Anthropology

Wicked Blue

(6,650 posts) Fri Jan 29, 2021, 12:40 PM Jan 2021

Israeli archaeologists find 'Biblical royal purple dye'

A purple dye dating back to the purported reign of the Biblical King David has been identified on a piece of fabric by Israeli archaeologists.

The dye is said to have been more valuable than gold and was associated with royalty.

It is the first time textile from that period with the colour has been found in the region.

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The fragment was unearthed during excavations at a site in Timna, about 220km (137 miles) south of Jerusalem.
Excavation at Timna.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55815820

5 replies

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Israeli archaeologists find 'Biblical royal purple dye' (Original Post) Wicked Blue Jan 2021 OP

The romans made theirs from the murex sea snail soothsayer Jan 2021 #1

I believe that the same snails were part of the ancient temple incense recipe. BrightKnight Jan 2021 #2

Awesome factoid! I'll try to work it into my spiel soothsayer Jan 2021 #3

IDK about your spiel but I believe ancient Semitic-speaking Phoenicia used Tyrian before the Romans. BrightKnight Jan 2021 #5

Those may be the same molluscs referred to in the article nt Wicked Blue Jan 2021 #4

soothsayer

(38,601 posts)

1. The romans made theirs from the murex sea snail

Reply to Wicked Blue (Original post)

Fri Jan 29, 2021, 12:51 PM

Jan 2021

One snail gave one drop of dye. Thus: pricey.

You could find the snails by observing people we who lived near the ocean. If they had purple-stained mouths, the snails were there.

They’d dry the snails in the sun on huge racks — downwind.

BrightKnight

(3,684 posts)

2. I believe that the same snails were part of the ancient temple incense recipe.

Reply to soothsayer (Reply #1)

Fri Jan 29, 2021, 01:22 PM

Jan 2021

https://theconversation.com/modern-science-tackles-a-biblical-secret-the-mystery-ingredient-in-holy-incense-88876

soothsayer

(38,601 posts)

3. Awesome factoid! I'll try to work it into my spiel

Reply to BrightKnight (Reply #2)

Fri Jan 29, 2021, 01:49 PM

Jan 2021

BrightKnight

(3,684 posts)

5. IDK about your spiel but I believe ancient Semitic-speaking Phoenicia used Tyrian before the Romans.

Reply to soothsayer (Reply #3)

Fri Jan 29, 2021, 03:03 PM

Jan 2021

Reading about it and actually seeing it are two different things.

Actually being able to smell ancient incense that were reverse engineered using tools like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is equally impressive.

Wicked Blue

(6,650 posts)

4. Those may be the same molluscs referred to in the article nt

Reply to soothsayer (Reply #1)

Fri Jan 29, 2021, 02:23 PM

Jan 2021

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