First definitive proof of ancient blue dye tekhelet revealed in Israel
Posted on December 31, 2013 by JNS.org.
(JNS.org) The first definitive proof of production of the ancient blue dye tekhelet in Israel was revealed during an Israel Antiquities Authority presentation at a Jerusalem conference.
Derived from shellfish, tekhelet is mentioned in the Torah as the dye used in the clothing of the High Priest in the Jerusalem Temple, as well as being mixed in with white in the fringes of the tzitzit garment. But the origins of tekhelet were lost after the Roman exile, and most tzitzit fringes today are colored exclusively white. Over the past century, experts—including the late Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Herzog—have attempted to rediscover the origins of the dye, tracing it to the hillazon snail. (To read more, http://www.jns.org/news-briefs/2013/12/31/first-definitive-proof-of-ancient-blue-dye-tekhelet-revealed-in-israel.)
Links to other articles on this subject: http://www.christianpost.com/news/israeli-researcher-discovers-evidence-of-rare-color-known-as-biblical-blue-111824/; http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/31/archaeologists-make-incredibly-rare-find-with-roots-in-the-bible/.
Natan. Why would the shellfish, a non-Kosher animal, be used for a dye on the High Priest’s robe?
There are no biblical prohibitions against using the other parts of unkosher animals for clothing, tents, leather or anything else. You just can’t eat them. For example, one of the coverings on the tabernacle was tachash skin. No one knows what that was, but some speculate that is was a sea cow, dolphin or badger. It appears that it was the tabernacle’s waterproof roof. The biblical dietary laws only cover what you eat, not what you wear.