brick

A square or oblong block made of mud or clay used principally for construction of buildings and walls. Mud-brick construction is well known from ancient times in spite of the fact that stones were plentiful in Palestine and well used in building projects. Bricks were normally made of a mixture of clay and water, and sometimes straw was included to prevent cracking. Bricks could be sun-dried or fired in a kiln, though the former practice was habitual in Palestine.