Israel – Rediscovered Ancient Color of Techelet

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    Israel – One of the biblical mysteries that has stumped commentators and scholars over the centuries is the shade of blue known as “Techelet” that is mentioned in the Torah.

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    Up until recently, the only known information about Techelet was that it was derived from a sea snail secretion and that Jewish tradition believes it to be a pure blue roughly similar to that of the sky.  However, an Israeli scientist states the color is likely to be closer to purple than sky blue.

    Dr. Zvi Koren, a professor whose research focuses on the chemistry of ancient dyes, says he has identified what may the oldest sample of Techelet in a 2,000 year old tiny patch of fabric found on Masada, a site known as the location of King Herod’s fortress and a mass suicide by Jews refusing to submit to Roman rule.

    According to Professor Koren, the shade appears to be indigo.  Koren will present his findings at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design this week.


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    13 Comments
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    Rabbi_In_The_Know
    Rabbi_In_The_Know
    12 years ago

    As intriguing as it is, it will not be a definite confirmation of the true color if techeiles, because of age and weather.

    12 years ago

    Fascinating, but why would anyone care about the precise shade of blue that was reflected in what the torah call “techelet”. How will such information improve the life of any yid or contribute to the well being of yiddeshkeit?

    rabbiyisroel
    rabbiyisroel
    12 years ago

    ” the oldest sample of Techelet in a 2,000 year old tiny patch of fabric…
    the shade appears to be indigo”
    He has a colored piece of fabric that appears to be indigo and not techeles. Techeles was on strands of wool not on patches. But even if the article is using the word patch instead of strand, indigo was a very popular dye from ancient times until fairly recently. It resembles techeles so much that the Gemora says that when one purchases techeles it must be from a reliable person because of fraudulent tzitzis dyed with indigo.

    HolyMoe
    HolyMoe
    12 years ago

    This is not new.

    Since 1993, it is known that the secretions of the Murex Trunculous snail – if used in sunlight – produces an indigo color in wool (and a purple color indoors).

    This is the color of Tcheless and it is the color of the ocean and sky in the Middle East.
    There is nothing else from the sea that produces this color.

    Finding a piece of cloth with this color is irrelevant to identifying it as the Tcheles of the Torah. All it means is that this dye was used at the time.

    However, there are many numerous proofs that this Murex snail is the true Chilazon.
    It is outside the scope of this venue to go over them here.

    yochtzel
    yochtzel
    12 years ago

    “Koren will present his findings at the Shenkar College of Engineering “

    And why not to Rabbunim???

    HaNavon
    HaNavon
    12 years ago

    Chazal say that tcheilis will be rediscovered right before mashiach comes….

    We made it through!!!!!!!

    engelalber
    engelalber
    12 years ago

    Finding a patch of fabric at Masada doesn’t prove that the color is techelet, just that they used indigo to dye fabric there.

    Raphael_Kaufman
    Raphael_Kaufman
    12 years ago

    The reference to indigo is not as a color but as a specific dye as posted by #10 above. The kla ilon mentioned in Menachos as ersatz techeiles is indigo. The difference betwee indigo anf true techeiles is techeiles is color fast and indigo is not, as anyone who has ever bought a pair of new jeans (indigo is the dye used for blue jeans) and washed them a few times can observe himself.

    my4amos
    my4amos
    12 years ago

    I can remember a story similar to this one surfacing almost every year back to when I was in my mid-teens. Take it with more than a grain of salt.