In Jewish tradition, scarlet was one of the most valuable colors. It was used in priestly vestments and to cover the Tabernacle of the Jewish temple. This dye was one of the most expensive and is mentioned up to 25 times in the Old Testament.
In 2016, in the Cave of Skulls, in Jordan, two centimeters of a piece of dyed wool fiber was found. A carbon test found it to be 3,800 years old. It is the oldest dyed textile known to exist today and was dyed from the pigment of a scarlet worm.
The discovery of this textile has led to more insight into the dyeing practices in the Old Testament.
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