Excavations in the Judean desert caves have unearthed a groundbreaking find: the earliest evidence of red-dyed textile using scale insects.
A new joint study by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Bar-Ilan University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has identified a rare 3,800-year-old textile colored with oak scale insects, associated with the biblical "Tola‛at Hashani” (scarlet worm).
Cited in 2 Samuel 1:24 and mentioned prominently throughout the Bible in relation to luxurious garments and sacred textiles alongside blue (tekhelet) and purple (argaman), the color "scarlet worm" carries significant cultural and historical weight.
Under the leadership of Dr. Naama Sukenik, Prof. Zohar Amar, and Prof. David Iluz, the comprehensive project to analyze ancient dyes in archaeological textiles has yielded this remarkable discovery of a bright red textile dyed with kermes. The findings have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, marking a milestone in understanding ancient dyeing practices.
* Arutz 7 contributed to this report