3,800-year-old fabric made of biblical worms found in ‘Cave of Skull’

Israeli researchers uncovered the earliest fabric on record dyed with oak scale insects, a worm known as the “Tola’at Hashani” or scarlet worm in the Bible.

As part of a larger excavation project in the “Cave of Skulls” to save heritage sites in the Judean Desert from antiquities theft, they found the rare red textile in 2016 amongst dozens that they then sent for further examination, according to the Jewish Press .

Using analytical techniques, they identified the origin of the dye as well as the textile’s age: about 3,800 years old. The scarlet worm appears in the Bible 25 times, as per the Jewish Press, thus evidence exists about the extraction of pigments from scale insects, however, very few have been found that predate the pre-Roman era, making the bright red fabric a significant discovery though it’s only the size of a postage stamp, according to IFL Science.

Analyzing the biblical textile

Researchers analyzed the tiny yet majorly significant piece with “High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), a device commonly employed in biology and chemistry laboratories to separate and identify substances in minute quantities, and it also serves archaeology,” Dr. Sukenik said in Jewish Press.

“ This advanced analytical method enabled us to pinpoint the dye’s origin down to the exact species of scale insect. Thus, we can determine with high probability that in ancient times, the textile was dyed using a species of Kermes vermilio , which produces kermesic acid, imparting the distinctive red hue.”

Using carbon-14 analysis, they dated the textile back to the Middle Bronze Age, about 3,800 years ago. As far as researchers know, it’s the earliest find of this kind of woolen textile specifically dyed with “kermes,” the scarlet worm straight out of the Bible as per Israel 365.

As part of an extensive project to identify dyes in archaeological textiles, led by Dr. Naama Sukenik from the Israel Antiquities Authority, Prof. Zohar Amar, and Prof. David Iluz from Bar-Ilan University, and supported by the Israel Science Foundation, the study explains that the textile provides an unprecedented window into “the technological capabilities of the ancient world as well as past economic and social conditions.”

What the ancient textile has to tell us thus far

“In the Bible, the dye extracted from oak scale insects is referred to as “scarlet worm,” Prof. Zohar Amar of Bar-Ilan University said. The ancient holy book illustrates the color’s significance along with blue and purple, according to Israel 365, as being used in rich clothing and religious ceremonies. In the Book of Samuel, as quoted in The Jewish Press, “…who clothed you in scarlet, in finery.”

Ancient trade documents such as the cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia even speak about the red dye from Kermes. However, up until now, no example had been found this old. The study furthermore outlines that the textile communicates so much more than that, revealing personal tastes as well as a non-verbal communication system.

Dyestuffs are directly linked, as per the study , “to economic and social capabilities of ancient societies and is commonly used as an important indicator in textile research to investigate the role of textile dyeing and technological achievements, fashion, social and economic status, agriculture, and trade.”

As a perishable item, the textile is rare, but the cliff caves in the Judean Desert, west of the Dead Sea, provided the necessary conditions to preserve it. Because it was found there, furthermore, the textile might reveal that a group of refugees sought shelter in these remote locations.

Excavation director Uri Davidovich from Hebrew University in Jerusalem admits via The Jewish Press that “it is difficult to know how this textile arrived in this desert cave, [but] it is significant evidence of ancient knowledge in dyeing wool fibers using scale insects to achieve the red color as early as the Middle Bronze Age .”

A fabric weaved in mystery

Interestingly enough, Prof. David Iluz, head of the Environmental Sciences and Agriculture Department at Beit Berl College said that Israel has a native species of scale insect that lives on Palestinian Oak trees, but analytical results place this species of scale insect on the kermes oak tree, as per ICL Science . Native to the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, this tree isn’t found in Israel.

A fabric weaved in mystery, still, “the important find bridges the gap between written sources and the archaeological discoveries, providing evidence that the ancient textile dyeing industry was — already at this stage, sufficiently established for dyeing using animals,” Dr. Sukenik concludes in Israel 365 .

“The rare textile is a testament to broad international commercial networks functioning already at this time and indicates the presence of an elite society.”

A team led by Dr. Eitan Klein, Dr. Uri Davidovich, Roi Porat, and Amir Ganor published their analysis of the textile in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports .