{"id":29199,"date":"2014-01-02T14:19:51","date_gmt":"2014-01-02T19:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=29199"},"modified":"2019-04-30T11:13:59","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T15:13:59","slug":"ancient-fabric-dyed-biblical-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/news\/ancient-fabric-dyed-biblical-blue\/","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Fabric Dyed Biblical Blue?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"tekhelet\"<\/a>

A 2,000-year-old indigo swatch of wool discovered near the Dead Sea was dyed with extracts from the Murex snail in a process that may be similar to what ancient dyers used to produce tekhelet<\/em>, or Biblical blue. Photo: Courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has announced in a press release<\/a> that 2,000-year-old indigo fabric found near the Dead Sea was dyed using a technique that may have also produced tekhelet<\/em>, God\u2019s chosen color in the Bible. The research was conducted by Dr. Na\u2019ama Sukenik of the IAA.
\nThe findings were announced at a recent conference <\/a>in Jerusalem celebrating the 100th anniversary of the publication of Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Halevi Herzog\u2019s doctoral dissertation on tekhelet<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Three swatches of fabric discovered in the 1950s in a cave at Wadi Murba\u2019at near the Dead Sea were tested by Dr. Sukenik. Analysis indicated that the swatches were dyed with secretions from the Murex trunculus<\/em>. Two of the swatches were purple, while the third swatch was indigo\u2014demonstrating that the ancient dyers exposed the latter fabric to sunlight or heat once dyed to achieve this shade of blue. According to the IAA, this dye may have been made by the same process the ancient dyers used to produce tekhelet<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

The free eBook<\/strong><\/em> Life in the Ancient World<\/a> guides you through craft centers in ancient Jerusalem, family structure across Israel and ancient practices\u2014from dining to makeup\u2014throughout the Mediterranean world.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

In the Bible, tzitzit<\/em>\u2014tassels tied to the corners of garments\u2014were dyed a shade of blue called tekhelet<\/em>, God\u2019s chosen color (Numbers 15:38\u201339). Tekhelet <\/em>was also the color of the robes worn by High Priests (Exodus 28:31).<\/p>\n

Read the Israel Antiquities Authority press release here.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

The actual color of tekhelet<\/em>, whether it was sky-blue or purple\u2014or somewhere in between\u2014has been heavily disputed. Read the debate between Baruch and Judy Taubes Sterman of the Ptil Tekhelet Foundation and Professor Zvi C. Koren, director of the Edelstein Center for the Analysis of Ancient Artifacts, in Bible History Daily<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced in a press release that 2,000-year-old indigo fabric found near the Dead Sea was dyed using a technique that may have also produced tekhelet, or God\u2019s chosen color in the Bible. 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