Cloth From King David’s Era Found; Bible Museum Returns 5,000 Biblical Artifacts to Egypt by for Christian News Now
Cloth From King David’s Era Found; Bible Museum Returns 5,000 Biblical Artifacts to Egypt
The Times of Israel reports that researchers have found three purple textile scraps that date back to 1,000 BCE (Before the Common Era), claiming the came from King David’s era. The recent cloth findings are the earliest ever for the region, and ties them to the Edomite kingdom.
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Researchers use radiocarbon testing that allow them to determine how old the fabric is that was excavated in the Timna Valley near Eilat. The dry climate in the region allow for great preservation of organic materials.
The vibrant long-lasting color called “true” or “Tyrian Purple” comes from dye glands found in murex sea snails that are located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Producing the dye takes several days, and would only be worn by royalty, priests, and nobles.
Tel Aviv University Professor Erez Ben-Yosef, who has been excavating the Timna Valley region since 2013 said, “It is a very early period to find ‘true purple’ in use and it’s a very strange location. It’s deep in the desert, where we didn’t [traditionally] think these prestigious materials were in use. The discovery offers additional evidence for our new understanding of nomadic people at that time period, at the time of the emergence of these ancient kingdoms of Israel, Edom, Moab, Amon, the local kingdoms of the biblical time.”
Israel Antiquities Authority’s curator of organic finds, Naama Sukenik said, “I’m so happy that Erez [Ben-Yosef] gave us the opportunity to peek into the clothes closet from the period of David and Solomon and see the wardrobe of the elite that lived in the period at the copper mines. I suppose that if we were to peek into David and Solomon’s closet we’d see similar clothing — and perhaps even more true purple.”
