interchangeably.(Nibley, Joseph Smith Papyri, p. 246.)
Enoch is clothed with the veil in the Hebrew Book of Enoch: The Holy One . . . made me a throne similar to the throne of glory. And He spread over me a curtain [veil] of splendour and brilliant appearance of beauty, grace and mercy, similar to the curtain [veil] of the throne of glory; and on it were fixed all kinds of lights in the universe.(Hugo Odeberg, 3 Enoch; or The Hebrew Book of Enoch (1928; reprinted., New York: Ktav Publications, 1973), p. 32. Bracketed words added by author as another possible translation of the word.)A small church, Agios Eleftherios, in Athens has retained the old style templon, along with the archaic veil, as can be seen above. In early Byzantine churches the sanctuary was often marked by a veil in imitation of the veil of Solomon’s Temple. Over time, the veil was generally replaced in Byzantine churches with panels of icons, known as iconostasis. It is therefore uncommon to see old-style veils in contemporary churches. From: Early Byzantine Veil with Gammadia
Also see:
Iconostasis - An Eastern Orthodox Veil

Another mosic at Ravenna, Italy, ‘the kiss of Judas,’ is especially intriguing, since Christ and the Apostles have the prong-ended angle [garment mark] on the himation [shawl], but Judas does not. We can draw no conclusions, however, because the artist may have not shown it with Judas simply because in turning for the kiss Judas hides the part of the garment where the mark would normally have appeared. (Goodenough, Jewish Symbols, 9:88-89, see also 164 n. 300.)
For other examples see, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Photo Gallery.

In addition to their appearing on clothing and veils the gammas in Ravenna Mosaics are pictured on altar cloths as well.Another Ravenna mosaic, C. A.D. 520, shows the priest-king Melchizedek in a purple cloak, offering bread and wine at the altar (Genesis 14:18-20) The white altar cloth is decorated with two sets of gammadia, as well as the so-called “seal of Melchizedek,” two interlocked squares in gold. Abel offers his lamb as Abraham gently pushes Isaac forward. The hand of God reaches down to this sacred meeting through the red veils adorned with golden gammadia on either side. The theme is the great sacrifice of Christ, which brings together the righteous prophets from the past as well as the four corners of the present world, thereby uniting all time and space.(Nibley, Sacred Vestments; pg.109.)
See Gammadia at Ravenna
The central Italian city of Ravenna is known for its superb Byzantine mosaics - as they are the finest outside Istanbul. Ravenna rose to power in the 1st century BC under the Emperor Augustus. The town converted to Christianity very early, in the 2nd century AD. Ravenna's exquisite early Christian mosaics span the years of Roman, Ostrogothic and Byzantine rule. Ravenna's early Christian churches and mosaics have been collectively designated a World Heritage Site.
There are a number of major sites (basilicas, baptisteries or mausoleums)in and around Ravenna adorned with these exquisite mosaics featuring many of the different Christian themes and symbols, clearly a Paupers' Bible.
Sant'Apollinare Basilica in Classe
Sant'Apollinare Basilica in Classe Photo Gallery
Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Basilica
Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Basilica Photo Gallery
San Vitale Basilica
San Vitale Basilica Photo Gallery
Arian Baptistery
Arian Baptistery Photo Gallery
Neonian Baptistery
Neonian Baptistery Photo Gallery
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
Also see:
Early Christian Textile Markings from Fayum Egypt
Evidences of a Christian Population in the Egyptian Fayum and Genetic and Textile Studies of the Akhmim Noble Mummies (GospeLink.com - subscription required)
Tallit Katan - The Sacred Undergarment of Judaism
Joseph’s Coat of Many Marks
Nüwa and Fuxi in Chinese Mythology: Compass & Square