Traces of rare purple dye mentioned in Bible passages found in ‘remarkable’discovery

Archaeologists in England uncovered traces of rare Tyrian purple dye in Roman infant burials dating back centuries.(University of York)

The find “suggests thebabies were from familiesof significant social standing,” officials said, adding that the purple cloth was “normally reserved for emperors and members of the aristocracy.”

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The university said that “during the Roman period, the dye was a commodity valued at up to three times the price of gold.”

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The dye, harvested by crushing the shells of murex mollusks, wasmentioned in the Bibleseveral times.

One biblical reference to purple textiles appears in Acts 16:14, which describes a female merchant.

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“It’s one of only a handful of examples of the dye found in the U.K.”

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In Mark 15:17,Jesus was dressedin purple cloth by his captors in order to humiliate him, since the color was associated with royalty.

ANCIENT ROMAN FORT YIELDS 2,000-YEAR-OLD FRUIT THAT SURVIVED THE CENTURIES, PLUS OTHER TREASURES

The verse says, “And they clothed him in a purple cloak;and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him.”

Officials said the textiles survived thanks to the Roman ritual of “pouring liquid gypsum over the clothed and shrouded bodies of the dead.”

Archaeologists said Eboracum, founded by the Romans around 71 A.D., yielded one of Britain’s rare examples of Tyrian purple.(English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

“The gypsum gradually hardened, protecting imprints and fragments of textiles, as well as the dyes and substances originally present in the fabrics,” the release added.

The discovery marks the “first time traces of the dye have been found on Roman textile remains in York,” officials said.

“It’s one of only a handful of examples of the dye foundin the U.K.,” the release added.

Professor Maureen Carroll, a project director with University of York’s Department of Archaeology, called the discovery “remarkable.”

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“For the first time we now have confirmation of the use of this costly dye in Roman York, indicating that the city’s wealthy inhabitants had access toexpensive and exotic commoditiesfrom the other end of the empire,” said Carroll.

Roman infant graves discovered in York are shedding new light on the presence of wealthy families living in ancient Britain.(Germán Vogel via Getty Images)

The archaeologist added that the research “tells us a lot about the importance of children in Roman York and the willingness of the family to give their baby the best possible send-off in tragic circumstances.”

York, once known as Eboracum in Roman times, was founded around 71 A.D.as a military fortress.

It functioned as a provincial capital until the Romans effectivelywithdrew from Britainin the early fifth century.

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The discovery comes around a year after experts released research about anancient purple dye factorylocated in modern-day Israel.

Historians recently unveiled findings about an ancient purple dye factory, highlighting the value of purple dye in ancient times — as seen on the robes of Justinian.(Maria Bukin/PLOS/Getty Images)

The site, Tel Shiqmona, “can unequivocally be identified as a specialized facility for large-scale and long-term production of the lucrative purple dye,” according to the study’s authors.

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The site dates back as early as 1100 B.C., and researchers said the site had an “unparalleled” number of artifacts related to purple dye manufacturing.