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Archaeologists have discovered a precious piece of crimson fabric in the Judean desert that is 3,800 years old and may have been coloured using a substance referenced in the Bible.
The tiny textile was found in the Israeli ‘Cave of Skulls’ and is believed to have been dyed using oak scale insects – a substance thought to be the “scarlet worm”, as referenced in the Bible.
The find gives astonishing insights into ancient textile production and its links to the Biblical texts.
Naama Sukenik, curator of the Organic Material Collection at the Israel Antiquities Authority, explained the process for colouring the two-centimetre piece of fabric.
She said: “In ancient times, the dye was produced from female scale insects, which live on kermes oak trees.
“Collecting these insects was a highly specialised process, done in a short window of time — one month each summer — when the amount of dye was at its peak.”
This ancient process, using rare dye-producing insects, made crimson a prestigious and valuable colour.
The “scarlet worm” is mentioned 25 times in the Bible, often alongside other prised colours like blue (tekhelet) and purple (argaman). These colours were associated with wealth and status.
Sukenik explained: “We can say with high certainty that this textile was dyed using Kermes vermilio, a species of scale insect that produces kermesic acid, which gives the fabric its distinctive red hue.”
Uri Davidovich from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said according to The Sun: “This fabric, found in a desert cave, speaks to the sophisticated knowledge of wool dyeing in the ancient world.
“It also hints at extensive international trade that connected different regions as early as 3,800 years ago.”