Ancient Textile Dyed with Biblical Scarlet Found in Judean 'Cave of Skulls'

JERUSALEM, Israel – A small 3,800-year-old textile colored with an expensive dye known as "scarlet worm" (Tola'at Hashani) in the Bible, used for costly fabrics in the Jewish Tabernacle and garments of the Levitical priests, has been identified by researchers after its discovery eight years ago in the Judean Desert.

After the textile, (just 2 cm..x 2 cm.) was found in the Cave of Skulls, a joint project by the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA), Bar-Ilan University, and Hebrew University determined through carbon dating that the red dye indeed came from oak-scale insects at the time of the Middle Bronze Age (1767-1954 B.C.).

Scientists say it is the earliest evidence of such a textile containing dye made from these insects.

The Bible mentions the color "scarlet worm" 25 times, often in conjunction with fine blue (Tekhelet) and purple (Argaman). In 2 Samuel 1:24, the writer exhorts, "Daughters of Israel, weep for (King) Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold."

The fabric was found as part of a Heritage Project conducted by the IAA and Hebrew University to preserve and protect Judean Desert antiquities from theft.

Dozens of textiles were found in the cave, but the small red fabric stood out because of its bright color, indicating it could be the precious scarlet dye.

Dr, Na'ama Sukenik, who curates the Organic Material Collection at the IAA, explained, "In ancient times, the dye was produced from the female scale insect, which lives on the Kermes oak tree."

She added, "Collecting these kermes was done in a very short window of time – one month out of the year in the summer after the female laid her eggs but before they hatched – when the amount of dye was greatest. The short period in which the kermes could be collected, the difficulty in finding them due to their small size, and their camouflage colors that make it difficult to locate them, as well as the small amount of dye that can be produced from them – and on the other hand, the beautiful red hue (scarlet) that can be produced from them for dyeing textiles, made their use highly prestigious."

Ancient Mesopotamian trade documents mention the red dye from kermes. Professor Zohar Amar of Bar-Ilan University explained, "In the Bible, the dye extracted from oak scale insects is referred to as "scarlet worm." In that period, "worm" referred to the developmental stages of insects.

Such insects were used to produce valuable dyes, and experts say the procedure is even carried out today in South America, where a scale insect that lives on some kinds of cacti is employed to dye fabrics.

One surprising element concerning the tree that produces the scarlet worm insects is its location. Professor David Lutz of Bar-Ilan University explained the species  "is common in the central and eastern Mediterranean region, including Spain, France, and other areas, but is not found in the Land of Israel."

Dr. Uri Davidovich an excavation director at the Cave of the Skulls from Jerusalem's Hebrew University, said, "Although it is difficult to know how this textile arrived in this desert cave, 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 – about 3,800 years ago."

Dr. Sukenik noted, "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."

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

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